While the whole world collectively struggles to bear with the changes in the environment in different ways, not many are aware of its main causes. Moreover, a majority of people fail to observe, understand, or evaluate the changing temperatures in the fast-paced lives they lead. In order to understand the changing environments, it is first essential to understand the right meaning of the terminologies, understand the distinction between them, and then observe the changes.
The most interchangeably used words are weather and climate. The weather may be referred to as a state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place with respect to dryness, wetness, heat, or cold. Climate, on the other hand, is a long-term pattern. Climate, unlike the weather, does not talk about change in the atmosphere on an hour-to-hour basis but is observed over an expansive period of time, typically as long as 30 years.
One more confusion people face is between climate change and global warming. Let’s understand.
Understanding the difference between global warming and climate change
If we start with the definitions, global warming indicates means the rising surface temperature of the Earth. Climate change, on the other hand, is inclusive of warming and the side effects of warming. These worrisome side effects include heavier rainstorms, droughts, and melting glaciers.
In simple terms, climate change is a larger, human-caused issue, while global warming is just one symptom of the problem.
One more difference between climate change and global warming is that at present, the term global warming is used to refer to human-led warming. This indicates the warming of the planet because of the fast increase in carbon dioxide along with other greenhouse gases emerging out of the burning of gas, oil, and coal.
On the other hand, climate change means both human-led and naturally caused changes, for instance, the ice ages. Humans not only burn fuels but also contribute to climate change by means of emitting aerosol pollution into the atmosphere. Another example would be changing the landscape of the planet to farmland from carbon-storing forests.
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The present scenario
At present, the increase in global warming is caused by the increase in heat-trapping gases that are added by humans to the atmosphere, for instance, by means of burning fossil fuels. If we see the record of the last five decades, natural factors such as volcanoes have contributed to the cooling of the surface of the Earth’s temperature, even if that was to a very slight extent.
If we study the rate of global warming and compare the present state with the previous ones, we can see significant change patterns. Currently, the increase in global average temperature is occurring at actually a faster rate as compared to any given point since modern civilization and the development of agriculture in the last 11,000 years.
The takeaway
In order to first understand the changing environments and trends, we need to first delve deeper into the clear understanding of the terminologies. Moreover, at present, global warming is seen as an unprecedented form of climate change, leading to a wide array of side effects in the climate system, Changes in the sea levels and melting of glaciers are just to name a few. Such changes, if not managed and controlled, can lead to a cascade of problems for present-day and future humans.
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Categories: Trends
Source: vcmp.edu.vn