Climate change refers to significant, long-term shifts in the Earth's climate patterns, particularly changes in average temperatures, precipitation, and weather events. It’s largely driven by human activities, especially since the Industrial Revolution, when we started burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas at scale. This releases greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O)—into the atmosphere, which trap heat and warm the planet. Deforestation and industrial processes amplify this effect.
The data backs this up: global average temperatures have risen about 1.1°C (2°F) since pre-industrial levels, according to the IPCC’s 2021 report. Sea levels are up roughly 20 cm (8 inches) in the last century, and extreme weather—hurricanes, droughts, heatwaves—has gotten more frequent and intense. NASA’s records show CO₂ levels at 420 parts per million in 2023, the highest in at least 800,000 years, based on ice core samples.
Natural factors, like volcanic eruptions or solar cycles, play a minor role, but the overwhelming driver is anthropogenic emissions. Skeptics often point to historical climate shifts—like the Medieval Warm Period—but those were regional, not global, and didn’t coincide with a 50% increase in atmospheric CO₂ from human activity.
Effects? Melting ice caps, shifting ecosystems, and tougher conditions for agriculture. Mitigation involves cutting emissions—renewables, reforestation, carbon capture—while adaptation means building resilience, like flood defenses or drought-resistant crops. The debate’s not really about whether it’s happening; it’s about how fast and what to do.
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