The Change
fact box
Warmer climates have affected life in the past just as radically. Satellite images show riverbeds in the world's biggest desert, the Sahara. It has been discovered that hippopotamuses lived in the region until 4,000 years ago, when the riverbeds dried up.
In the last century, our planet's average temperature has risen by over ½ºC and the change in climate is being blamed for our earlier springs, melting ice and rising sea levels.
The climate usually changes naturally over a very slow period and swings from ice age to jungle warmth. But this change is now happening more quickly. The climate isn't following the rules of previous slow-moving changes.
Since the last ice age ended 10,000 years ago, our climate has been relatively stable, but all that is changing. The global average temperature has risen by 0.6ºC in the last 100 years. If it continues to rise as predicted, future warming could happen faster than ever before.
Why It's Changing Quickly
We are now changing the make-up of our atmosphere by increasing carbon dioxide emissions through burning fossil fuels. This is causing the climate to change faster than ever before and it is overwhelming the planet's natural balancing mechanisms.
Emissions from burning these fuels – such as coal and oil – lead to the production of greenhouse gas. Too much of this gas means energy from the sun is trapped in our atmosphere, which heats up our planet.
We cannot change what has already been done, but we can alter our fuel-thirsty lifestyles. Doing this now could help slow down the effects.