Video:What's the Difference Between Global Warming and Climate Change?
with Christopher Padgett'Climate change' and 'global warming' are terms that are occasionally used interchangeably, but they are not the same. Here's a video explaining the differences between global warming and climate change.See Transcript
Transcript:What's the Difference Between Global Warming and Climate Change?
Hi, I'm Christopher Padgett, an environmental scientist, for About.com and today we are going to talk about the environment.
Definition of Global Warming
Global warming and climate change are thought to be the same things, but the scientific community cites that there is a huge difference. Global warming has been a very complicated issue facing world leaders. It refers to the rising average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and bodies of water. Earth's average temperature has increased by almost 1 degree Celsius, with two thirds of that increase occurring over the last three decades. Burning fossil fuels and forests leading to a building of greenhouse gases has contributed to global warming.
Effects of Global Warming
Scientists anticipate global warming is causing arctic ice to rapidly disappear. They also estimate the region may have its first ice free summer by 2040. Polar bears and other species are already started to suffer from the change. Glaciers and mountain snows are also rapidly melting. The biggest causes of global warming are industrialization, deforestation, and pollution greatly increasing water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere. Plants ands oceans can't absorb the gases at the rate humans are putting it out. Experts estimate this could result in sea level rising. Also, strong hurricanes, droughts, heat waves, and wildfires could become commonplace throughout some parts of the world.
Definition of Climate Change
Climate change is the change in statistical distribution of weather patterns of long periods of time. It usually refers to change in climate caused by humans, as opposed to natural changes. It is measured by changes associated with average weather such as temperature, wind patterns and precipitation. Climate change is caused by variations in solar radiation, the earth's orbit, and greenhouse gas.
Relationship Between Climate Change and Global Warming
Global warming (as well as global cooling) refers specifically to any change in the global average surface temperature. Global warming is often misunderstood to imply that the world will warm uniformly. In fact, an increase in average global temperature will also cause the circulation of the atmosphere to change, resulting in some areas of the world warming more, others less. Some areas can even cool. However, media and others describing climate change often use the term 'global warming'. Hopefully, now you have a better idea on climate change and global warming.
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