Explain the significance of the Earth being farther away from the sun during Northern Hemisphere summer

Question

regarding environmental science 

Answer 1

Northern and southern hemisphere weather is determined by the tilt of the earth's rotation axis, not by the distance from the sun.  Both hemispheres are on the same earth, and hence at the same distance from the sun at the same time!  But at different points along the earth's orbit around the sun, one hemisphere may be tilted away from the sun (which makes it winter there), and the other may be tilted toward the sun (which makes it summer there).