Climate Change

Climate change refers to long-term changes in temperatures and weather patterns. These changes may be natural, due to variations in solar activity or large volcanic eruptions. But since the 19th century, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, mainly due to the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas.All of these changes are occurring as humans continue to add heat-trapping greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane to the atmosphere.

It is necessary to clarify two concepts that, although closely related, are often mistakenly taken as synonyms: climate change and global warming. There is an important difference, and that is that global warming is the cause of climate change, that is, the increase in the planet's temperature caused by emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere derived from human activity, are causing variations in climate that would not occur naturally.

Causes of Climate Change

1. 
   Power generation.- Most electricity is still generated by burning coal or gas, producing carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, which are powerful greenhouse gases that blanket the planet and trap heat from the sun.
2. The use of transportation.- Most trucks, ships and aircraft run on fossil fuels. This makes transportation one of the sectors that contribute the most to generating greenhouse gases, especially in terms of carbon dioxide emissions.
3. Forest felling.- Cutting down forests causes emissions since when trees are cut down, the carbon they have been storing is released. Since forests absorb carbon dioxide, their destruction also limits nature's ability to keep these emissions out of the atmosphere.
   

Consequences of Climate Change

1. 
   Species disappearance.- Climate change puts the survival of terrestrial and oceanic spe
   cies at risk. These risks increase as temperatures rise. Due to the power of exacerbated climate change, species are becoming extinct around the world at a rate 1,000 times greater than at any other time in recorded human history.
2. Increase in droughts.- Climate change is modifying the availability of water, making it scarcer in
   more regions. Global warming is generating water scarcity in already dry regions, and is increasing the risk of agricultural droughts that affect crops and ecological droughts that increase the vulnerability of ecosystems.
3. More health risks.- Climate change poses the single greatest threat to humanity's health. Climate change is already damaging health, through pollution, disease, extreme weather events, forced displacement, pressures on mental health, as well as increased hunger and malnutrition in places where people do not. can produce or find enough food.
   
   

Actions to maintain a healthy planet 

• End our dependence on fossil fuels
• Greater energy efficiency
• Renewable energy
• Solar energy
• wind energy
• Sustainable transport
• Sustainable buildings
• Better forest management and sustainable agriculture