Climate

5 May 2010

Our climate is changing. And it's having some devastating effects:

• flooding
• forest fires
• hurricanes
• storms.

It's the most vulnerable people who are worst affected. And climate change is a huge threat to the world's plants and animals.

What causes temperatures to rise?

Greenhouse gases are released by burning fossil fuels - coal, oil and gas. They form a blanket around the earth that traps in heat. The build up of greenhouse gases is causing temperatures to rise.

We need to act now

The world's countries need to work together to tackle climate change by:

• Reducing emissions
• the Kyoto Protocol sets targets for the reducing the amount of greenhouse gases that rich countries produce.
• Investing in new renewable sources of energy.  

These renewable energy sources include:

• solar
• wind
• hydroelectric
• biomass.

Find out more about climate change.

Climate in the classroom

There are many ways to tackle climate change in the classroom. Monitor the weather in geography or explore new energy sources in science.
Here's a list of National Curriculum subjects that climate can fit into:

• Art
• Citizenship
• Design and technology
• English
• Geography
• History
• Maths
• Science

Student at Mulberry School for Girls

For more ideas and downloadable lesson plans, visit our resource page.