Climate Conference 2016 in Marrakech

Since 1995 the United Nations have met for their climate conference on an annual base. 2016’s meeting took place in Marrakech, Morocco.

The international climate conference in Marrakech was a meeting of 196 members of the United Nations. Participating states addressed the problems that are caused by global warming and led negotiations on what each state can do to protect the environment.

Global climate change is the rise in the Earth’s temperature caused by human acts. Some of the Earth’s gases in the atmosphere act like the glass in a greenhouse, reflecting the heat of the sun and keeping it from leaving into space which is why they are called Greenhouse Gases. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the gas mainly produced by humans. Its concentration in the atmosphere is being increased by emissions from fossil fuels or cutting down forest.

The conference in Marrakech is the first since the one in Paris where the famous Paris Agreement was developed which was later signed by 174 states. The Paris Agreement includes the goal of minimizing the raise of the Earth’s temperature to 1.5°C (1.8°F). The Agreement calls for zero greenhouse gas emissions by the second half of the 21st century. Another important point of the conference was the support of poorer countries, especially developing countries, to handle the aftermath of global climate change like floods or droughts.

The thing is, governments or big organizations aren’t the only ones that can act against global climate change.

Here are some ways that you can help out your planet:

• One very easy thing to do is to turn off the lights, computers, or anything electrical when you’re not in the room. It both helps the environment and you’re energy bill.
• Pay attention to which waste can be recycled and dispose of it in your recycle bin or the ones in school.
• Save water by taking shorter showers and/or use a dishwasher instead of doing the dishes by hand.
• Walking to close places, taking the bike or carpooling can actively reduce your CO₂ emissions.
• Encourage others to follow these steps and save the planet together!

For more information about climate change, visit http://climate.nasa.gov/.