"Climate change affects the physical environment, ecosystems and human societies."
The various effects that climate change is having on Earth's ecosystems and human societies, such as rising sea levels, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and changes to agriculture and water resources.
Greenhouse gases: Understand the role of greenhouse gases in trapping heat and causing global warming. Learn about carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and other greenhouse gases and their sources.
Global temperature change: Understand how the temperature of the earth is changing, how scientists measure it, and the projected future warming scenarios.
Extreme weather events: Learn how climate change is exacerbating extreme weather events such as hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, and floods.
Rising sea levels: Understand how global warming is causing sea levels to rise, the implications of this on coastal communities, and potential solutions.
Biodiversity loss: Learn about how climate change is affecting the natural world, including the extinction of species, deforestation, and habitat destruction.
Ocean acidification: Understand how carbon dioxide emissions are making the oceans more acidic, and the potential impacts on marine life, fisheries, and coastal economies.
Arctic melting: Learn about the melting of the Arctic ice cap, why it matters, and how it is affecting the earth's climate.
Health impacts: Understand how climate change is affecting public health, including air pollution, heat stress, malnutrition, and infectious diseases.
Climate justice: Learn about the disproportionate impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations, including low-income communities, indigenous peoples, and marginalized groups.
Mitigation: Understand the strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including renewable energy, energy efficiency, carbon capture and storage, and lifestyle changes.
Adaptation: Learn about the strategies for adapting to the impacts of climate change, including infrastructure upgrades, land use planning, and disaster preparedness.
International climate policy: Understand the history of international climate negotiations, the current state of global climate action, and the Paris Agreement.
Climate science: Learn about the scientific consensus on climate change, the role of models and simulations, and ongoing research efforts.
Rising temperature: Climate change has caused an overall increase in global temperatures, which can lead to heat waves, droughts, and forest fires.
Changes in precipitation patterns: Climate change has also disrupted precipitation patterns, leading to more intense and frequent extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and hurricanes.
Sea-level rise: As glaciers and ice sheets melt, sea levels are rising globally, increasing the likelihood of coastal flooding, erosion, and saltwater intrusion into freshwater sources.
Melting glaciers and ice sheets: The melting of glaciers and ice sheets is causing sea levels to rise, altering river flows, and creating hazards for mountainous regions.
Ocean acidification: Increased levels of atmospheric CO2 are absorbed by the oceans, causing ocean pH levels to decrease and becoming more acidic. This has negative impacts on marine ecosystems, including coral bleaching and loss of biodiversity.
Biodiversity loss: Climate change can cause species loss and extinction as ecosystems change rapidly, and populations of vulnerable species are reduced by habitat loss, migration, and other factors.
Spread of disease: Climate change is increasing the range and distribution of disease-bearing vectors such as mosquitoes, leading to the spread of diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.
Food insecurity: Climate change can lead to agricultural losses, affecting food security, and increasing the risk of malnutrition and starvation.
Economic impacts: Climate change can disrupt industries, affect energy supply and demand, and hinder economic development, leading to financial losses and affecting GDP.
Migration and displacement: Climate change can cause mass migration and forced displacement as people flee from areas impacted by extreme weather events, sea-level rises, and other climate change impacts.
"Changes in the climate system include an overall warming trend, more extreme weather and rising sea levels."
"The Arctic is warming faster than most other regions."
"These include an increase in ocean temperatures, a rise in sea level from ocean warming and ice sheet melting. They include increased ocean stratification. They also include changes to ocean currents including a weakening of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation."
"Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is acidifying the ocean."
"Recent warming has had a big effect on natural biological systems. It has degraded land by raising temperatures, drying soils and increasing wildfire risk."
"Species all over the world are migrating towards the poles to colder areas. On land, many species move to higher ground, whereas marine species seek colder water at greater depths."
"At 2 °C (3.6 °F) of warming, around 10% of species on land would become critically endangered."
"Food security and access to fresh water are at risk due to rising temperatures."
"Climate change has profound impacts on human health. These can be direct impacts via heat stress. They can be indirect changes via the spread of infectious diseases."
"Humans are vulnerable and exposed to climate change in different ways. This varies by economic sector and by country."
"Wealthy industrialized countries, which have emitted the most CO2, have more resources. So they are the least vulnerable to global warming."
"Climate change affects many economic sectors. They include agriculture, fisheries, forestry, energy, insurance, and tourism."
"Some groups may be particularly at risk from climate change, such as the poor, women, children, and indigenous peoples."
"Climate change can lead to displacement and changes in migration flows."
"It has degraded land by raising temperatures, drying soils, and increasing wildfire risk."
"These include increased ocean stratification."
"Changes to ocean currents include a weakening of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation."
"Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is acidifying the ocean."
"Climate change has profound impacts on human health... They can be indirect changes via the spread of infectious diseases."