Climate Change - Causes

- The way the earth moves around the sun changes

- These changes affect the amount of solar radiation the earth recieves

- The more energy the earth recieves, the warmer it gets

- Major eruptions eject alot of material

- Some particles reflect the suns rays back to space, so the surface cools

- Volcanoes also release CO2, but not enough to cause warming

- Volcanic eruptions cause short term changes in climate

- The suns output of energy changes every 11 years (approx)

- When the output is reduced, the earths surface cools

- Changes in solar output dont have a major effect on climate change

- CO2 is released when fossil fuels are burnt e.g. coal or oil 

- They are burnt in power stations or cars

- Livestock produce methane

- Rice paddy fields emit methane through flooded fields

- Plants remove CO2 using photosynthesis

- When trees are chopped, they stop taking in CO2

- CO2 stroes are released when trees are chopped or burnt

- Greenhouse gases (e.g. carbon dioxide and methane) absorb outgoing heat

-Too much gases in the atmosphere mean too much energy is trapped and the planet warms up

- This is a natural process increased by humans