Go to: Issue Description - Key Facts - Table of Contents
Issue Description
The majority of climate scientists now agree that global warming is occurring at a dangerous rate, mainly as a result of human activity. However, a third of the British public are sceptical as to whether human-induced climate change is really happening. This book examines the issues and debates surrounding global climate change, including how the planet is being affected and what can be done to tackle it.
The information comes from a wide range of sources and includes government reports and statistics, newspaper articles, features, magazine articles and surveys, literature from lobby groups and charitable organisations.
return to top of page
Key Facts
- How our climate will change depends on the future level of carbon dioxide and other gas emissions in the atmosphere. Some impacts are also highly unpredictable in a complex climatic system. (page 3)
- The CO2 released each year from forest loss is higher than that released by our yearly transport emissions.(page 10)
- One-third (33%) of the public now agrees with the statement ‘it is not yet clear whether climate change is happening or not – scientists are divided on this issue’, compared to only 25% in 2007. (page 12)
- It seems that most Britons also believe that politicians are not doing enough against global warming, with 73% agreeing with the statement ‘there is no serious political will worldwide to tackle climate change’. (page 13)
- The Kyoto Protocol was the world’s first international agreement on how to tackle climate change, and an important tool that governments around the world have used since it was made law in 2005. (page 18)
- A carbon offset is a credit for greenhouse gas reductions achieved by one party that can be purchased and used to compensate (offset) the emissions of another party. (page 20)
- Housing – both in construction and use – consumes significant amounts of energy and contributes at least 25%of all carbon emissions in Britain. (page 25)
return to top of page
Table of Contents
Chapter One: Climate Science
Myths about climate change, What about climate change in the future?, Ten facts on climate science, The social and economic impacts of climate change, Climate change: the forest connection, Climate change scepticism, Climate change blame?, Activities.
Chapter Two: Climate Solutions
Adapting to the greenhouse, The Kyoto Protocol, Carbon offsets, Key agreements in the history of climate change, We have to adapt culturally to climate change, Activities.
