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Course: Middle school Earth and space science > Unit 5
Lesson 5: Earth's changing climateEarth's changing climate
Google ClassroomReview your understanding of climate change in this free article aligned to NGSS standards.
Key points
- Earth’s average temperature is rising, causing long-term shifts in global weather patterns. This is known as climate change.
- Climate change is caused mainly by greenhouse gas emissions. A greenhouse gas is a gas that traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere. While greenhouse gases are naturally occurring, human activities have added too much of these gases to the atmosphere.
- The main greenhouse gas contributing to climate change is carbon dioxide (
- To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, we need to both reduce
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These kinds of things make me afraid to have kids because i dont want them breathing dirty air and becoming sick, how do i reassure myself from this stressful situation and how do i as an individual reduce the CO2 in the air?(14 votes)
You can try to reduce the time you spend driving in your car, because cars run off of gas, which is basically fossil fuel, and when you drive your car releases co2 from the exhaust. You should try riding a bike or taking walks and/or jogs. You can also help reduce the amount of co2 by recycling.(9 votes)
What is the purpose of power plants using fossil fuels? Can't They just use basic electricity and use energy given off from the Sun?(6 votes)
So if we stop burning fossil fuels and instead use solar panels for electricity and instead of cars, bicycles, and other vehicles that don't need fuel and eat healthier diets this world would be healthier.(6 votes)
We should make green houses for less poutioln right?(4 votes)
Greenhouses are not the problem, but you could start by using less electricity. So turn off lights when you leave a room, use less extension cord and the like. Take small steps is what my motto is.(6 votes)
What could we do as a society do to limit climate change.(5 votes)- What are some alternatives to greenhouse gases?(5 votes)
solar panels are a great example im pretty sure :)(2 votes)
I don't get how climate change can cause more rain and storms. I understand that the poles will melt, but how does more water in the ocean correspond with more rain and thunderstorms?(4 votes)
there will be more water in the ocean there for more water for the sun to evaporate and turn in to clouds
more clouds = more chance of a thunder storm(4 votes)
- Can we decrease the amount of CO2, by planting trees ?(3 votes)
In theory, yes. But when trees and other plants "breathe," some of the CO2 isn't filtered through and used for photosynthesis.(5 votes)
- Why did they not mention the OZONE thinning? that's another reason that climate change is happening .(4 votes)
the ozone is having an impact from climate change. But it is not actually a cause of climate change.(1 vote)
- why dont people just stop polluting(3 votes)
That's hard. Why? Power plants help countries become more civilized, less civilized places like India, have little power because they have few sustainable energy sources. And I'm not talking about renewable stuff.(3 votes)