Strange spring weather raises fears over global warming
By Eloise Pember & Luke Boatfield
With February heatwaves and hail in April, climate change is an increasingly concerning topic that many believe needs addressing urgently.
This year’s strange spring weather has been evident in Portsmouth which, in the space of just a few days, has experienced unseasonably high temperatures and sunshine followed by heavy hail.
We spoke to young people living in the city to gather their thoughts on the weird weather.
Student Jasmine Forsyth, 19, suggests that climate change has become a larger issue due to people believing that as individuals they cannot make a difference.
She believes small changes can make an impact: “If everyone did little things like turn off lights, try and use less power and take public transport or walk places a little more, then we would make a difference.”
Another student, 18-year-old Katie, shared Jasmine’s views. “Obviously, I think the recent weather is bad because it shows how global warming is damaging the environment,” she said.
In contrast to Jasmine, 19-year-old Luke Moulder struggled to see how climate change would impact him, saying: “I don’t really care too much about it as it probably won’t affect me in my lifetime.”
He went on to say: “All weather looks the same to me and anyway, it’s only weather, it’s not a massive deal whether it’s a bit hotter or a bit colder.”
Despite the summer-like days in winter, climate change is a much more worrying issue than just the weather — the increasing temperature is a result of a rise in levels of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases.
According to a Live Science article, these levels are soaring to the highest that they have been in three million years, making them the greatest in the current geological period.
Here are some tips on how you can reduce your impact on the environment.
