Rising global temperatures threaten our health, increase the risk of extreme weather conditions and damage ecosystems. As the oceans warms up and the polar ice caps melt, Sea Levels rise, endangering coastal areas. These impacts are already felt today and groups such as the poor, the elderly and people living in conflict zones are particularly vulnerable.

The impacts of climate change include heat waves, rising sea levels, ocean acidification, threats to animals and other habitats, wildfires and droughts.

Advertisement

Interesting Facts About Global Warming for Kids

 
Having been sitting watching the news that the American President would not be attending the next world summit on Climate Change, family blood pressure was high. My ten-year-old daughter, who I thought had not been listening as she was busy texting her best friend, suddenly jumped up in indignation and addressed Mr. Trump on the TV as if he were in the sitting room.

“Mr. Trump, do you not know that between 1901 and 2012 the Earth’s temperature rose by almost one degree?”
I, pretending to be the President, replied: “Actually H., I did not know that.”
She continued with her imaginary address:
“And did you know that sea levels have risen globally by up to 20 centimeters and that lots and lots of glaciers have been melting too?”

I know that science is H’s favorite subject at school, but I hadn’t realized the passion she feels about climate change. This seemed as good a moment as any to thrash out the issues that need to be raised by every family.

More Concerning Gobbets of Information

 
We switched off the TV in despair and settled down to an online perusal of some of the more disturbing facts and figures. My pre-teen talked about methane, which is a greenhouse gas and is produced when rubbish is burned or dumped in landfill. And about the fact that the ten warmest years in the northern hemisphere have all been in the last 20 years.
“What about the poor polar bears that get trapped on ice islands because the icebergs are melting so fast? This is what we are learning about at school.”
It certainly gave me pause for thought; if we have any of the significant leaders in the world insisting on denying sobering scientific data, then progress on halting – or at least slowing down – Global Warming and Climate Change has little hope.
We unearthed some more hard facts to together.

A World Under Water?

 
If the ice sheets in Antarctica melted, the ocean would rise by up to 65 meters! Everywhere! And that includes outside the Whitehouse too. And if we don’t plant a lot more trees to absorb the extra carbon dioxide from the pollution caused by fossil fuels, then we won’t be able to breathe!
I did not doubt at all that if Holly or any of her friends or classmates actually had the opportunity in real life to take part in a debate with the US President, then he would simply have to concede the seriousness of these environmental issues.

Taking a Positive Approach

 
Realism is essential, but it isn’t much good making your children feel helpless about the world that they are inheriting. Bringing things round to a more local level where we can have some influence, H and I discussed the topic of bees and their decline at the hands of chemical-obsessed agricultural industry. We had both read about calls to help bee populations to be re-generated.

Regrettably, in our street and neighboring ones, quite a lot of residents have paved over their previously lawned gardens. H and I came up with a plan to encourage home-owners among our own friends to preserve their private gardens as natural spaces. We also resolved to look into the prospect of allowing beehives in the corner of our local council-owned gardening allotments.

Sharing in The Learning Journey

 
Children are an increasingly well-informed bunch and know as much as most of us about solar energy and wind power and their advantages over more prevalent and more toxic forms of power. Watching and discussing developments as a family, taking steps ourselves, such as cutting down on being consumers of plastic packaging, lending our voices when there are opportunities to apply pressure. All of these are small steps that can help our children to feel less overwhelmed by dismaying environmental facts.

Conclusion

 
Everyone can participate in a clean energy future, including government, establishments and you. There are many things you can do to help. From turning off the lights when you leave your room to reduce the electricity, take shorter showers to reduce the water you use, plant a tree to absorb carbon dioxide or recycle to reduce waste.

Like this Post on Interesting Facts About Global Warming for Kids?

 
Why not subscribe to our blog? It’s fast, easy, and you can unsubscribe at any time. You Can Download an Infographic on Child Development Stages for free on signing up to the MomoandMe Blog.
[contact-form-7]
 

The post Interesting Facts About Global Warming for Kids appeared first on MomoandMe.