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Fossil fuels and climate change

So, now you know greenhouse gases act like the glass in a greenhouse – trapping heat in the Earth’s atmosphere so it can’t escape. This makes our planet the perfect temperature for us, plants, and animals to live - otherwise, Earth would be like a giant ice block, a chilly -18°C. Brrr! Imagine walking to school in that!

But here’s the catch: we’re burning way too many fossil fuels, like coal, gas, and natural gas, which is pumping heaps of carbon dioxide (or CO2) into the air. This is making the levels of greenhouse gases rise really fast.

The more CO2 we have up there, the more heat gets trapped, and the warmer our planet becomes. Even small increases in Earth’s temperature can affect the climate BIG time.

A greenhouse