Including the closely related terms heating, and heating.
… and elsewhere. In the last 100 years, the earth’s average temperature has increased faster than previously seen – this is known as global warming or global heating. This heating of the planet is causing our global and local climates to change and is therefore putting our ecosystems6 at risk, which may no longer be able to support our current way of life, or those plants and animals that live among us…
… greenhouse gases which trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere, causing the air and seas to heat up, which in turn changes the climate. The GHG produced when we burn these fuels contain a lot of carbon and so the term ‘carbon emissions’ is often used when talking about tackling the climate emergency. These emissions are rising at such a rate that our climate is changing much more rapidly than earth’s…
…, wellbeing and livelihoods. The ‘Urban Heat Island’ effect, where towns and cities experience higher summer temperatures than the surrounding rural areas, has been noticed in Cheltenham. Higher building density, less green infrastructure and air pollution from traffic, all increase the likelihood of heat becoming trapped or stored and lead to a disproportionate rise in local temperatures. Since…
… the start of temperature recording, 10 of the warmest years have been since 2002 and there is a trend of increasing temperatures. Higher temperatures result in an increase in heat-related illness and death, particularly in vulnerable groups, including the elderly and very young. As time goes on, we will notice more changes to our environment and an increase in extreme weather events. Some…
… surrounding our targets and the terminology we use. Therefore, we have outlined the difference between the various terms you may hear across the press, social media and other publications, to help with the narrative and related aspirations. Greenhouse Gases (GHG) are gases in Earth’s atmosphere that trap heat. They let sunlight pass through the atmosphere, but they prevent the heat…