Extreme meteorological phenomena, uncontrolled fires, and abrupt weather temperatures with very hot in summer and very cold in winter - see last year's snow in Athens - make you wonder... what's going on? The answer is that yes, climate change is responsible for a very large part of these changes. But what is climate change about?

By the term climate change we refer to the change of the global climate and to changes in the meteorological conditions. It's a term we've been hearing for many years because it's whether we could say climate change predictable. According to studies and statistics of how many people we live on the planet and based on our consumption habits it can be predicted about what will happen on the planet and its climate in the next 5 or 10 years. I will not say that this was predicted - although it is true - I will explain to you exactly what has been going on for years with results that we are seeing now.

The main cause of climate change is the burning of fossil fuels, such as oil, coal and natural gas, in which greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere. Other human activities, such as agriculture and deforestation, also contribute to their proliferation. The problem is that these gases trap heat in the atmosphere: this is called the greenhouse effect. Without the greenhouse effect, the average global temperature would be -18 °C. However, daily human activities reinforce this effect, causing an even greater increase in global temperature. Despite international commitments, the level of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere continues to rise and in 2019 reached another historical record according to the World Meteorological Organization with almost +150 % increase compared to 1750. Studies have shown that until 2150 the estimated range of the sea is 60-135 cm and more extreme scenarios where its level rises from 180 to 450 centimeters cannot be excluded. With the melting of glaciers expected to continue for decades or centuries in all scenarios, sea levels will remain elevated for thousands of years, possibly reaching a height of between 240 and 1800 centimeters above current levels.

If we could deconstruct the above more statistical text we would say in a few words and as cliché as it may sound that everything starts from the poles of the Earth, the ice melts then a domino effect of changes in meteorological conditions begins. As the ice melts, the climate immediately changes at an extreme rate as the temperature rises from the two essential ends of our planet. More heat and intense tropical climate but also extreme frozen and difficult Winters become one and make the seasons transform more and more. The rise in water levels is also something that scientists have sounded the alarm several times, since in a few years they want the sea to swallow entire islands. Of course, the consequences of climate change are also phenomena such as earthquakes and tsunamis, heavy rainfall with floods and fires in cases of extreme heat and drought.

So the pyramid of climate change has an impact on the whole world with extreme weather events not only destroying part of the land but also uprooting families and entire cultures from their homeland and migrating. The effects of climate have already begun and we can help slow down the wheel of destruction for our planet by finding new solutions for our energy, industry, transportation and our daily lives.

I hope this article is your food for thought and further searching on how you can find solutions to climate change

Xoxo
Elena Vafeiadi