We now have a chance to act and prevent further climate change. If we want to keep the global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, emissions of man-made greenhouse gases must be reduced by at least 50% by 2030, according to the IPCC. On this page, we summarize what the climate crisis is, what is causing it, and what you can do to prevent it.

What is climate change?

The climate is naturally variable. This variability is normal and is explained by many factors that interact with each other, such as changes in ocean currents, volcanic activity, solar radiation, major climate events such as El Niño, the Indian monsoon, etc.

Thus, climate change is a significant and long-term change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns. It can occur over a period of decades to millions of years. It can be changes in average weather patterns, such as the average start date of the wet season in the tropics, or changes in the frequency of extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts, and storms.

Changes in the Earth’s orbital patterns, called Milankovitch cycles, are the most important driving force of climate change over periods of thousands to millions of years. They were the main driving force behind the last four cycles of ice ages and the warm periods in between. However, the Earth’s climate has changed dramatically over the past 150 years, and it is crucial that we understand what is causing the changes in such a short period of time.

Many studies have conclusively demonstrated that average global temperatures have been rising since the mid-1900s. This is popularly referred to as global warming, and the scientific consensus is that it is caused by human activity, primarily through the release of CO2 into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels. Anthropogenic climate change, as it is often called, has been demonstrated to be a consensus among climate scientists.

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The influence of the ocean on climate

The United States borders several oceans. The Pacific Ocean washes the western coast of the country, the Atlantic Ocean washes the eastern coast, and the Arctic Ocean borders Alaska in the north. The proximity of the ocean determines the high degree of air humidity in the coastal areas. This is most pronounced in the northwestern United States in Washington and Oregon. A typical maritime climate with rather mild winters and cool summers, as well as year-round precipitation, has formed here.

Ocean currents also play an important role in establishing the climate in certain coastal areas of the country. The Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean has a warming effect on the western coast of the United States. The Alaskan current warms the waters of the northeastern Pacific Ocean and contributes to an increase in air temperature in southern and southwestern Alaska. The California and Labrador currents, on the other hand, have a cooling effect on the climate of the coasts.

Mountain systems and climate formation

The relief of North America has a significant impact on climate formation on the continent and in the United States in particular. The Cordillera mountain system is located in the west, which prevents the passage of air masses from the Pacific Ocean. These masses affect only a relatively small coastal zone in front of the mountains, and they practically do not penetrate deep into the mainland.

The Appalachian Mountains, which rise in the east of the continent, do not create serious obstacles to the penetration of air masses from the Atlantic. The flat terrain in the central part of North America ensures the seasonal passage of tropical masses from south to north and Arctic masses from north to south.

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If this is not done, scientists say, over the next three decades

• coastal zones will be flooded;
• flowering lands will slowly turn into deserts;
• fires will burn out forests, which will further enhance the greenhouse effect;
• residents of megacities will suffer from a lack of water and clean air;
• more than 130 million people will fall below the poverty line;
• the number of people suffering from hunger will increase by tens of millions.

What are the signs of accelerating climate change?

The average rate of atmospheric emissions is now the highest it has ever been in recorded history, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The peak of global carbon dioxide emissions in the summer of 2021 was 50% higher than at the beginning of the industrial era.

The volume of CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere from the combustion of coal, oil and natural gas for transportation and electricity generation far exceeds the ability of the Earth’s vegetation to absorb it.

At the same time, the number of forests on the planet, including the Amazonian rainforest, which is called the main “lungs of the planet,” is catastrophically decreasing.

In addition to carbon dioxide, humanity also pollutes the atmosphere with greenhouse gases such as methane (intensification of livestock production), nitrogen oxide (due to the use of nitrogen-containing fertilizers), and fluorinated gases (emitted by equipment and certain goods).

Greenhouse gases are accumulating. The atmosphere becomes less transparent. The temperature on the planet is rising, glaciers are melting.

In 2020, the global economy, according to various estimates, suffered losses of more than $150 billion due to natural disasters caused by climate change.

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