Climate Change and Air Quality

What causes Climate Change?

Climate change is caused by an increase in the greeenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere.  These gases absorb heat leaving the earth and return some of it, making the earth warmer overall.

What activities produce greenhouse gases?

• Burning fossil fuels - coal, oil or gas
• Using electricity generated by burning fossil fuels
• Clearing land
• Breakdown of food and plant wastes and sewage

The main greenhouse gases generated by human activity are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, as well as some manufactured gases such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) and some of their replacements.

Water vapour is also a powerful greenhouse gas, but the amount in the atmosphere is not directly linked to human activity.

What are the effects of climate change?

On average, the Earth is warming.  Its temperature has already risen by around 0.7ºC over the past hundred years, and may rise by between 1/4 and 5.8ºC this century.

Sea levels are rising as oceans expand and glaciers and ice sheets melt.

Changes in weather patterns, such as more severe droughts, heat waves,floods and storms; changes in rainfall patterns; and higher likelihood of bushfires.

Adverse impacts on plants, animals and human health as climate patterns shift.

For more information visit http://www.climatechange.gov.au/

But I’m just one person, how can my decisions affect the environment?

Some decisions have long-lasting effects. When buying a home, car or major appliance, that one decision will influence greenhouse gas emissions for many years. For example, buying a car that uses 2 litres per hundred kilometres less fuel will save around 14 tonnes of greenhouse gas over its life.

Household Greenhouse Gas Emissions