How Hull is uniting
against climate change.

Have you ever thought that the summers are getting hotter?
Do you remember the terrible floods in York only a few years ago?

We're told climate change is happening - and that it will have a big effect on the way we live.
In a recent survey in Hull, 78 per cent of people had heard of climate change, but were less clear about what the main causes are and how much it'll affect our lives.

So what is climate change, what causes it, and what could it mean for Hull?

That's the question Hull's new Climate Change Group will be tackling in a city-wide campaign called "Below the Waterline", which will run over the next 18 months.
"Some of you may have already seen the posters on buses and the article here in Hull in print, and we're hoping to raise awareness about climate change amongst as many people as we can over the coming year," said Martin Budd, spokesperson for the group.
He added: "One of the key messages of the campaign will be that it's only by everyone working together that we can understand that tomorrow's climate is today's challenge."
The group - which includes Hull City Council, Hull University, the NHS and the City of Hull Environment Forum - has received funding from the Government's Climate Challenge Fund.
The campaign also hopes to bring home the message by using local examples to reflect climate change.
"Many of the images that have been used to illustrate climate change in the past have been scenes of extreme weather in other parts of the world – such as melting ice caps and polar bears - but when was the last time you saw a polar bear in Hull, apart from on Spring Bank!" added Martin Budd.

How do you measure carbon dioxide?

Carbon dioxide (also called CO2) is the gas most responsible for causing climate change. Often scientists refer to planes and cars producing so much CO2, but it is difficult to understand what these figures mean.
But an organisation called Best Foot Forward Ltd has come up with a simple way of getting us to understand what a certain amount of CO2 can look like.
If you picture a party balloon, then one of these holds approximately 10grams (1/3oz) of CO2. A hundred party balloons will hold 1kilogram (2.2lb) of CO2 and a hot-air balloon will hold 1,800 kilograms (1.8tonnes) of CO2.
Driving from Hull to Leeds and back, which is a distance of 102 miles, on average will produce 32 kilograms (70.4lbs) of CO2 from the petrol.
But why is CO2 so important in climate change and what quantities are safe? That's a question we will look at in future articles of Hull in print.

Your Questions

If you have any questions, send them to: So, What is Climate Change?, 2nd Floor, The Guildhall, Alfred Gelder Street, Hull, HU1 2AA or email climate.change@hullcc.gov.uk