Climate change impacts life on Earth from two fronts…

A rise in Earth’s temperature

The Earth’s temperature is about 1 degree Celsius warmer than it was 100 to 150 years ago. This is the average increase, which means that some parts of the planet have warmed even more.

Though 1 degree Celsius may seem small, it’s actually a drastic change. To put this in perspective, the Earth’s temperature during the Ice Age was only 4 to 6 degrees Celsius cooler than today.

Did you know that the temperature at the North and South Poles increases 4 times faster than at the equator?

Thankfully, a third of all CO₂ emissions have been absorbed by our oceans. Without this, our planet would have been a lot hotter. But this absorbed CO₂ is causing our oceans to acidify, making it a harsher environment for marine life.

A Rise in Global Warming

The rise in temperature also increases sea levels. Melting glaciers and ice caps mean the water levels in the seas and oceans have gone up. Over the last 100 years, the sea level has risen by ten to twenty-five centimetres.

Discover more about how climate change impacts us in upcoming sections