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The Climate Change Twins

Climate change is a combination of two processes, global warming and global cooling.

Global Warming

Global Warming is a process through which the temperature of the Earth's environment increases. This is caused by the release of so-called "Greenhouse Gases" into the atmosphere. These stop heat from escaping into space, much like the glass in a greenhouse keeps the heat in.

Greenhouse Gases include:

• Carbon dioxide (CO2), which is produced when burning fuels such as fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas), oil-based fuels (petrol, gasoline, diesel, etc), wood, paper, etc
• Water vapour; this is produced in a wide range of ways, including a great many industrial processes. Some of this falls to the ground as precipitation (rain, snow, etc), but a lot remains in the atmosphere.

Global Cooling

Global Cooling has a planetary cooling effect, and is probably the main reason why climate change to-date has had as little impact as it has. The pollutants that cause global cooling act like a giant sun-shade, reflecting some of the sun's heat away from the Earth. Some of these pollutants are:

• Particulates; tiny bits (particles) of soot, etc, produced as a by-product of industry and modern life, such as smoke.
• High-altitude vapour trails from jet aircraft.

Tackling one of the causes of climate change without addressing the other is simply not enough.

A lot of effort has gone into getting industry and motor vehicles to produce fewer particulates, so making "clean air." This has had a noticeable affect in the quality of air we breathe, however, unless Greenhouse Gas emissions are reduced significantly, instead of making the climate better, the effects of global warming will become far more apparent.

Climate change will lead to a change in ocean temperatures. Coral polyps require a specific temperature range in which to live. If the sea temperature gets too warm or cold, the corals (and so the reefs) will die.

Also of concern is "extreme weather," another possible consequence of climate change. This can create extremely violent storms that will badly damage the structure of coral reefs.