BaCCC/Module 1/Lesson 2/Part 1

Module 1, Lesson 2: Causes and Effects of Climate Change

Climate Science Milestones Two Centuries

Introduction

In the previous lesson, you were briefly introduced to the concept of climate change, and you were able to distinguish it from other related concepts such as climate variability. We defined climate change as a global long-term shift of weather patterns and also established that the impacts of current climate change demand immediate action.

This lesson is going to give you an in-depth study of climate change with more focus on its causes and effects. Your knowledge of these causes is crucial to the climate change mitigation and adaptation that you will learn about later in this course. Lastly, we will discuss the greenhouse effect and global warming in more detail. As you learn new information, you are urged to come up with original and creative methods to share it with your local community.

Upon completion of this lesson, you will have demonstrated that you can

Lesson Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

• create a working definition of climate change;
• analyse the Earth’s energy balance that affects climate change;
• outline the process of global warming;
• explain the greenhouse effect and enhanced greenhouse effect;
• explore how humans contribute to the greenhouse effect;
• investigate the issue of climate change through discussion, experimentation and observation;
• explore the relationship between human activities and climate change, with emphasis on ecosystems and conservation; and
• describe the causes and effects of climate change.

Terminology

The following terms are important in understanding the science behind climate change. If you want to remember them, write their meanings in your learning journal as you encounter them in the course content.

• acidification
• aerosols
• carbon dioxide
• carbon sinks
• CFCs
• emissions
• glaciers
• global warming
• greenhouse effect
• greenhouse gases
• ocean deoxygenation
• ocean heating
• water vapour

What is climate change?

In Lesson 1, you learnt that climate change is a big issue, as it appears constantly in the news and even in some political forums. Why is climate change such a huge concern? What is it exactly? You must be able to demystify climate change and present it as a process when discussing it. If you understand what causes climate change and how it occurs, then it should be easier to explain it. First, look at the two definitions and then proceed to the Activity.

Definition 1: United Nations – Climate Action (2023) Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle. But since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.

Definition 2: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (2023) Climate change describes a change in the average conditions – such as temperature and rainfall – in a region over a long period of time. NASA scientists have observed Earth’s surface is warming, and many of the warmest years on record have happened in the past 20 years.

Activity

Looking at the definitions from the two sources, and for the sake of having a very clear understanding of climate change, answer the following questions in your learning journal: 1. These definitions are basically the same. Which of the two definitions do you understand and will you be able to use comfortably when explaining climate change? 2. Write your own definition of climate change, in your own language or in simple English, for somebody who is illiterate. 3. Share this definition with three people of different ages (a child, a middle-aged person and an elder) in your community, and find out if they understand your definition. 4. In your journal, rate their understanding from 1 to 10 (with 10 being “understood it completely”). Explain what you think caused the differences in their level of understanding.

Is climate change a big deal to you? Most definitely, climate change should and must be a big deal to everybody. As a climate champion, it will be your (part-time) responsibility to help people understand this. Proceed to the next learning activity, which will help you get ready for interactions with people who have diverse perspectives on climate change and who do not truly understand what it is.

Activity

You and some members of your family are watching and listening to the news on television about severe downpours that caused flooding across most parts of your country, including your town or village. According to the national meteorological weather forecast, these torrential rains are likely to linger for two weeks and spread through the country with the possible effects of further flooding, mudslides, infrastructure damage and fatalities. The heavy rains are attributed to climate change.

After this news report, you listen to your family members comment on it. Your response is the last one. Write in your learning journal how you would answer each person to enlighten them and, in particular, to address myths, misinformation, ignorance and denial. In your response, take into consideration the highlighted words in their conversation. As you proceed with this lesson, you will learn more information that you can keep adding to your response to your family.

Grandma: It looks like this awful weather is here to stay. You know, in the past, we never had such rapid occurrences of these natural disasters, and I keep hearing that climate change is to blame. I’m not sure what they mean, but I do know that it happens because the gods are angry with us. We need to do something to appease them.

Cousin 1: Yes, Granny, I’m also not sure what this climate change is all about, but we’re constantly held responsible for it. Hey, Cousy, can we go get food, water and cooking gas for the upcoming rainy days, please?

Cousin 2: Can you imagine being blamed for something like climate change? Am I God? Sorry Cousy, my car is down. It has been leaking oils and emitting a lot of smoke lately. Besides, I heard that there is a serious shortage of food and clean water. Maybe our uncle can help us out. Hey, Uncle, you look sad. Are you okay? Uncle: I’m thinking about this climate change issue, but I don’t care who is to blame; for now, all I am worried about is that my crops are being ruined. I wasted money on the pricey fertilisers, fungicides and pesticides I used last week. This weather is delaying my progress at the farm. I was also hoping to clear more vegetation for the expansion of my farm, but this weather has thwarted my plans.

Cousin 1: I don’t know about you guys, but as for me, I’m not voting for this useless government again. They use this climate change to cover up their failures. This nonsense of blaming us for rising oceans, floods, extremely high temperatures, bleached corals and diminishing forests and even fisheries must stop. '''Cousin 2:' You are right, Cousy; there is a shortage of gas, and we are experiencing power cuts. I don’t know why they’re not producing enough electricity because it’s just a matter of burning more coal, right? And coal is abundant in our country.

Uncle (turning to you): You are awfully quiet – or are you also bored by this climate change thing? Anyway, why are we discussing this; there is nothing we can do about this climate change. You: No, Uncle, I’m just listening and want to find out how much you know about climate change. In view of what you all said, please allow me to share what I know about climate change, starting with you, Grandma. . . .'

(Be forewarned. Trying to enlighten people on the realities of climate change will likely not make you popular! 😉 Only a very few will be grateful for your explanations. Let’s face it, when it comes to climate change, ignorance is bliss . . . until the flood comes and you are trapped in your house with little food and only contaminated water, or worse.)