Global temperatures have increased, and the trend is clear from the data. The 12 warmest years on record have all been since 1998, with 2016 the hottest year on record to date.
Humans are the cause. We have loaded our atmosphere with carbon dioxide, a heat trapping gas. Carbon is released into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels (coal, natural gas and oil) for energy, and by cutting down forests. As levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have increased, so have global average temperatures.
Scientists agree that climate change is happening, and that it is caused by human activity. Multiple studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals show that at least 97% of actively publishing climate scientists and most of the leading scientific organizations worldwide agree. More information on the work of specific scientists studying climate change and its impacts is here.
International academies: Joint statement
“Climate change is real. There will always be uncertainty in understanding a system as complex as the world’s climate. However there is now strong evidence that significant global warming is occurring. The evidence comes from direct measurements of rising surface air temperatures and subsurface ocean temperatures and from phenomena such as increases in average global sea levels, retreating glaciers, and changes to many physical and biological systems. It is likely that most of the warming in recent decades can be attributed to human activities (IPCC 2001).”
How You Can Help
It will take actions by all of us to halt climate change before it’s too late. It may seem hopeless at times, but now, more than ever, doing nothing is not an option. Click here for some suggestions of actions you take to make a meaningful difference. To change everything, we need everyone!
