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CLIMATE SCIENCE 101
Welcome to Climate Science 101, your go-to guide for learning about climate disruption and why what we choose to do can make a difference. Whether you're just beginning to explore environmental issues or looking for more information, start here.
The science behind the solutions
Why does climate disruption matter?
Climate disruption is transforming our planet. Rising temperatures, more intense wildfires, severe droughts, and rising sea levels are just some of the challenges around the world. The impacts hit close to home here in the Bay Area, affecting our health, air quality, water resources, unique ecosystems, and essential infrastructure like roads, rails, and bridges, water and sewer systems, and our energy resources.
Understanding key climate phrases:
Greenhouse Gases (GhGs)
GhGs trap heat in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) stay in the atmosphere the longest and have the most impact.
Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuels come from deep in the ground: oil, gas, and coal. Burning them to generate energy releases large amounts of harmful GhGs.
Feedback Loops
Feedback loops are chain reactions, one thing happens that affects something else, like melting glaciers accelerate rising sea levels.
"Warming" or "Change"?
"Global warming" and "climate change" don't sound too bad. Unfortunately the climate situation that we're facing is very serious: our climate has been "disrupted".
Renewable Energy
"Renewables" are energy sources that never run out, like the sun and the wind. Using renewable energy instead of fossil fuels is key to reducing emissions from GhGs.
Climate Justice
Climate disruption doesn’t affect everyone equally. "Climate justice" means that solutions address impacts and needs in fair and inclusive ways.
How our planet heats up
The Greenhouse Effect — The Earth's atmosphere acts just like a greenhouse that we grow food in. Heat from the sun is trapped inside - plants thrive when the inside temperature is stable and suffer if it gets too hot.
Earth's atmosphere protects us in a similar way, but when greenhouse gases (GhGs) build up, more heat is trapped in our atmosphere than can be absorbed or reflected back into space.
GhGs have built up in Earth's atmosphere to the highest level in more than 850,000 years. We've burned more fossil fuels - like gas, oil, and coal - over the last 200 years, which have added heat-trapping Greenhouse Gases (GhGs) like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) to our atmosphere.
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Feedback loops — As the Earth heats up, natural processes are triggered that accelerate climate disruption, such as: glaciers reflect sunlight but, as they melt, dark rock underneath absorbs heat; ocean levels rise as the ice sheets in Greenland and antarctic ice melts; methane is released as arctic permafrost thaws, significantly increasing atmospheric temperatures.
Climate change in the Bay Area
What does climate disruption look like in the San Francisco Bay Area?
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Rising sea levels — Coastal areas like the communities in the San Francisco Bay Area are at risk of flooding that threatens homes, businesses, and infrastructure.
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Extreme heat — Increased frequency and intensity of heatwaves can impact public health, especially for vulnerable populations, including seniors.
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Drought — Hotter, drier weather reduces moisture as well as the rain needed for communities and ecosystems.
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Wildfires — As forests and landscapes suffer from drought there are more frequent wildfires that pose risks to our homes, communities, air quality, safety, and biodiversity.
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Ecosystem changes — Native species and entire habitats are under threat due to changing temperatures and the availability of water that they've adapted to over millennia.
What are we doing about it?
The Bay Area is actively addressing the climate crisis through a variety of initiatives led by government agencies, businesses, non-profit organizations, individuals, and community groups. Find out what's happening in your county:
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