Learn about the importance of climate and weather, as well as problems—and solutions—associated with climate change, in this essential children’s book. Our Earth is truly an amazing planet. Its well-balanced climate provides fresh water, clean air, comfortable temperatures, healthy food, and safe places to live. But that climate is falling out of balance. Become a young climatologist. Find out what’s going wrong and what we can do to fix it! Debut author Ian Hunt is an expert in the field and an advocate of environmental education and activism. Here, he presents an introduction to climatology (or climate science) in this easy-to-understand guide. Begin by learning about the atmosphere, as well as the basics of the carbon cycle and the greenhouse effect. That’s followed by a look at how climate change is measured and how it affects plants, animals, and the environment. A section on causes and solutions introduces different sources of energy, from oil to solar, with suggestions on how improvements can be made in the areas of industry, transportation, and waste. The book ends on an uplifting, empowering note with a “What Can I Do?” chapter that offers reasons for optimism, small steps to take every day, and 10 impactful activities for families and classrooms: calculating energy use, taking a climate survey, starting a community garden, and more. This kid-friendly guide is filled with full-color photographs and illustrations. It’s engaging and informative as it starts children on a path toward building a better Earth! Inside You’ll Find Beginner’s introduction to climatology - The basics of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources - Discussion of climate change’s causes and solutions - Bonus activities for the family Debut author Ian Hunt has worked in conservation throughout the Sierra Mountains and held jobs planting trees in wildfire burn scars, maintaining backcountry trails, conserving water, hardening homes for fires, planting native habitats, and cultivating edible landscapes. He earned his MA in Climate and Society from the Columbia University Climate School, and he now resides in Brooklyn, where he is an advocate for climate education and climate action. Introduction: Earth The Earth is a special place. Earth’s systems keep us alive and comfortable. They provide fresh water, clean air, comfortable temperatures, healthy food, and safe places to live—and life is everywhere on Earth, from the highest mountain to the deepest ocean. Life on Earth does best when the planet’s systems are totally balanced. Humans, plants, animals, fungi, and other lifeforms all depend on the Earth’s systems being in balance. Right now, the Earth is losing its balance, leading to climate change. Climate change has started to cause major problems all over the world. These problems affect the systems that provide the fresh water, clean air, and comfortable temperatures we depend on. In this book, we will explore what actions have upset the Earth’s balance. Understanding how climate change started and how it affects us will help us respond to the problems it’s causing, as well as help prevent it from getting worse. Climate change can be scary to talk and think about, but people—including you!—have a lot of power to make things better for generations to come. What Is Climate? The Earth’s climate is what makes life possible on Earth. Climate is all the conditions in the atmosphere, including rain, temperature, pressure, and wind, that are present over a long length of time. The Earth’s climate keeps everything not too hot and not too cold. Earth’s climate is the reason why water can be liquid on Earth, not frozen solid or heated to a gas. The climate helps life thrive. Since it keeps the temperature “just right” for life to exist, some people call Earth the Goldilocks Planet. Climate is what makes places like Florida warm and tropical, and places like Arizona dry and hot. The climate is how we know that crops grow in California and that you might carry an umbrella if you live in Washington. While it seems like climate mostly affects the weather, think about how much the weather impacts daily life. The food we eat was grown in areas that provide enough sun and rain to grow them. The clothes we buy are bought for wherever we live. Where and how we build our houses and cities is decided through climate. Yes, the climate we live in determines a lot about our lives, but it’s usually a background thought. In this book, we will explore what the climate is, how it’s made, and what we can do to protect it from changing for the worse. Weather vs. Climate What is the difference between weather and climate? The two have overlapping definitions, but there is a simple way to tell the difference between weather and climate: time. Weather is what is going on in the atmosphere during a short period of time, over hours, days, weeks, or even seasons. You might be aware that the weather is able to change multiple times a day. A day can start out