What is Climate?
Climate is a long-term state that helps us predict our weather. For example, Florida’s climate isn’t going to be anything like Alaska’s. We know, as Floridians, that our climate here is tropical. Our proximity to the equator and the fact that we are almost completely surrounded by water means that we typically have warmer, wetter weather. Climate is long-term and weather is short-term. Even though Florida can get the occasional cold front and thus cold weather, we know that it will eventually give way to warmer weather. Our tropical climate here in Florida is the reason we can go swimming in December.
What is climate change?
Climate change typically refers to the Earth’s total climate. Since climate is such a long-term, broad concept, it can take a lot of things and a really long time to drastically change it. However, the effects of climate change can be felt as they gradually increase overtime. For example, there were more named storms in 2020 than in any previous recorded year.
What is causing climate change?
Historically, Earth’s climate has always gradually changed over time. What’s new is the rate at which our climate is changing. Climate scientists believe this rapid change is due to the massive increase in burning fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution. Burning fossil fuels for energy to power our homes, jobs, and cars releases gas into the atmosphere. The same atmosphere that traps air for us to breathe has been trapping the increased amounts of fossil fuels which is causing a massive shift in how we experience climate and weather.
What can I do?
Learning is always the first step. Making educated decisions for yourself and your family is the best way to move forward in any given scenario. Climate change is no different. Take the time to learn more and share the knowledge. Pasted below is a list of reliable resources on climate change.
NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/what-is-climate-change-k4.html
United Nations (UN): https://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/climate-change/
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate/climate-change-impacts
Check out part 1 of our Climate Change interview with Coral Springs Commissioner Nancy Metayer