Climate change affects everyone, because we all share the same planet. Even though some areas will see less change in the weather, at least in the short-term, we are dependent on other countries for many of the things that we eat, wear, or use.
If you look at fruit and vegetables in the supermarket, you will see that many of them were grown in other places – you might find apples from New Zealand, figs grown in South Africa, tomatoes from the Netherlands, and bananas harvested in the Dominican Republic.
If you look at the labels in your clothes, you will notice that they are often made in other countries too. And on other items, like toys or kitchen equipment, there will usually be some writing telling you where they were made.
Globalization means that what happens in one country impacts people in other countries, because no country is completely self-sufficient.
Despite this, we know that climate change is impacting some people more than others. Some countries are much, much hotter than they used to be. Some areas are experiencing more storms or very bad weather events that lead to things like flooding. Severe temperature changes can impact the health of those people living in affected areas, and can make it difficult to grow crops, especially those that people are used to growing. It can damage soil and harm the biodiversity that makes it possible for soil to remain healthy. Floods, fires, and storms can damage homes, shops, schools, and businesses, meaning that some people have to search for new places to live, or new jobs, because of changes in the climate.
