"Climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system."
A gradual rise in Earth's average temperature due to an increase in greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere.
Greenhouse effect: The natural process by which the Earth's atmosphere traps heat from the Sun, maintaining a habitable temperature.
Carbon footprint: The total amount of greenhouse gases that are released from human activities, such as driving or manufacturing.
Fossil fuels: An energy source derived from the remains of dead organisms that produces large amounts of carbon dioxide when burned.
Renewable energy: Energy generated from clean, sustainable sources like solar, wind, and hydro power.
Climate models: Computer simulations of the Earth's climate system used to predict future temperatures and weather patterns.
Ocean acidification: The process by which increased carbon dioxide emissions react with water, causing the ocean's pH level to decrease, making it more acidic.
Polar ice caps: The massive sheets of ice atop the Arctic and Antarctic continents that are melting at an alarming rate due to global warming.
Emissions reduction: Efforts to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere through policies and initiatives like carbon pricing or carbon capture technologies.
Climate refugees: People forced to flee their homes due to environmental changes like sea level rise, droughts, or wildfires caused by global warming.
The Paris Agreement: An international climate treaty signed by nearly all countries in 2015 that aims to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.
Greenhouse gases: Emissions of gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, leading to global warming.
Deforestation: The forests and other vegetation absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as part of the process of photosynthesis. The loss of vegetation due to deforestation reduces the planet's capacity to absorb CO2.
Natural factors: Natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions, changes in solar radiation, and tectonic plate movements can affect the planet's temperature, altering global climate.
Industrialization: The growth of industries and human activities result in increased power consumption and the resultant emission of greenhouse gases, leading to climate change.
Fossil fuels: Fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas are responsible for over-consumption and increased greenhouse gas emissions.
Aerosols: Although they are released in a different way, aerosols have continued to contribute and add to global warming.
Agriculture and Livestock: Both agriculture and livestock contribute to global warming in different ways. Agricultural farming contributes to carbon dioxide emission while meat might emit high levels of methane gas.
Melting of Arctic ice caps: The melting of arctic ice caps causes the sea level to rise and changes the geography of a region.
Urbanization: Rapid urbanization has resulted in drastically changed environments that are hotter than surrounding areas, leading to the urban heat island effect.
Climate models and uncertainty: There is also considerable uncertainty around climate models between different models, which further predicts and alters the level of warmth regions might experience.
"The current rise in global average temperature is more rapid than previous changes, and is primarily caused by humans burning fossil fuels."
"Larger amounts of these gases trap more heat in Earth's lower atmosphere, causing global warming."
"Deserts are expanding, while heat waves and wildfires are becoming more common...glacial retreat and sea ice loss...more intense storms, droughts, and other weather extremes...forcing many species to relocate or become extinct."
"Even if efforts to minimise future warming are successful, some effects will continue for centuries. These include ocean heating, ocean acidification, and sea level rise."
"Climate change threatens people with increased flooding, extreme heat, increased food and water scarcity, more disease, and economic loss. Human migration and conflict can also be a result."
"The World Health Organization (WHO) calls climate change the greatest threat to global health in the 21st century."
"Poorer communities are responsible for a small share of global emissions, yet have the least ability to adapt and are most vulnerable to climate change."
"Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, nations collectively agreed to keep warming 'well under 2 °C'."
"With pledges made under the Agreement, global warming would still reach about 2.7 °C (4.9 °F) by the end of the century."
"Limiting warming to 1.5 °C will require halving emissions by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050."
"Reducing emissions requires generating electricity from low-carbon sources rather than burning fossil fuels."
"Vastly increasing use of wind, solar, nuclear, and other types of renewable energy."
"Carbon can also be removed from the atmosphere, for instance by increasing forest cover and farming with methods that capture carbon in soil."
"Adapting to climate change through efforts like flood control measures or drought-resistant crops partially reduces climate change risks."
"Some limits to adaptation have already been reached."
"Many climate change impacts are already felt at the current 1.2 °C (2.2 °F) level of warming."
"Electricity generated from non-carbon-emitting sources will need to replace fossil fuels for powering transportation, heating buildings, and operating industrial facilities."
"Increasing forest cover...can remove carbon from the atmosphere."
"Farming with methods that capture carbon in soil."