The Invisible Threat: Climate Change by Simran https://padlet.com/simrankhadka0222/syr4r2togubweiag Digital Storytelling Project. By: Simran K. en-us 2020-07-27 23:14:55 UTC 2025-12-04 14:56:08 UTC hello@padlet.com Introduction: The Invisible Threat: Climate Change simrankhadka0222 https://padlet.com/simrankhadka0222/syr4r2togubweiag/wish/669588691 What is Climate Change (also known as global warming)? Climate change is the current rapid warming of the Earth's climate caused by human activity. If left unchecked (and current responses are doing little to halt it) it poses an unprecedented threat to human civilization and the ecosystems on this planet. 

These next several "slides" will talk about the consequences and effects of climate change, which include: the greenhouse effect, more frequent and severe weather, higher death rates, highly polluted air, higher wildlife extinction rates, more acidic oceans, and what us humans should do to help. Stay tuned!]]> 2020-08-04 23:37:06 UTC https://padlet.com/simrankhadka0222/syr4r2togubweiag/wish/669588691 (1) Greenhouse effect simrankhadka0222 https://padlet.com/simrankhadka0222/syr4r2togubweiag/wish/669744338 The 'greenhouse effect' is the warming of climate that results when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from Earth toward space. Certain gases in the atmosphere resemble glass in a greenhouse, allowing sunlight to pass into the 'greenhouse,' but blocking Earth's heat from escaping into space. The gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect include water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxides, and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

 Here on Earth, human activities are changing the natural greenhouse. Over the last century the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has increased the concentration of atmospheric CO2. This happens because the coal or oil burning process combines carbon (C) with oxygen (O2) in the air to make CO2. 

To a lesser extent, the clearing of land for agriculture, industry, and other human activities have increased the concentrations of other greenhouse gases like methane (CH4), and further increased (CO2).]]> 2020-08-05 02:57:21 UTC https://padlet.com/simrankhadka0222/syr4r2togubweiag/wish/669744338 (2) More Frequent and Severe Weather simrankhadka0222 https://padlet.com/simrankhadka0222/syr4r2togubweiag/wish/669772420 Higher temperatures are worsening many types of disasters, including storms, heatwaves, floods, and droughts. 
A warmer climate creates an atmosphere that can collect, retain, and drop more water, changing weather patterns in such a way that wet areas become wetter and dry areas drier. 
"Extreme weather events are costing more and more," says Aliya Haq, deputy director of NRDC's Clean Power Plan initiative. "The number of billion-dollar weather disasters is expected to rise."

]]> 2020-08-05 03:35:11 UTC https://padlet.com/simrankhadka0222/syr4r2togubweiag/wish/669772420 (3) Higher Death Rates simrankhadka0222 https://padlet.com/simrankhadka0222/syr4r2togubweiag/wish/669786047 Climate change is "the biggest global health threat of the 21st century," according to scientists. It's a threat that impacts us all, especially the children, elderly, low-income communities, and minorities. 
As temperatures spike, so does the incidence of illness, emergency room visits, and death. 
"There are more hot days in places where people aren't used to it, Haq states. "They don't have air-conditioning or can't afford it. One or two days isn't a big deal. But four days straight where temperatures don't go down, even at night, leads to severe health consequences." 
In the United States, hundreds of heat-related deaths occur each year due to direct impacts and the indirect effects of heat-exacerbated, life-threatening illnesses, such as heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and cardiovascular and kidney diseases.
 Extreme heat kills more Americans each year, on average, than hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and lightning combined, which is crazy to think about! ]]> 2020-08-05 03:50:50 UTC https://padlet.com/simrankhadka0222/syr4r2togubweiag/wish/669786047 (4) Highly Polluted Air simrankhadka0222 https://padlet.com/simrankhadka0222/syr4r2togubweiag/wish/669803475 Rising temperatures also worsen air pollution by increasing ground level ozone, which is created when pollution from cars, factories, and other sources react to sunlight and heat. 

Ground-level ozone is the main component of smog, and the hotter things get, the more of it we have. 

Dirtier air is linked to higher hospital admission rates and higher death rates for asthmatics. It worsens the health of people suffering from cardiac or pulmonary disease.]]> 2020-08-05 04:11:50 UTC https://padlet.com/simrankhadka0222/syr4r2togubweiag/wish/669803475 (5) Higher Wildlife Extinction Rates simrankhadka0222 https://padlet.com/simrankhadka0222/syr4r2togubweiag/wish/669809687 As the sea and land go through rapid changes, the animals that inhabit them would suffer and are pretty much doomed if they don't adapt quickly enough. Some would survive, and some would unfortunately not.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 2014 assessment, many land, freshwater, and ocean species are shifting their geographic ranges to cooler climes or higher altitudes, in an attempt to escape warming. 

They're changing seasonal behaviors and traditional migration patterns, too. And yet many still face "increased extinction risk due to climate change."  

A study in 2015 showed that vertebrate species-animals with backbones, like fish, birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles, are disappearing 114 times faster than they should be, a phenomenon that has been linked to climate change, pollution, and deforestation.]]> 2020-08-05 04:19:31 UTC https://padlet.com/simrankhadka0222/syr4r2togubweiag/wish/669809687 (6) More Acidic Oceans simrankhadka0222 https://padlet.com/simrankhadka0222/syr4r2togubweiag/wish/669816480 Oceans are becoming more acidic, due mostly because of their absorption of some of our excess emissions. As this acidification accelerates, it poses a serious threat to underwater life, specifically creatures with calcium carbonate shells or skeletons, including mollusks, crabs, and corals.

 This can have a huge impact on shellfisheries. As of 2015, acidification is believed to have cost the Pacific Northwest oyster industry almost $110 million. Insane right?

Coastal communities in 15 states that depend on the $1 billion nationwide annual harvest of oysters, clams, and other shelled mollusks face similar long-term economic risks.

]]> 2020-08-05 04:28:33 UTC https://padlet.com/simrankhadka0222/syr4r2togubweiag/wish/669816480 (7) What should we do to help? simrankhadka0222 https://padlet.com/simrankhadka0222/syr4r2togubweiag/wish/669827604 With all this information in mind, some things we can start doing to decrease the effects of global warming/climate change would be:
 -Talking to friends and family, and make sure they're making good, healthy, decisions.
- Powering your home with renewable energy.
- Investing in energy-efficient appliances.
- Reduce water waste.
- Buy better bulbs (such as LED light bulbs).
- Drive a fuel-efficient vehicle.
- Shrink carbon profile - this can be done by purchasing carbon offsets, which represent clean power that can be added to the nation's energy grid in place of power from fossil fuels.

By aggressively reducing our global emissions now, "we can avoid a lot of the severe consequences that climate change would otherwise bring," says Haq.]]> 2020-08-05 04:43:10 UTC https://padlet.com/simrankhadka0222/syr4r2togubweiag/wish/669827604 Citations: simrankhadka0222 https://padlet.com/simrankhadka0222/syr4r2togubweiag/wish/669850561 March 15, 2016 Melissa Denchak. “Are the Effects of Global Warming
Really That Bad?” NRDC, 6  Aug. 2019, www.nrdc.org/stories/are-effects-global-warming-really-bad.      

 Usgcrp. The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific  Assessment, 4 Apr. 2016, health2016.globalchange.gov/.

“CILab: Greenhouse Gases Effect on Global Warming.” NASA, NASA,
svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/20114.

July 17, 2017 Melissa Denchak. “How You Can Stop Global Warming.”
NRDC, 9 Mar. 2020, www.nrdc.org/stories/how-you-can-stop-global-warming.




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