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Climate change is with us, the future is

unfolding before our eyes. Canada sees it indisappearing Arctic ice and permafrost. The

shantytown dwellers of Latin America and

Southern Asia see it in lethal storms and

floods. Europeans see it in disappearing

glaciers, forest fires and fatal heat waves.

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The three warmest years on record have all

occurred since 1998; 19 of the warmest 20since 1980. And Earth has probably never

warmed as fast as in the past 30 years - a

period when natural influences on global

temperatures, such as solar cycles and

volcanoes should have cooled us down.

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Temperatures Rising

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Global greenhouse

People are causing the change by burning nature's vaststores of coal, oil and natural gas. This releases billionsof tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) every year, although

the changes may actually have started with the dawnof agriculture, say some scientists.

The physics of the "greenhouse effect" has been amatter of scientific fact for a century. CO2 is agreenhouse gas that traps the Sun's radiation (heat)

within the earths atmosphere. It has accumulatedalong with other man-made greenhouse gases, such asmethane and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

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Global greenhouse

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Warming is bringing unpredictable changes. Meltingglaciers and precipitation are causing some rivers to

overflow, while evaporation is emptying others.Diseases are spreading. Some crops grow faster whileothers see yields slashed by disease and drought.Strong hurricanes are becoming more frequent and

destructive. Arctic sea ice is melting faster every year,and there are growing fears of a shutdown of theocean currents that keep Europe warm for its latitude.Clashes over dwindling water resources may causeconflicts in many regions.

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Thermal expansion of the oceans, combined with

melting ice on land, is also raising sea levels. In thiscentury, human activity could trigger an irreversiblemelting of the Greenland ice sheet and Antarcticglaciers. This would condemn the world to a rise in sealevel of six metres - enough to flood land occupied by

billions of people.

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If the current rates of human inducedpollution continue around the world it is

inevitable that the resulting highertemperatures may cause massextinction of animal species andperhaps humans also.

However, there are changes underwayin the form of more renewable energysources being introduced such as wind,wave and solar energy which will lessenthe need for us to burn damaging fossil

fuels.

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What can we do?

Probably the most effective thing we can do ischange our way of thinking about materials useand ultimately our way of life.

Less is more; less consumption leaves more timeto make the change to more sustainable living

practises and standards. Use only what is necessary, get the most use out

of the things you buy, respect your country (i.e.dont leave the streets covered in rubbish), walk if 

there is no need to drive, think outside the box.