Climate is the average weather, weather conditions and temperature measured over a long period of time, generally 20 to 30 years. Weather is more short-term, whether we have rain one day and sun the next.

The climate has changed many times in the past due to natural causes. The Ice Age is probably the most famous example of Earth's climate reaching an extreme, and it was almost undoubtedly the change in climate that killed off the dinosaurs. Climate change is a concern now because the earth is heating up rapidly and the climate is at risk of becoming extreme again.  For years scientists have been using a variety of methods to measure the earth’s temperature, they estimate that the temperature of the earth has increased by 0.6°C in the last decade. This might not seem much – and hey, we need every extra 0.6°C we can get here in Scotland! – but scientists say that an increase of 2.5°C will cause major problems across the world.

Check out the Science museum's online Climate Science Info Zone where you can find out all about climate change through videos, flow charts and interactive games.  Also have a look at the Oxfam and Friends of the Earth Scotland website to find out more.

What causes climate change?

Scientists have examined the causes of climate change in the 20^th century and have found that natural factors alone cannot account for the sudden increase in the earth’s temperature. Something else must be helping the earth to heat up!

Experts can now confirm that humans have contributed to climate change by making more greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide. How do we do that? When we burn fossil fuels for heat and when we chop down trees for wood and farming, greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere.  More greenhouse gases means heat gets trapped under the earth’s surface and can’t escape, and so the earth warms up. This is what’s called global warming.

Not all scientists agree, but most evidence suggests that humans have been the main cause of climate change since the 1970s. Many of the world's leaders now meet up regularly to discuss climate change and what we can do to reduce it. To find out how to reduce your impact on climate change, check out Climate Change: What can we do.

What will happen to the environment?

Scientists predict that if the temperature of the earth continues to increase at the current rates there will be serious consequences all across the world. A warmer earth will cause melting ice caps and rising sea levels which will mean more flooding, more hurricanes and tsunami, and more frequent heat waves. Food supplies, water resources, homes and the health of humans and animals could be affected ... the picture is far from pretty!

In Scotland we will see increased temperatures, but it won’t all be a summer holiday. Scientists think we will get more frequent heat waves, more water shortages in the summer, more winter rain, more frequent flooding and rising sea levels. You can find out more on the How is climate change affecting Scotland? page.

Some countries are having more serious problems coping with the effects of climate change. The 2004 Tsunami in the Indian Ocean and the 2010 floods in Pakistan are examples. Warmer weather means that some countries are struggling to water and grow their crops, and there is a shortage of food.

A major problem is that rich countries like the UK produce most of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change, but poor people who produce the least greenhouse gases will be hardest hit by climate change. This doesn’t really seem fair, does it? Oxfam is helping people to people across the world to plan for the effects of climate change, check out their website.