What climate change is and how it will affect the UK

According to the London company Junk Bunk, climate change is a long-term change in the climate and usually happens in the context of climate change caused by humans.

The greenhouse effect is the term used to describe the Earth’s warming. If there were no greenhouse gases, the Earth would’ve been a frozen, lifeless ball in space, but too many gases lead to warming, causing dangerous climate change.

Due to human activity such as burning fossil fuels and cutting down trees, greenhouse gases have increased, and thus, the heat kept in the atmosphere has also increased. The main greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide, CO2

We can expect our climate to change to hotter and wetter, and this will bring more extreme weather.

In the UK, 40% of CO2 emissions are caused by human activity, mostly from energy used at home, driving and air transport.

The effects of climate change can be seen in the UK and worldwide. Temperatures in the UK are already increasing. On a worldwide scale, it is predicted that more extreme climate conditions will become more frequent and will have a negative impact for people, animals and plants.

Climate change will affect many aspects of life in the UK, including the environment, business and social services. Scientists have identified some of the possible effects of this climate change:

Temperatures

• Most probably, the average temperatures in the UK will increase.
• Higher summer temperatures will be more frequent, and colder winters will be rarer.

Rain

• Quantity and frequency of the rain will change.
• Winters will be wetter and summers will be hotter and longer.
• There will be increased local flooding
• This will lead to pressure on water resources in the UK.

Sea level increase

• Sea and ocean levels can increase by 40cm by the end of the century, which will lead later to coastal erosion and risks of flooding.

Health

• The food that we eat and the water that we drink will be affected by the climate.
• There will be a change in the type of diseases related to heat and cold. For example, the risk of illnesses such as skin cancer can increase.
• Elderly and young people will be most vulnerable to temperature changes.

Agriculture

• Agriculture and production will be affected by weather changes in the UK, which can affect the types of cultivated crops, the place of cultivation and their supply.

Wildlife

• Some birds, fish and terrestrial animals are in danger since their environment is changing due to temperature changes. Some of these species will not be able to adapt to these environment changes.
• Plants, trees and bushes which grow in the UK will change.