Climate change refers to long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns. While natural processes, like shifts in the sun’s activity or volcanic eruptions, can drive these changes, human activities have become the primary cause since the 1800s. This is mainly due to the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas.
Burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide and methane, which trap heat in the atmosphere, warming the planet. Major sources of these gases include vehicle emissions, coal for heating, deforestation, and agriculture. Key sectors contributing to greenhouse gas emissions are energy, industry, transportation, buildings, agriculture, and land use.
Humans are driving global warming, as shown by climate scientists. Over the past 200 years, our activities have significantly increased greenhouse gases, heating the planet faster than at any time in the last 2,000 years.
The Earth’s average surface temperature is now about 1.2°C higher than it was in the late 1800s, making it warmer than at any point in the last 100,000 years. The last decade was the warmest on record, with each of the last four decades being warmer than any previous decade since 1850.
While many think of climate change as just warmer temperatures, it’s more complex. Since the Earth is a connected system, changes in one part can affect others. The impacts of climate change now include severe droughts, water shortages, intense fires, rising sea levels, flooding, melting ice, extreme storms, and loss of biodiversity.
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