Climate change isn’t just a buzzword: it’s one of the most pressing issues facing humanity today. Its impacts are far-reaching, affecting everything from the weather and ecosystems to our daily lives.
So, what exactly is climate change? It’s not just about hotter days and stronger storms. Climate change refers to long-term shifts in our planet’s weather patterns over extended periods of time (decades or more). It encompasses both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns.
Why should we care?
Climate change is leading to severe consequences, such as increased heat waves, more intense and frequent extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and disruptions to agriculture, water supplies and biodiversity.
These changes aren’t just happening far away—they’re impacting our communities and ecosystems now. Climate change also comes with high costs: economic impacts include increased infrastructure maintenance, energy consumption, agricultural losses, healthcare costs and lost labour productivity.
Weather vs. climate: What’s the difference?
Think of weather like a single story shared on Instagram or Snapchat, whereas climate is more like a biography that describes someone’s life narrative.
Weather refers to short-term conditions at a specific place and time, including temperature, humidity, precipitation, and wind. Meanwhile, climate describes the long-term average of these conditions over a significant period, typically 30 years or more.
Why is climate change happening?
Our planet’s atmosphere plays a crucial role in keeping us warm and safe. Sunlight reaches the Earth and is absorbed by the surface, which then emits heat in the form of infrared radiation. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (including carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour) absorb and re-emit this radiation, trapping the heat and keeping the Earth warm enough for living creatures.
However, the increased burning of fossil fuels (such as coal, oil and natural gas) has increased the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This has made the atmosphere even more effective at trapping heat. Our climate is now warming at a speed and magnitude that is unlike anything the Earth has experienced before.
Okay, but what does climate change mean for me?
In Bruce, Grey and Huron counties and local Indigenous communities, all located within the Saugeen Ojibway Nation Territory, climate change isn’t just a distant threat—it’s impacting the air, land and water right here.
The Climate Project is here to break it down and explore the impacts of these changes—together.
Dr. Stephanie Keating is the Director, Environment@NII at the Nuclear Innovation Institute.
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