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Climate change - the problem

The blanket of gases that keep our planet warm is getting thicker. This is because when we burn fossil fuels and cut down trees we add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere that trap the sun’s heat. More heat means more unpredictable weather and other big changes for life on Earth.

When we burn fossil fuels – oil, coal and natural gas – to make electricity, heat our homes and offices, cook, or power our cars, carbon dioxide (CO₂), the main greenhouse gas, is released. Once released CO₂ can stay in the atmosphere for up to 200 years, heating up the planet. Since we started using large amounts of fossil fuels in the Industrial Revolution we have been conducting a massive experiment with our planet. No one knows what the long-term consequences of this will be for people and wildlife.

Climate change cannot be written off as just another day of weird weather, it is the most serious threat facing people and the environment on which we all depend. Global warming, rising sea levels, widespread flooding, droughts and the spread of tropical diseases are already having a devastating impact.

The poorer you are, the more likely you are to suffer from the effects of climate change, and the harder it is to rebuild your life after a catastrophe. Yet it is the poorest people, living in the countries that are least responsible for emissions of the climate changing greenhouse gases, which are set to suffer most.

Even extracting fossil fuels can have devastating impacts on communities. Plans to build an oil pipeline from Baku in Azerbaijan to Ceyhan in Turkey have been met with outrage because it runs through sensitive environments and will displace communities. In Nigeria and Ecuador communities have to put up with gas flaring and pollution from the oil fields.

Climate justice recognises this. It is about taking into account each country’s historical contribution to climate change, their capacity to act and their stated commitment to sustainable development.

                

Friends of the Earth Scotland is an environmental charity based in Scotland
5 Rose Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PR. Tel: 0131 243 2700. Registered charity number SC003442