Our Earth and Global Goal 13

In our project this semester, we are specifically working on Global Goal 13, which deals with climate action. Goal 13 says that climate change is already very clear in many places and a great threat to all life on Earth. The main goal this semester is for all participants in the project to understand the state of the climate. If this trend is to be reversed, we need to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

 

 

We have all heard about climate changes and how it effects the Earth. How do we know if it is right? NASA is one of the most respected scientific institutes in the world and there you can find all kind of information. Emphasis is placed on clear and easy to understand explanations.

 

Now let’s start gathering information about climate changes. We have all heard about climate changes and how it effects the Earth. How do we know if it is right? If you click on the image on the left side you can see what changes have already taken place on Earth due to climate change.

What are the main reasons for climate change? This page describes the main substances that adversely affect the Earth’s atmosphere.

 

There have already been major changes on the Earth due to climate change. There are many indications that the consequences of the changes are irreversible and that it will be difficult to reverse the trend. That is why it is so important for everyone to understand what is happening on Earth and what the consequences are. Click on the image to the right to see what is likely to happen on Earth if nothing is done.

 

 

How do we know if it is right? All over the world scientists are doing many kinds of measurements which prove bad influences of climate changes on the whole Earth. And it has been proven that since we started burning fossil fuels the carbon dioxide levels have risen sharply in the Earth’s atmosphere. There have certainly been fluctuations in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over time, but it has never been as much as it is now. And this huge increase in carbon dioxide is largely due to human actions.If you click on the image to the left you can view more information.

It is also important that we realize that pollution respects no borders. What happens on other continents can thus affect us. Now e.g. to reach Northern Europe soot particles formed by forest fires in the United States. This web page tries to predict how different types of pollution will spread around the world. If you look at the picture you can see that now, on Friday, September 18th, 2020, soot particles currents are arriving with air in Iceland. These pollutants come from wildfires in America.
By clicking on the picture you can see the aerosol forecast for the earth and also forecast for other type of pollution in the atmosphere.

Another example of how climate change respects no borders is the permafrost region of Siberia. Due to global warming, areas that have been frozen for thousands of years are thawing. When this happens, a lot of carbon dioxide is released, which further increases global warming. If you click on the picture, you can follow a BBC reporter.

We must begin to realize that we all live on the same earth and have a shared responsibility to treat it in such a way as to cause the least possible disturbance.