Climate Facts: Greenhouse gas emissions trap sun’s heat, increase temperatures

The complexities of climate change and its associated jargon can make it difficult to digest. TheCable’s quick climate facts will help demystify these concepts through easy-to-understand and straightforward explanations.

Here are some to keep at the tip of your fingers:

• Climate has become a household word but not many are familiar with its meaning.  Also referred to as the “average weather”, climate is defined as the measurement of temperature, precipitation or wind over a period of time. According to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the classical period is 30 years.
• The climate system consists of five components, including the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, land surface and biosphere.
• The climate system is continually changing due to the interactions between the components as well as external factors such as volcanic eruptions, solar variations and human-induced factors.
• The United Nations says increasing greenhouse gas emissions from human activities act like a blanket wrapped around the earth, trapping the sun’s heat and raising temperatures.
• These activities include the burning of fossil fuels such as gasoline for driving a car or coal for heating a building, clearing land and forests, as well as landfills for garbage.