Why is it getting hotter?
Quick answer from Eartha
It's getting hotter because burning things like coal and petrol puts extra gases into the air, and those gases trap more of the sun's heat. Think of it like adding extra blankets to Earth's bed. The great news is people are finding cleaner ways to make energy so Earth can cool back down. ☀️
The longer story
For a very long time, people have burned coal, oil and gas to make electricity, power cars and heat homes. Burning these things releases gases into the sky.
These gases float up into Earth's atmosphere and act like an extra layer of blanket. The thicker that blanket gets, the more heat stays trapped near the ground instead of floating back out to space.
That's why average temperatures around the world have been slowly climbing. It doesn't mean every single day is hotter everywhere, but overall, Earth's temperature is trending up.
Scientists and inventors are working on cleaner ways to make power, like from sunshine, wind and water, which don't add as much extra blanket. Every new solar panel or wind turbine is a small step towards a cooler, calmer Earth.
Try this at home: Sunny spot experiment
- Place two cups of water in the sun, one bare and one with plastic wrap over the top.
- Wait 30 minutes, then carefully check which feels warmer.
- Talk about how the wrap trapped heat, a bit like extra gases trap heat around Earth.
Words to know
- gases
- Invisible things in the air, like the air we breathe.
- temperature
- A measure of how hot or cold something is.
- solar panel
- A special panel that turns sunshine into electricity.
For grown-ups: what is my child learning here?
Age band: 6-9 years
Curriculum link: Australian Curriculum v9 Science, AC9S4U01
The concept: Introduces cause and effect in Earth's energy balance using a concrete heat-trapping demonstration.
More classroom ideas are on our teachers page, and safety notes for families are on for parents.
Last reviewed: · How we check answers
More questions kids ask
- What can one kid do to help?Big feelings about climate
- Why do some animals lose their homes?Big feelings about climate
- What do I do when climate news feels scary?Big feelings about climate
- Why do blue-tongue lizards stick out their tongues?Australian animals
- Why do Tasmanian devils scream?Australian animals
Got a nature question of your own?
Ask Eartha your own question →