How do we know the climate is changing?

The scientific community is certain that the Earth's climate is changing because of the
changes that have been observed in physical and biological systems.
The physical and biological changes that confirm climate warming include the retreatment
of glaciers around the world, the intensification of rainfall events, changes in the timing of
arrival of spring migrant birds, global Temperature Rise (The planet's average surface
temperature has risen about 1.1 degrees Celsius since the late 19th century), a change driven
largely by increased carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions into the atmosphere,
the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets that decrease in mass, Glacial Retreat (Glaciers are
retreating almost everywhere around the world, other Extreme Events.

Why are human activities influencing the

climate?
Humans are increasingly influencing the climate and the earth's temperature by burning
fossil fuels, cutting down rainforests and farming livestock.
These add enormous amounts of greenhouse gases to those naturally occurring in the
atmosphere, increasing the greenhouse effect and global warming.
Cutting down forests (deforestation). Trees help to regulate the climate by absorbing CO2
from the atmosphere. So when they are cut down, that beneficial effect is lost and the
carbon stored in the trees is released into the atmosphere, adding to the greenhouse effect.
Increasing livestock farming. Cows and sheep produce large amounts of methane when they
digest their food.
Fertilisers containing nitrogen produce nitrous oxide emissions.
The greenhouse effect makes the earth warmer, Carbon dioxide is the main cause of human-
induced climate change.

What could be the impact of climate change

in Italy?
Throughout Southern Europe, including Italy, climate change is causing an increase in
extreme weather events such as heat waves, heavy rain and coastal flooding, a deterioration
in air quality and the risk of fires.
(In tutto il Sud Europa, Italia inclusa, ricorda l'Iss, i cambiamenti climatici stanno causando
un aumento degli eventi meteorologici estremi come ondate di calore, piogge intense e
allagamenti costieri, un peggioramento della qualità dell’aria e rischio incendi aggravato
dalla siccità.)
According to the WHO (World Health Organisation), seven million people die prematurely
of non-communicable diseases each year as a result of pollution. Many atmospheric
contaminants also damage the climate.
About 4500 square kilometers of Italian coastal areas are at risk of flooding by rising sea
levels within the next 100 years, and this is only one of the consequences for the country.
(Secondo l’OMS, sette milioni di persone ogni anno muoiono prematuramente di malattie
non trasmissibili a causa dell’inquinamento. Molti contaminanti atmosferici danneggiano
anche il clima. Circa 4500 chilometri quadrati delle aree costiere italiane sono a rischio di
inondazioni da innalzamento del livello del mare entro i prossimi 100 anni, e questa è solo
una delle conseguenze per il paese.)