What is Climate Change?

Climate change is the long-term change in weather patterns caused by the warming of the Earth. Human activities, like burning fossil fuels, release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This layer of gas traps some of the heat from the sun. As humans release more greenhouse gases, the Earth gets warmer. Driving cars, over use of electricity, and improperly recycling and composting can contribute to climate change. The Earth’s climate has changed through natural processes in the past, but humans are causing these changes to occur much faster.

What is adaptation?

In Nova Scotia, climate change is already causing rising sea-levels, more extreme weather events, floods, and droughts. These weather events can have negative effects on your community. Adaptation strategies can be used to prevent or reduce these impacts by making the community more resilient.

How to Play

Learn more about how climate change impacts your community and ways that you can adapt.

First, click on the homes to discover how climate change can affect your community. Then, help this community prepare for climate change by dragging the adaptation action to its matching climate change impact to fix the problem.

More evaporation from higher temperatures is causing a change in precipitation (rain and snow) patterns.
Extreme rainfalls that only happened once every 50 years in the last century are likely to occur once every 10 years in this century.
Flooding from heavy rain can flush pollution, sediment, and nutrients from the land into our lakes, rivers and streams.

Warmer temperatures are causing ice-caps to melt and sea-levels to rise. These changes lead to faster rates of erosion and more flooding in Nova Scotia.
Did you know in Nova Scotia the sea-level has risen by 25 cm in the past 100 years? By the year 2100 it could rise by almost a metre!

Climate change may lead to more frequent and severe droughts. Droughts occur when an area receives less precipitation (rain or snow) than normal.
Droughts can lower water levels in lakes, streams, ponds, and drinking water sources.
Hot temperatures and dry conditions can also increase the risk of forest fires.

Greenhouse gases, like C0₂ come from burning fossil fuels. The gases trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere like a blanket, causing the Earth to warm.
Global average temperatures are expected to rise 2-4 degrees by the year 2100.

Climate change is expected to cause more frequent extreme weather events.
Hurricanes and other extreme weather events can cause damage to communities and disrupt services from important facilities, like clean drinking water and electricity.

Rain barrels collect water that runs off your home’s roof, which helps to prevent flooding.
Water stored in rain barrels can be used instead of tap water for a number of activities, like washing cars or bikes, but remember, you don’t want to drink it!

Before an extreme event, make sure that you have enough water, canned goods, flashlights, a radio, and batteries.
Remember to cover small trees and shrubs to protect them from damage before a storm.
You can also build and/or update your windows and roof to prepare for the changing climate.

Using low-flow devices, like shower heads, washing machines, toilets, and faucets, can help preserve our water resources.
Using water conservation devices and making small changes in habits can help a family of four save 100,000 litres of water per year.
Turning off the water while you brush your teeth can save almost 8 litres of water each time!

Planting trees, shrubs and other vegetation can help protect shorelines from eroding.
Living shorelines also create habitats for aquatic and terrestrial species.

Renewable energy sources, like wind turbines and solar panels, generate electricity using natural resources.
In Nova Scotia, 25% of our electricity comes from renewable energy, like wind turbines.
At home you can help reduce climate change by using less power. Turn off the lights and electronic devices when you’re not using them.

Congratulations!

You’ve matched all of the climate change impacts and adaptation actions.

Thanks for learning about how climate change affects your community and ways that you can help adapt.

Play again

Music by Matti Paalanen | CC BY

What is Climate Change?

What is adaptation?

How to Play

Changes in Rain & Snow

Sea-Level Rise & Storm Surges

Drought

Greenhouse Gases

Extreme Events

Rain Barrel

Emergency Preparedness

Water Conservation

Living Shorelines

Renewable Energy

Congratulations!