It becomes impossible not to see how everyone has quite interesting and diverse opinions- sometimes even theories that can be a complete substitute for science fiction novels- when it comes to climate change. As every subject that starts to invade our daily lives has, there are numerous thoughts, personal claims, and a broad array of opinions on this vital topic. At some point, don’t we ask ourselves: What is more pleasant than having a vast pool of thoughts with different shapes and hues? This wide range of ideas was the impetus that has enabled us to progress one step further throughout humanity; therefore, they are precious.
However, this particular view does not always apply, more precisely not in every stage of a progression, especially when we need to grasp the extent of the trajectory first and then build our approaches on a sound basis. It is more plausible to feed our minds first with the facts and concreteness of the subject and then let it function to generate countless ideas with all their uniqueness. For this purpose, the pen’s nib meets the paper today in this article, and I suppose it would be more helpful to start from the very beginning, maybe with names and notions.
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Climate change and global warming. These words are here, there, and everywhere nowadays. However, have you ever thought whether these terms refer to the same thing even though most of us use them interchangeably? These notions indeed have a close relationship within the borders of the same topic. However, ultimately their meanings are different, and familiarizing ourselves with these terms will allow us to have a clearer understanding of the theme.
“Global warming” refers to Earth’s rising surface temperature due to the build-up of heat-trapping greenhouse gases. (Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and water vapor. The greenhouse gas effect is the accumulation of these gases in the atmosphere, enveloping the planet as a blanket and resulting in warming.)
Earth has been warming since the beginning of the 20th century, and emissions from the burning of fossil fuels since the start of the Industrial Revolution have increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. However, increases in temperature have accelerated at a concerning pace, especially over the last 50 years. A few instances from everyday life include the records that are broken every summer, the news that says that ‘this month’ is the hottest July or August in 50 years or the fact that the summer of 2024 goes down as the warmest summer in human history.
On the other hand, climate change encompasses global warming but refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns and the broader range of changes happening to our planet. That is to say that, intense rainfalls, which cause the loss of many people in different regions of the world, that you read from the news, unstoppable wildfires, which devastate our insurance carbon-trapping forests, more severe storms, increased droughts, which threaten not only water availability but also agriculture and vulnerability of ecosystems, and loss of species are only some results of climate change- the problem which we are responsible.
In short, while global warming refers only to rising temperatures, climate change includes warming and its side effects—such as disappearing glaciers, destructive rainstorms, or more frequent drought. In other words, global warming is only one aspect of climate change and one part of a greater issue.
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Nonetheless, whether you call it climate change or global warming or x,y,z, there is a non-negligible problem committing catastrophic results and threatening the present and the future- and even the past. It waits for viable, realistic steps and urgent action. As always said, we all share the same responsibility for a common and a valuable duty.
**Picture: (NOAA Climate.gov cartoon by Emily Greenhalgh.)
Some Helpful Resources:
https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change
https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/what-is-climate-change
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/causes-effects-climate-change
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/what-are-effects-climate-change#humans
https://www.globalchange.gov/reports/climate-literacy-essential-principles-climate-science
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/global-warming-effects
https://www.britannica.com/story/whats-the-difference-between-global-warming-and-climate-change
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