It’s largely the consequence of the warming described above, and includes everything from the increasing incidence of extreme weather events like powerful hurricanes and severe drought to more frequent flooding and longer-lasting heat waves. So, “climate change” is a broad, general term for these changes. This rise in global temperatures is causing our climate – the average weather patterns for a particular region over a long period of time, typically 30 or more years – to change. “Worldwide, since 1880 the average surface temperature has risen about 1° C (about 2° F), relative to the mid-20th-century baseline (of 1951-1980).” Global temperature shows a well-documented rise since the early 20th century and most notably since the late 1970s,” according to NASA.
“‘Global warming’ refers to the long-term warming of the planet. Some people use the terms “climate change” and “global warming” interchangeably, so to get to a definition of the one, we’re going to talk about them both because they are profoundly linked but not exactly the same thing. And thanks to all the different voices claiming this and that – including fossil fuel interests and deniers spreading all kinds of myths – many people don’t know the truth of what’s happening or what we can do.īelow, we’ve provided answers to seven foundational questions about the climate crisis you may have been afraid or embarrassed to ask to get you up to speed on what’s almost certainly the greatest threat humanity has ever faced – and how together we can defeat it. The impacts of the climate crisis are far-reaching, but solutions exist that can help us improve quality of life around the world right now and work toward a healthier, more sustainable future for all.īut with all that said, we know it can also be seem overwhelming. And contrary to what the White House says, addressing these threats is not a political issue but a moral and practical one. It will continue to exacerbate existing threats to our well-being – from stronger hurricanes to rising seas to longer droughts putting our food and water at risk – and give rise to new ones.