Climate Change Simply Explained

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    • Albedo, Part 1

      Albedo, Part 1

       Image Credit: A melt water river formed by glacier melt in Greenland, Museum of Science and History, Chicago, James Balog The official definition is ‘the fraction of incoming light that Earth reflects back into space’ In human terms, wearing a light shirt on a hot day will keep you cool,…

    • The Warming Arctic and Antarctic

      The Warming Arctic and Antarctic

      As the whole earth gets warmer, even the extremely cold poles are warming.  The end result of this is increased melting of the ice caps. In the Artic, the ice sheets are calving at a higher rate. What does this mean? It means three things: 1) Right now, there is…

    • Global Climate Regulation Explained: (part 2)

      Global Climate Regulation Explained: (part 2)

      Photo credit: https://www.pexels.com/search/iceberg/ This is what happens when an iceberg forms: A forming iceberg is composed of fresh water. This action leaves more salt behind in the surrounding ocean. Salt water is denser and heavier, which will cause it to sink. The water is very cold in the poles, and…

    • Global Climate Regulation Explained (part 1)

      Global Climate Regulation Explained (part 1)

      Photo credit: https://polarpedia.eu/en/gulf-stream/ Simply put, there are large ice fields at the two poles, which normally calve icebergs from the glaciers at a slow pace. As well, the very cold water in the poles causes sea ice to form. These icebergs are important for temperature/climate stabilization around the globe. How?…

    • Some Effects of Climate Change:

      Some Effects of Climate Change:

      Warmer Atmosphere Warmer Oceans Warmer Land All of this means more dangerous storms, more droughts, more floods, and climate events of every kind. Example: The level 5 drought in the Island of Maui was made possible because of climate change. This combined with winds from a hurricane passing south of…

    • A Clear Consensus

      A Clear Consensus

      Photo courtesy of NASA s://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/ The data for this change is clear, and there is consensus among 97% or greater, of climate scientists. It’s getting hot! This July was the hottest one on record. Want to read more? https://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/ https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-clocks-july-2023-as-hottest-month-on-record-ever-since-1880 Image courtesy of NASA.gov: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/microsoftteams-image_26.png https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/09/12/us-weather-2023-record-hurricane-wildfire-flooding/

    • Global Warming or Climate Change?

      Global Warming or Climate Change?

      Graphics credit: The Greenhouse Effect (eere.energy.gov, 2008). So, what is the difference between Global Warming and Climate Change? Why can’t they pick one name and stick to it? Global Warming is the warming of the planet. The air, the land, the water. This is caused by the increase in certain…

    • The Goldilocks Effect and My Back Yard

      The Goldilocks Effect and My Back Yard

      (Where it began for me) A few summers ago, I walked to the back yard barefoot with my morning coffee. The earth was warm beneath my feet, and the sun felt good on my back and neck. I had a white T shirt on, to help keep me cool. Sitting…