(light music) Climate change.

It's a term that you hear constantly.

It's in the news, it's a hot topic for scientists and policy makers, and it's something that affects each and every one of us right here, right now, and in years to come.

But how exactly is climate change impacting our earth, and why should we care about it?

Today, we'll explore the impact from melting ice caps to the changes in weather patterns in your own backyard.

You'll discover how climate change can affect the environment, our communities, economies, and even your future.

It's climate change.

Today, on Spotlight Earth.

(bright music) In a previous episode of Spotlight Earth, we learned about the difference between weather and climate and how our planet is experiencing warmer average temperatures because of climate change.

When we talk about Earth's global average temperature, we're looking at how hot or cold our planet is on average, over a long period of time.

Here are a few fast facts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA.

Since 1880, Earth's average temperature has risen about two degrees Fahrenheit in total.

Over that more than 140-year span, it has risen by an average of 0.14 degrees Fahrenheit, or 0.08 degrees Celsius, per decade.

But when you look at the last several decades, going back to 1981, the rate of warming is more than twice as fast 0.32 degrees Fahrenheit, or 0.18 degrees Celsius, per decade.

While that might not seem like a large temperature increase, even small degree changes are a challenge to Earth's delicately balanced ecosystems.

Think about the Earth's last Ice Age.

Global temperature was just four degrees Celsius colder than now.

Increasing average global temperatures can lead to a variety of problems.

We are seeing more intense hurricanes, droughts, and heat waves.

Plants and animals have a hard time adapting to these changes and may struggle to survive or find new places to live.

These changes can also affect people's homes, food, and water, leading to challenges like food shortages and migrations.

With an increase in average global temperature, the oceans get warmer and more acidic from the increase in dissolved carbon dioxide, and that can harm marine life, including coral reefs and fish.

Another concern is increasing average global temperatures affecting polar ice and the resulting rising sea levels.

Just a few degrees difference is leading to polar ice and glaciers melting.

That means extra water and flooding in coastal areas and loss of land.

To explore this idea deeper, we've set up a cool experiment in the lab.

And that's where we'll find my "Spotlight Earth" co-host, Ellen.

We're back in the lab to do some further examination of the impacts of climate change and increased greenhouse gases on sea levels.

In this experiment, we'll explore how glacier and iceberg melting affects sea level rise.

I've got everything ready.

Two small containers, clay, six large ice cubes, water, a ruler, and a marker.

The first thing we wanna do is create a landmass out of the clay and place it into one of our containers.

Now we're gonna add water to both of our containers, making sure that we don't cover our landmass.

(water pouring) This water represents ocean water.

Now I'm going to add the ice.

The ice represents two very different forms of frozen water, icebergs and glaciers.

In the first container, I'm going to place three ice cubes on top of the landmass.

These ice cubes represent glaciers, which are large pieces of ice on top of the land that form through an accumulation and compaction of snow and ice.

In the second container, I'm going to add three ice cubes to the water.

These ice cubes represent icebergs, which are large pieces of ice that float freely in the water.

Icebergs form when glaciers, or land ice breaks off and drops in the water.

We'll mark the water level on both containers.

Now we have a baseline level on each.

We're going to let the ice melt.

While that's happening, let's think about the experiment.

What do you think is going to be the result?

Will there be a rise in the water level in either container?

And how does that correlate to sea level rise in real life?

Okay, the ice is finally melted.

Time to see the results.

First, let's look at the container with the icebergs.

Look, even though the three ice cubes melted, the water level stayed pretty much the same, why do you think that happened?

The melting ice cubes represent the icebergs that had little impact on the water level because they're already in the water.

Icebergs floating in water have already impacted the sea level because their mass and volume are already accounted for.

But now let's take a look at the container with the land mass.

It raised quite a bit.

When the land ice melts and the water flows to sea, sea levels rise.

Imagine if you lived right here.

Rising sea levels mean that storm waves and high tides reach farther on shore.

This impacts low lying areas with roads, homes, airports, farms, et cetera.

It is particularly concerning for island or coastal communities.

Take a few minutes and consider if you or someone you know could be impacted by sea level rise.

So how do we address this issue?

Communities and governments are working together to try and create innovative plans to raise roads and infrastructures, create waterways for boating and commuting, build pedestrian paths over water, and help people move their homes inland.

It takes a lot of planning money and helping hands, but we're looking to the future.

That was a great explanation of the issues we're facing in our coastal areas.

Ellen's work in the lab shows how this global phenomenon hits home here in Virginia.

To understand these impacts, let's take a look at our state's diverse geography and how climate change affects each area differently.

In the coastal plain, along the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay, rising seawater levels cause flooding in low-lying areas and flat lands at the water's edge.

The coast of Virginia is experiencing higher sea level rise than most other coastal areas in the US, mostly due to our shoreline geography and the intensification of the Gulf Stream.

Beyond our human communities, climate change poses significant threats to our cherished coastal ecosystems, such as in the Chesapeake Bay.

