Climate Change Around Us
FoundationBurning coal and oil gives off greenhouse gases that heat the planet; saving energy and using green transport help cool it down.
- Burning fossil fuels gives off greenhouse gases and heats the Earth.
- Climate change brings sea level rise and extreme weather.
- Hong Kong has more hot nights and stronger typhoons — we can feel it.
文體小知識：說明文把一個大課題拆成小步驟講解。這一篇解釋氣候變化的成因、影響，以及我們可以怎樣應對。
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1Over the past hundred years and more, the Earth's average temperature has kept rising. This is global warming, and it changes the climate too — more heatwaves, rainstorms and droughts. Scientists find the main cause is greenhouse gases from human activities.
2Generating electricity, driving cars and running air conditioners burn coal, oil and natural gas — fossil fuels — releasing carbon dioxide. Greenhouse gases wrap the Earth like a thick quilt, so heat cannot escape into space and the planet gets hotter. Factories, cutting down forests and rotting rubbish in landfills add more greenhouse gases.
3Climate change affects the whole world: melting ice in Greenland and Antarctica raises the sea, and low islands and coastal cities face flooding; extreme weather strikes more often, with heatwaves, super typhoons and droughts causing disasters; some land dries into desert, crops fail, and animals lose their homes.
4Hong Kong feels it too: Observatory records show very hot days and hot nights with temperatures not falling below 28 degrees have increased, and winters are shorter. When super typhoon Mangkhut struck, many seaside areas were badly flooded with fallen trees everywhere. Rising sea levels also threaten coastal communities in the long run.
5Facing climate change, everyone has a part. Our country develops wind and solar power; the MTR and electric cars are low-carbon transport. We can save electricity and water, bring our own bags, set the air conditioner one degree higher, and walk or take public transport more. Small steps by each of us add up to a big leap for the Earth.
1Summary 重點摘要
Burning coal and oil gives off greenhouse gases that heat the planet; saving energy and using green transport help cool it down.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
Long-term changes in the world's climate, such as rising temperatures and wilder weather.
The steady rise in the Earth's average temperature.
Gases such as carbon dioxide that trap heat around the Earth.
Coal, oil and natural gas, made from ancient living things; once burnt, they are gone.
The greenhouse gas given off when fossil fuels burn.
Melting ice raises the sea, which slowly creeps higher.
Rare and fierce weather such as heatwaves, droughts and super typhoons.
Land slowly turning into desert through drought and damage.
Living with less energy and less carbon, such as walking more and saving power.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Tell apart weather, climate and climate changeWeather is today's brief mix of sun, cloud, warmth and cold; climate is the pattern of weather a place keeps for years; and climate change means the world's climate pattern itself is shifting. One cool day does not cancel warming — just as one cold snap cannot overturn a long-term trend. Comparing long records from around the world, scientists find the Earth's average temperature has clearly risen over a century or more — that is the evidence of climate change. Telling them apart helps us understand the news correctly.
- Step 2: Understand the greenhouse effectGreenhouse gases are actually good for the Earth in small amounts; like a quilt they keep the nights warm so the planet is not frozen. But since the Industrial Revolution, people have burnt huge amounts of fossil fuels, carbon dioxide has climbed, and the quilt has grown too thick — heat cannot escape and the Earth heats up. This is the enhanced greenhouse effect. Cutting forests removes the trees that absorb carbon dioxide, and rotting landfill rubbish adds methane, making things worse.
- Step 3: See the global impactsClimate change is reshaping the whole planet: glaciers and ice sheets melt and the sea expands and rises, so Pacific island nations face being swallowed; extreme weather strikes more often — European heatwaves, African droughts, Asian downpours and super typhoons take lives; drought turns land into desert, crops fail and food runs short; corals bleach and polar bears lose their homes. Climate change is a shared challenge for everyone on Earth — no one can stand apart.
- Step 4: Feel it in Hong KongHong Kong's climate change is on record: the Observatory's figures show the local average temperature rising over more than a century, with more very hot days and hot nights and fewer cold days, while the harbour's water level also trends upward. When super typhoon Mangkhut hit, waves crashed over seaside estates like Heng Fa Chuen and seawater poured inland — an example of sea level rise strengthening storm surges. The hotter the city, the more air conditioning we use, pumping out yet more heat — a vicious circle.
- Step 5: Start by saving electricityPower generation is Hong Kong's biggest source of carbon emissions, so saving energy works best of all. Switch off lights and air conditioners when you leave a room; setting the air conditioner one degree higher in summer already saves about three percent of its power; choose appliances with a Grade 1 energy label; unplug idle appliances so standby power does not quietly drain. Shorter showers save energy too. A family in the habit of saving power spends less and cuts the power plants' emissions — two wins at once.
- Step 6: Choose green transportTransport is another big source of carbon. Walking or cycling for short trips and taking the MTR or buses for longer ones beats everyone riding alone in a car; families buying a car can consider electric models; staying in Hong Kong for holidays cuts unnecessary flights. Green transport not only lowers carbon but also freshens the street air and quiets the roads, good for health. Taking public transport to school every day is a climate action any of us can do.
- Step 7: Remember mitigation and adaptation togetherThere are two paths against climate change: mitigation means cutting emissions so warming slows; adaptation means adjusting life for changes already here, such as building flood defences and moving outdoor activities on scorching days. Our country aims to peak carbon before 2030 and reach carbon neutrality before 2060, and Hong Kong has its own decarbonisation blueprint. Understanding both paths — then saving power and travelling green as individuals — makes each of us part of the solution.
5Worked example Example
Example: Yan's family decides on three power-saving actions: setting the air conditioner from 25 to 26 degrees, watching one hour less TV each night, and unplugging appliances that stay on standby. If the three actions save 35 units of electricity a month in total, how much do they save in a year? What does this mean for the climate?
- First the month: the three actions together save 35 units of electricity.
- Then the year: 35 units × 12 months = 420 units.
- Generating electricity burns fossil fuels, so saved power means less fuel burnt and less carbon dioxide released.
- Tell classmates and family, and invite more people to save power — small savings add up.
- Answer: The family saves 420 units in a year. Saving power means burning less fossil fuel and directly cutting greenhouse gases, which slows global warming; sharing the method with more people makes the effect even bigger.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1What is the main cause of global warming?
Q2Which gas is the main greenhouse gas?
Q3What does melting ice cause?
Q4How can Hong Kong people cut carbon?
Q5What is a hot night?
8Recap Recap
- Burning fossil fuels gives off greenhouse gases and heats the Earth.
- Climate change brings sea level rise and extreme weather.
- Hong Kong has more hot nights and stronger typhoons — we can feel it.
- Saving power and green transport are the most direct ways to cut carbon.
- Mitigate and adapt together — everyone is part of the solution.