24. Contemporary global issues

What causes global climate change?

• Human activities: deforestation (by burning), greenhouse gases, burning fossil fuels

• The planet is warming itself – natural

• Transportation → emissions (airplanes, merchant ships, cars x train – the best option)

• Beef cattle farming: Cows produce CH4, using a lot of water, fertilizers

What are the impacts?

• Rising temperatures

  • → ice melting → rising of sea levels, land under sea

  • Drought

  • Forest fires

  • People and animals have to migrate

  • Impact on human health

• Quick changes of weather (tornadoes, floods)

What can be done about it?

• Stop using one-use items

• Stop using plastic things

• Reduce the waste

• Supporting the local farmers etc.

• Secondhand

• Stop eating (or just start reducing) meat and dairy

Climatologist

• Observes climate changes, someone who is studying climate

IPCC

• Intergovernmental panel for climate change

• Trustworthy and reliable organization

• Annual reports

Deniers

• People that don’t believe in climate changing

Alarmists

• someone who focuses on the doom scenarios

Greta Thunberg

• young girl with Asperger’s syndrome who started the whole movement against climate changes, she alarms people about the problem, she shares her opinions and studies about the problem

• She strikes every Friday in front of parliament

• She has public speeches and also at the OSN etc.

Fridays for Future/school strike for the climate

• Started by Greta

• Protests of students – they skip school to alert government about the climate changes – to start acting

1,5 °C

• To prevent irreversible changes

• Paris agreement 2015

• To not step over the increase of temperature by 1,5 °C by the end of the century

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/global-warming-effects/ (2. video je shrnutí tohoto handoutu)