The issue at a glance...

Global Warming and Climate

Change Part 1: Climate
• Burning coal, oil and natural gas
releases carbon dioxide gas into the
atmosphere. On average, this may
warm the earth and change the climate
in other ways. For example, it might
change the severity and duration of
storms or droughts.
• Other human activities, such as cutting
down forests, and growing rice, and
raising cattle, may have the same
effect, but are less important.

Part 2: Impacts
• If the climate changes heating, cooling,
water use, and sea level will be
affected. In wealthy countries, the
average cost would probably be small,
although some people and regions
might have high costs and others might
receive large benefits. In some poor
countries, the cost could be very high.
• A large or fast change in climate will
have a big effect on plants and animals
in the natural environment.
• Very rapid climate change is unlikely,
but could be disastrous, even for
This brochure was wealthy countries.
prepared by
researchers at Part 3: Policy
Carnegie Mellon
University to • We could reduce the rate at which we
explain the issue of add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere
global warming by burning less coal, oil and natural
and climate change. The key points are gas.
covered in the three parts that follow: • If climate changes, we could adapt by
changing agriculture and other human
activities. Many plants and animals in
the natural environment might be
unable to adapt.
• If warming is large and costly, some
people might want to make changes to
the atmosphere or oceans in order to
cool the earth. This is very
controversial.