Letter

   


 * DEAR MR PRESIDENT OF THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT **

I know you will soon be taking part in the Copenhaguen Summit on Climate Change. My name's Finley Chapman and I am a 1º Bachillerato student at IES El Palo school in Màlaga. My school is currently involved in a Comenius project whose main topic has to do, among other things, with the impact of CO2 in the environment and consequently the climate change and the nasty consequences that seem to be coming upon the world. I would like to show my concern for the state of our planet, at large, as well as our country,in particular. The current state of affairs is pretty bad: It is increasingly being observed that snow and ice are melting and frozen ground is thawing, hydrological and biological systems are changing and in some cases being disrupted, migrations are starting earlier, and most species are shifting towards the poles. There has been an increase in global average air and ocean temperatures. The Earth's average surface temperature has risen by 0.76° C since 1850. Most of the warming that has occurred over the last 50 years is very likely to have been caused by human activities. Over the course of the 21st century, many impacts are expected to occur in natural systems. For instance, changes in precipitation and the melting of ice and snow are expected to increase flood risks in some areas while causing droughts in others. If there is significant warming the capacity of ecosystems to adapt will be exceeded, with negative consequences such as an increased risk of extinction of species. The most vulnerable people are in general the poor, since they have less capacity to adapt, and their livelihoods are often dependent on resources that are linked to climate. Impacts will depend on the magnitude of the temperature increase. For instance, some crops at mid- to high latitudes will have higher productivity if local temperature increases by 1-3 °C, but will be negatively affected beyond that. If higher temperatures persist after the 21st century it could result in very large impacts. For instance, the large sea-level rise that would result from the melting of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets would have major repercussions on coastal areas. The cost associated with the effects of climate change is projected to increase over time with rising temperatures. A projected increase in the severity and frequency of droughts, heat waves, and other extreme weather events is expected to cause major impacts over the course of this century. I would like to make some suggestions too that I am sure would be helpful if we don't want the climate change to get to the point of no return: Human activities that contribute to climate change include in particular the burning of fossil fuels, agriculture and land-use changes like deforestation. These cause emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main gas responsible for climate change, as well as of other 'greenhouse' gases. To bring climate change to a halt, global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced significantly. We can do lots of thing to reduce our footprints like: 1. Switch off appliances like your TV or unplug you phone charger. 2. Hang out clothes to dry in good weather:Switch on the washing machine when you have a full load, and wash clothes at 30º to save energy and money. 3. Take a quick shower: Take a quick shower rather than a long bath to cut your water use in half. 4. Try walking instead of driving: Try walking instead of driving to replace one short car journey a week. Also, follow smarter driving tips – like keeping tyres correctly inflated and changing up a gear a little earlier – to save up to a month’s worth of fuel a year 5. Try not to waste food: Try not to waste food – the average UK household spends £424 a year on food that goes straight in the bin. Plan a menu for the days ahead, make shopping lists and use leftovers wisely. 6. Switch to energy saving light bulbs Replace traditional 100W light bulbs with energy saving ones and you will save up to £60 over the lifetime of the new bulb. 7. Recycle everything your local council will collect: Most recycling is free, but some bulky goods and electrical items may cost a small amount.There are lots more thing that us people can do to reduce our footprints but we don´t want to do it ."**//Lets all do this together!"//** Please, do your best to help our planet, our home before it's too late

Signed: Finley Chapman

= This is what is happening! =