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Feeling Hot?
Everyday almost every UK household produces carbon dioxide through energy use. Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas responsible for climate change.
To generate electricity, we burn fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) that produce greenhouse gases, in particular carbon dioxide. Cars also produce a lot of carbon dioxide, but more comes from the energy we use at home.
6 tonnes of carbon dioxide are produced by the average house each year.
If no greenhouse gases had ever been produced, the Earth's average temperature would be around -18 degrees centigrade, compared with the current average of around +15 degrees centigrade. The reason why our planet is getting hotter is that greenhouse gases have created a blanket around us, preventing heat from escaping into the atmosphere.
The weather, plants, animals and our health have been and will be affected by this increase in temperature.
Already, over the last 40years, in the UK we have seen warmer winters, heavier rains and hotter, drier summers, which can be attributed to global warming.
By the end of this century, we could be facing intense heat waves reaching up to mid 40 degrees centigrade in some places, similar to those which killed thousands of people across Europe in 2003.
Currently, Britain is famous for its green and pleasant lands. If temperatures continue to rise, many of the species of animals and plants that we traditionally associate with Britain may disappear.
A warmer climate in the UK could increase the number of people suffering from cataracts, skin cancer and even tropical diseases such as Dengue fever and West Nile virus. Even now, mosquitoes carrying such diseases are invading the US because of rising temperatures.
Feeling hot? Turn your radiators off.
About the Author British Gas is the UK's greenest gas and electricity supplier, central heating provider, and energy efficiency advisor. Reduce your electricbills and carbon footprint by switching to British Gas online today.
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