Rising sea levels and changing temperatures cause harmful algal blooms, and changes in salinity have the potential to disrupt this rich aquatic habitat, impacting fish, blue crabs, oysters, birds, other wildlife, and the entire fishing industry.

As we move westward, we arrive in the Piedmont region in the rolling hills at the foot of the mountains, agriculture is an essential part of the Piedmont region's economy.

Changing weather patterns, including extreme heat and drought, can harm crops and livestock.

Farmers may need to adapt by using more water-efficient farming practices and considering different crop choices.

The Blue Ridge Mountains are home to a diverse range of plants and animals.

Climate change can disrupt ecosystems as some species struggle to adapt to changing temperatures, precipitation, and food availability.

This can lead to shifts in the distribution and behavior of wildlife.

The Blue Ridge Mountains are also a source of important rivers and streams.

Changes in precipitation patterns can affect the quality and quantity of the H2O in these water bodies, which can impact aquatic ecosystems and water supplies for people and agriculture downstream.

In the Valley and Ridge region to the west of the Blue Ridge Mountains rising temperatures have health consequences for residents.

Heat related illnesses may become more common, and the range of diseases carried by ticks and mosquitoes can expand due to milder winters and extended warm seasons.

Increased temperatures can lead to higher energy demands for cooling during the summer months, putting pressure on electricity grids, and potentially increasing energy costs.

The Appalachian Plateau has a rich coal mining and forestry history in southwest Virginia.

An increase in extreme weather events and precipitation impacts this region, as flooding is a real danger in areas where mining and deforestation have occurred.

The effects of climate change in Virginia are extensive and impactful, reaching every corner of our state.

By understanding these challenges, we equip ourselves with the knowledge needed to respond and adapt.

Though climate change is impacting Virginia, there are individuals and groups working to help lessen current impacts and make a difference for the future.

Our Spotlight Earth co-host Jarrell, is in Richmond exploring the work of one of those groups looking to address these sizable issues.

Thanks, Hales.

I'm at the Hillside neighborhood here in Richmond, learning about an organization whose mission is to empower people, businesses, and organizations to promote environmental, economic, and social wellbeing.

I'm joined by Dr. Jeremy Hoffman.

He's the Director of Climate Justice and Impact for Groundwork USA.

How's it going, Jeremy?

Doing fine.

Thanks for joining us.

Absolutely.

So tell us a little bit about your organization.

Well, the Groundwork Network is an affiliated network of 21 individual place-based, and people-centered nonprofits that are working in cities throughout the country.

Really, the mantra behind the work of Groundwork is changing places, changing lives, changing people.

And we do that through community engagement around green space, climate threats, and other resident-driven issues and needs.

One of the initiatives you guys are addressing here in Richmond is mapping out heat islands.

Can you tell us a little bit more about what that is exactly?

Imagine yourself in the middle of a hot day, totally sunny out, extremely hot, and you're standing in the middle of a parking lot.

Okay.

Very uncomfortable.

Right.

And then imagine yourself being whisked away into a really shady park, like where we're standing right now.

The differences between those two kinds of extremes, like on that far extreme, that has more of the surfaces that absorb more of the sun's energy, and then re-emit it back into the air as heat.

So we call those areas heat islands, as they represent kind of little patches of places that will experience higher temperatures, especially during heat waves.

So what we've been doing over the last few years is investing in getting federal grants, state grants, local grants to invest in solutions to the urban heat island effect, whether that's really big tree planting campaigns, reimagining vacant space and lots to make use of native plants and green infrastructure, as well as things like shade structures at bus stops and public transportation.

It's been kind of community wide effort, but with Groundwork RVA really leading the way and understanding the history of why we have those landscapes where we do, and really leading in the engagement in getting the resident priority and voice behind the projects.

Right here, you know, we have the Hillside mini farm, which treats food like a right and not a privilege.

And so any individual in this neighborhood, which is one of the housing authority neighborhoods in Richmond, can come and pick and eat the food that they grow and have volunteer events every couple of weeks to expand.

What's really great is, you know, Groundwork RVA is one of 21 places around the country that is doing this very deep committed environmental justice work with the community at the center of that process.

The most important focal point is the community.

And you guys are doing the best thing, man.

Thank you.

It's an honor to get to do it.

Well, thank you so much for the work you're doing, Dr. Hoffman.

Really appreciate it.

Thanks.

And your time today.

Thank you so much.

No problem.

Thanks for coming by.

Yeah, man.

That's all from here in Richmond.

Thanks to Groundwork RVA and all the organizations around the state working toward our most sustainable future.

Let's head back to Hales in the studio to wrap things up.

Thanks, Jarell.

Climate change may seem like an overwhelming issue with so many different perspectives, But understanding the science of climate change is the first step in making a positive difference.

As the next generation of leaders and problem solvers, you have the power to shape a sustainable future for yourselves and generations to come.

So step up and consider how your actions impact climate change and the future of our planet.

Thanks for watching.

See you next time on "Spotlight Earth."

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