Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average. Climate changes in response to changes in the global energy balance. On the broadest scale, the rate at which energy is received from the sun and the rate at which it is lost to space determine the equilibrium temperature and climate of Earth. This energy is then distributed around the globe by winds, ocean currents, and other mechanisms to affect the climates of different regions. Factors that can shape climate are called "forcing mechanisms" that include such processes as variations in solar radiation, deviations in the Earth's orbit, mountain-building and continental drift, and changes in greenhouse gas concentrations. There are a variety of climate change feedbacks that can either amplify or diminish the initial forcing. Some parts of the climate system, such as the oceans and ice caps, respond slowly in reaction to climate forcings, while others respond more quickly. Forcing mechanisms can be either "internal" or "external". Internal forcing mechanisms are natural processes within the climate system itself and external forcing mechanisms can be either natural or anthropogenic.
I do not feel the need to alter my lifestyle because of global warming at all. There are so many factors that contribute to this process naturally and very little from actual mankind. I do think that this will continue and eventually will become a major problem further down the road and will affect my future family members. We can not live our life scared of everything and watching our backs constantly with what "can" happen. There are things that we can do to help keep global warming from happening as quickly but we will never be able to 100% keep it from happening.
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