Education
Empowering minds to ignite change
Understanding the Shift in Earth's Climate
What is Climate Change?
Climate change refers to long-term changes in temperature, weather patterns, and other aspects of Earth’s climate, largely driven by human activities like burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes climate change?
Climate change is primarily caused by the buildup of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which trap heat and cause global temperatures to rise.
What are greenhouse gases?
Greenhouse gases are gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide that trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse effect and global warming.
How will climate change affect weather patterns?
Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events like hurricanes, heatwaves, and heavy rainfall, disrupting normal weather patterns.
How does climate change affect the environment?
Climate change leads to rising sea levels, more frequent extreme weather events (such as floods and droughts), melting ice caps, and shifts in ecosystems and biodiversity.
What are the impacts of climate change on humans?
Climate change can lead to food and water shortages, health risks from extreme weather, displacement due to rising sea levels, and increased economic costs due to damage from natural disasters.
How can we reduce climate change?
Reducing climate change requires reducing greenhouse gas emissions by using renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, protecting forests, and adopting sustainable practices in transportation and agriculture.
What Can I Do?
Use Less Electricity
By lowering our thermostats (even just a degree) for heating in the winter (wear sweaters indoors), and reducing air conditioning in the summer.
Support Renewable
By supporting programs like TVA’s Green Switch, putting solar panels on our roofs, and/or buying an electric vehicle.
Switch to Plant Based
Eat less meat and dairy, since growing beef produces more greenhouse gases and requires much more land and water.
Easy Switches
Using our cars less by walking, biking, and using public transportation. Buy local goods. Plant trees. Support Parks.
Power Point by Deb O'Dell
Climate Change and Agriculture
Climate change has created a challenge that we need to understand, so it can be helpful to learn about the causes, the impacts on earth and people, and what we can do about it. At the following link, you can take a look at a presentation that explores how greenhouse gases work in creating a warming climate, potential changes that can result, and actions that we can take to address it. The presentation looks into the role of soils and agriculture as an approach to help remove carbon from the atmosphere to reduce climate change. Take a look and let us know what you think!
The Science of Effective Climate Communication by Alison Jennings
Conversation with Climate Scientist Katharine Hayoe
“…All too often, if you care about climate change and want to fix it, you assume that everyone also must care in order for progress to be made. Hayhoe says that people always ask her these kinds of questions—how to make people respect science, to love nature, even to stop calling soil “dirt.” But it’s just not that easy. “If you have to get people to be like you first, before you get them to take the action that you want them to do, you’ve just made your job 10 times harder,” she says. “Because the time to shape someone’s values is when they’re a child. And even then, we all know from our children, that’s not an easy job…”
Check out the entire article by clicking the green button below!
Additional Websites for a Deeper Understanding
Peer Reviewed Resources
Reading Resources
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Late Migrations by Margaret Renkl
Under a White Sky by Elizabeth Kolbert
The Climate Book by Greta Thunberg
Want to reach out?
We are always open to talk about climate change and how we can work together to help Knox County become greener.