Grade 7

Unit 5

world issues
Why is it important to know about the world
issues?
Why is it important to know about the world issues?

• Some issues are likely to affect us personally

• Global warming – example
• You learn to appreciate the need to look after the earth
• Help you become a good global citizen
• Aware of problems around the world
• Willing to do your part to solve the problem
Topic: Climate Change

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC.

World’s climate has changed many times..
11 000 years ago – UK was completely covered in snow and ice
This is the Ice Age
In recent years, temperatures have been increasing more rapidly than in the past.
Global temperatures are around 1 °C higher than they were around 300 years ago.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report of 2021 says
that global warming of 1.5 °C and 2 °C will be exceeded during the 21st century
unless deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is an intergovernmental

body of the United Nations. Its job is to advance scientific knowledge about
climate change caused by human activities. The World Meteorological
Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme established
the IPCC in 1988
 What is climate change?
According to the United Nations, climate change refers to
long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns.

These shifts may be natural, but since the 1800s, human

activities have been the main driver of climate change,
primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels (like coal, oil and
gas), which produces greenhouse gases.
Read the graph and analyze the relationship between carbon dioxide and global temperature
rise.
Greenhouse Gas Source

CFCs

Methane

Nitrous Oxide

Carbon dioxide
Human activities which increase the
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere..
Some human activities increase the greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere:

• Burning fossil fuels, eg coal, gas and oil - these release carbon
dioxide into the atmosphere.
• Deforestation - trees absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. If
they are cut down, there will be higher amounts of carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere.
• Dumping waste in landfill - when the waste decomposes it produces
methane.
• Agriculture - agricultural practices lead to the release of nitrogen
oxides into the atmosphere.
Topic: Effects of Climate Change

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC.

What has been done so far to slow down the
alarming rate of climate change?
Effects of Climate
Change: Ocean
temperature rising
• Why? Global warming
• Ocean acidification that
bleaches corals and other
marine animals; marine
habitat destroyed
• Creates unpredictable weather
conditions
 Tuvalu minister addressed Cop26 knee deep in water to
highlight climate crisis and sea level rise. 
Effects of
Climate Change:
Rise in Sea Level
• Why? Melting of glaciers and
heating of water
• This will cause increased
flooding in coastal
areas. Floods may sweep
away urban slums, destroying
homes and livelihoods.
Effects of Climate
Change: Shift in
climate zone
• Why? Global warming
• Polar climates will shrink
whereas arid regions will
expand. Large swathes of
Earth will switch from cool
summers to hotter summers. 
• Ecosystems will collapse as it
will have less time to adapt
and may lead to species
extinction.
• Food production will be
affected.
Effects of Climate
Change:
Unpredictable weather

• Why? Global warming

• Frequency of natural disasters
associated with weather
increases – wildfires, storms,
heavy rainfall and floods.
• Food production will be
affected. 
• Ecosystems may
be destroyed. 
Topic: Alternate sources of Energy

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA.

Why should non-renewable sources of energy
be avoided in the future?
Linked to the emission of greenhouse gases and
pollutants into the atmosphere – the leading cause of
global warming and climate change
Solar Energy:  Hydroelectric Energy: 
Converted to electricity with the help of Generated by using the kinetic energy of
photovoltaic cells water to turn turbines
Geothermal Energy: Produced by the Wind Energy: Electricity can be
heat of Earth’s Interior produced by turning turbines by wind's
kinetic energy
Topic: Water Problem
Causes 
• Global warming has caused less rainfall.
• Demand for water exceeds the volume of water that is available.
• Infrastructure needed to trap water from reservoirs is not affordable by
most countries. 
• Sewage systems are not properly developed and may cause pollution
of freshwater sources. 
Effects
• Limited access to clean water
• Conflict between countries that share freshwater sources
• Consumption of polluted water could cause diseases
• Food production may decline
• Goods like medicines that rely on clean water for production may
decline
Topic: Food – Too little or too much
What is a satisfactory diet?
The correct quantity of food – measured in calories
The correct type or quality of food – a healthy diet consisting of proteins [meat,
eggs and milk]
Carbohydrates[cereals and potatoes] and
Vitamins[fruits and vegetables, meat and fish]
Diet can be a problem in both poor and rich countries
The UN says that there is enough food produced each year to feed everybody in
the world.
But the rich countries like the USA & Western Europe produce more than they
need, many poorer countries, esp Africa do not produce enough
A person who either eats too much or who eats the wrong type of food is also
unhealthy
Some causes of food shortages
• Overpopulation: demand exceeds supply
• Low crop production: drought, soil erosion, lack of advanced methods,
unpredictable weather patterns, shift in climate zones,
• Lack of capital (developing countries): unable to import food during low crop
production
• In some countries corruption results in people in authority keeping food for
themselves and not sharing it with poorer people
• Human cause- in some places crops are ruined and farm animals killed in civil war
• Some insects like the locust can eat the crop
• Poor countries often have to rely on food from other countries and this is
expensive to buy.
• Climate change- is predicted to reduce the amount of crops leaving up to 5 billion
people short of food.
Topic: Poverty
Some causes and effects
of
poverty