100+ Words Related to Climate Change

November 1, 2023

Climate change–what’s it all about? Is it just a catch-all term to explain away every overly hot, cold, or rainy day that ruins your plans? There are a lot of words related to climate change. And not all of them have to do with the weather. They are related, though. Let’s take a look at some of the definitions.

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Table of Contents

Global Warming

Of all the words related to climate change, global warming is arguably the most confusing because, too often, it is used interchangeably with climate change when really it is just one aspect.

Global warming refers to the fact that the Earth has been progressively growing warmer. And in the past 100 years, the pace has picked up substantially. Most lay the blame for global warming on human activities like burning fossil fuels.

Every time that coal, oil, or natural gas is burned, they emit carbon dioxide (CO2) into the Earth’s atmosphere. These greenhouse gases (GHGs) then get trapped in the atmosphere, causing surface temperatures to rise. But it’s not just humans who are at fault. Natural occurrences like volcanic eruptions and wildfires also contribute to the mix.

Drought

What role does climate change play in droughts? Many regions of the world experience periodic dry spells. However, as greater amounts of GHGs become trapped in the atmosphere, temperatures become and remain higher. In turn, these warmer temperatures cause surface water to evaporate more rapidly. And get this. That evaporated water stays in the air in the form of vapor, making it even warmer, which causes even more evaporation. As a result, soils dry out, water sources are drained, and plants die. It’s a vicious cycle.

Ocean Acidification

The global warming component of climate change doesn’t just cause the surface temperature of land masses to increase. A significant amount of CO2 emissions is absorbed into our oceans, causing their temperatures to rise also. This is because the chemical reaction between seawater and CO2 creates an overabundance of hydrogen ions. And that makes the seawater far more acidic. It also creates a lesser abundance of carbonate ions.

So what does all this talk about ions mean for you and me? Here’s the important thing: Carbonate ions are necessary for the development of things like shells and sea corals. With fewer of those ions in the water, there will be far fewer clams, oysters, and other shellfish to enjoy. More acidic waters also make it difficult for some species of fish to become aware of and avoid predators.

Ocean acidification hurts communities that depend economically on the fishing trade. And it hurts all of us who enjoy fish as part of a healthy diet.

Carbon Footprint

Think about it. Every time you start your gas-powered car or turn on the TV, you’re burning fossil fuels. And this adds to the world’s GHG emissions. Every one of us has a carbon footprint. Think of it as a personal amount of GHGs we add to the planet.

By collectively reducing GHG emissions, we can help reduce global warming. This, in turn, can help negate some of the not-so-good effects of overall climate change.

What are some simple changes you can make to reduce your carbon footprint? You walk or ride a bike, especially for short trips. You can also wash your laundry in cold water or limit your time in the shower to five minutes.

Ozone

Ozone is a gas that lives miles high above the Earth’s surface in the layer of the atmosphere known as the stratosphere. Scientists say it does a good job of absorbing most of the sun’s harmful UV radiation. So it’s critical to our survival!

Back in the 1980s, scientists discovered the stratosphere’s ozone layer was thinning out in some areas. The cause was due to the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that made their way up into the stratosphere layer.

And what are CFCs, you may ask? They’re manmade greenhouse gases, chemicals used to make things like aerosol sprays, refrigerants, and packing materials.

Biofuels

Burning fossil fuels contributes largely to global warming. Because of this, the push has long been on to find Earth-friendly replacements. Enter biofuels. Biofuels are liquid fuels made from–you guessed it–biological matter. It’s stuff like plants, cooking fat, and animal waste. And while burning them does add CO2 to the environment, many argue they don’t add to what’s already here. This is because the same plants used for the purpose of making biofuels absorb CO2 while they grow. Right now, biofuels are a long way away from matching, let alone replacing fossil fuels. Some work still needs to be done to make them truly carbon-neutral.

Climate Justice

Any list of words related to climate change should include climate justice. Climate justice starts with recognizing that the impacts of climate change are not equally distributed.

For instance, people of lower socioeconomic status, with disabilities, or in underdeveloped countries, to name a few, bear a greater burden. They may not be able to afford air conditioning on oppressively hot days. Nor may they be able to afford flood or fire insurance. And they may have a harder time accessing a reliable food supply. The goal of climate justice is to address and ease such disparities.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

Are there issues that all people on Earth should deeply care about? Absolutely! And fortunately, many nations agree. In June of 1992, 154 nation-states gathered at an Earth Summit and established an environmental treaty. Its purpose is to reduce our collective meddling with the climate and work together to level off the amount of GHGs in our atmosphere. The overall idea then and now is to buy enough time to let our ecosystems adapt naturally to change.

Signers of the treaty also recognized that developed nations were primarily responsible for these GHG emissions. And that a successful outcome would depend on broad cooperation among them.