Natural Climate Change

Climate Change

Climate is the average weather condition, whereas weather is the day to day change of sun, rain, snow..

The world’s climate has been changing over the past 18,000 years. This graph shows the change in temperature in years. Over time there is no consistent pattern, and this graph shows that the climate was changing well before human population was large enough to have a significant impact. Furthermore, before the industrial revolution, humans were not releasing as many fossil fuels into the environment. These are the cause of temperature change. Therefore, climate changes naturally, as shown by the fluctuations in this graph.

Evidence of Climate Change

The natural greenhouse effect is the reason we can live on planet earth safely. Naturally heat from the sun is trapped within the earth’s atmosphere by greenhouse gasses, for example carbon dioxide. These are naturally occurring gasses in the atmosphere. They prevent some of the sun’s heat from escaping back into space, and keep it within the atmosphere, generating warmth.

Reliability?

The reliability of this evidence can come into question. For instance, who has recorded or researched the evidence. Governments, oil companies and other stakeholders could have motives to fund evidence claims to argue for or against evidence for climate change. In addition, technology has developed slowly, and only recently has there been a real change to more accurate data collection. Thermometers 120 years ago were much less accurate than today. Finally, the evidence gathered is often very localised (specific to one place). This means we cannot draw wide conclusions from it.

Describe the natural greenhouse effect.

Your answer should include: Radiation / Energy / Atmosphere / Greenhouse / Gasses

Explain how scientists collect evidence that the climate has changed.

Your answer should include: Tree / Rings / Ice / Cores / Paintings / Physical / Evidence

Which is the least reliable way to evidence climate change?

Your answer should include: Historical / Evidence / Paintings / Time / Scales