What is global warming | global warming
Glaciersaremelting[1],sealevelsarerising,cloudforestsaredying[2],andwildlifeisscrambling[3]tokeeppace.Ithasbecomeclearthathumanshavecausedmostofthepastcenturyswarmingbyreleasing[4]heat-trappinggasesaswepowerourmodernlives.Calledgreenhousegases,theirlevelsarehighernowthanatanytimeinthelast800,000years[5].Weoftencalltheresultglobalwarming,butitiscausingasetofchangestotheEarthsclimate,orlong-termweatherpatterns,thatvariesfromplacetoplace.Whilemanypeoplethinkofglobalwarmingandclimatechangeassyno...
Glaciers are melting[1], sea levels are rising, cloud forests are dying[2], and wildlife is scrambling[3] to keep pace. It has become clear that humans have caused most of the past centurys warming by releasing[4] heat-trapping gases as we power our modern lives. Called greenhouse gases, their levels are higher now than at any time in the last 800,000 years[5].
We often call the result global warming, but it is causing a set of changes to the Earths climate, or long-term weather patterns, that varies from place to place. While many people think of global warming and climate change as synonyms[6], scientists use “climate change” when describing the complex shifts now affecting our planet’s weather and climate systems—in part because some areas actually get cooler in the short term[7].
Climate change encompasses not only rising average temperatures but also extreme weather events[8], shifting wildlife populations and habitats, rising seas[9], and a range of other impacts. ...