Press here for the text about 'A Landscape Full of Life'.

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According to the UN, the climate crisis is one of the biggest challenges our society is facing, and is the result of large amounts of emissions like carbon dioxide (CO2) from industry and fossil energy sources. To slow down the speed of these changes, Norway has committed to the UN’s Paris Agreement, whose main goal is to stop the atmospheric temperature from rising two degrees celcius, which would have large global consequences for us and the planet. 

 

Climate change is a topic that’s gotten a lot of recent attention, and despite it seeming like this is a new phenomenon when talked about in the media, the climate has been changing continuously throughout Earth’s history. Geological processes like continental drift, volcanism, and changes in the atmospheric and ocean systems, have led to huge changes in the climate of our planet. The main difference is the speed in which these changes are occurring, as they usually occur gradually over thousands of years, allowing nature to adapt. Today’s changes in Earth’s climate have mainly occurred during the last two centuries, with the development of modern industry as the driving cause, leading to an increasing global climate footprint. 

 

The large ocean currents play a vital role in controlling the Earth’s climate, with transport of heat, water and nutrients throughout the entire globe. On a geological scale, these currents are affected by continental drift, and change as the continents slowly move. Changes in the large ocean currents such as the Gulf Stream will affect our everyday lives to a large degree, and lead to a much colder climate in Northern Europe. This is due to the Gulf Stream transporting hot water from the equator along the Norwegian Coast, resulting in a milder climate compared to other areas on the same latitude. As these areas are driven by a difference in temperature and salinity, a warming climate could slow down or disrupt the currents, as the differences would lower between the poles and equator. 

 

The CO2 level in the atmosphere is a main factor in climate change. Despite CO2 being a vital gas for plant-life and thus all life on earth, too much of this gas can lead to problems, through what is known as the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is caused by sunlight reflecting off the Earth’s surface, and being absorbed by the CO2 in the atmosphere, leading to heat being trapped. Even small changes in the atmospheric temperature can have a large impact on natural weather processes, resulting in increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather. In addition, large amounts of CO2 affects nature through changes in pH-balances. A high atmospheric carbon level can cause ocean acidification, making it harder for shell-building organisms such as crustaceans and molluscs, to produce shells. 

 

Combined with other human impacts, such as area change, pollution and chemicals, climate change can put a large pressure on nature and the organisms living there. When climate changes in today’s speed, nature has a hard time adjusting, especially when also facing other disturbances. Thus, it is important to find solutions to climate change, to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for us, and the rest of the creatures living on this planet we call home.