"Climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system."
The gradual increase in the Earth's average surface temperature, primarily due to human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation.
Greenhouse Gases: The primary cause of global warming, the greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide trap heat in the atmosphere.
Climate Change: The overall effect on global weather patterns due to the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Carbon Footprint: A way to measure the total amount of greenhouse gases each person or group of people is producing.
Renewable Energy: Energy sources like solar, wind, and hydro power that don't produce greenhouse gases.
Fossil Fuels: Nonrenewable energy sources like coal, oil, and natural gas that release greenhouse gases when burned.
Climate Models: Mathematical models that help scientists understand and predict climate change.
Ocean Acidification: The process by which the ocean becomes more acidic due to the absorption of carbon dioxide.
Extreme Weather: More frequent and intense events like hurricanes, droughts, and heat waves caused by global warming.
Impacts on Wildlife: The effects of climate change on plants and animals, including extinction threats.
Policy Implications: The political debates surrounding global warming and how policies can address the issue.
Carbon Capture: Technology that captures carbon dioxide emissions and stores them underground.
Methane Emissions: A greenhouse gas that is more potent than carbon dioxide and is released from sources like landfills, livestock farming, and natural gas production.
Mitigation Strategies: Ways to reduce global warming, including reducing emissions and increasing the use of renewable energy sources.
Adaptation Strategies: Preparing for and dealing with the impacts of climate change, including improving infrastructure and relocating people.
International Climate Negotiations: The agreements and debates between countries regarding global efforts to combat climate change, such as the Paris Agreement.
Climate Refugees: People who are displaced from their homes due to the effects of climate change, including sea level rise and natural disasters.
Climate Justice: The idea that the most vulnerable communities, who are least responsible for global warming, should not bear the brunt of its impacts.
Economic Impacts: The effects of climate change on economies, including the costs of damages and the potential for new industries like renewable energy.
Carbon Trading: A system by which companies and countries can buy and sell carbon credits as a way to offset their emissions.
Environmental Sustainability: The idea of living in a way that preserves the natural resources and ecosystems for future generations.
Rising sea levels: As global temperatures increase, glaciers and ice caps melt, causing the oceans to rise and potentially inundate coastal cities and communities.
Changes in precipitation patterns: As the climate warms, evaporation increases, leading to changes in the amount, frequency, intensity, and distribution of rainfall and snowfall. This can result in droughts, floods, and other extreme weather events.
Extinction of species: Global warming can disrupt ecosystems, change migration patterns, and reduce habitats for certain plant and animal species, leading to their extinction.
Heatwaves and heat-related deaths: Higher temperatures can lead to more frequent and intense heatwaves, which can cause heat exhaustion, dehydration, and other health risks, especially for vulnerable populations like the elderly, children, and low-income communities.
Increased frequency and severity of wildfires: Drier and hotter conditions can make forests, grasslands, and other ecosystems more susceptible to wildfires, which can threaten homes, wildlife, and human lives.
Ocean acidification: Excess carbon dioxide absorbed into the oceans can lead to a decrease in pH levels, making the waters more acidic and harmful to marine life.
Economic and social impacts: Global warming can exacerbate poverty, inequality, and socioeconomic disparities, as well as negatively affect industries such as agriculture, tourism, and energy production.
"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."