Climate Change

Climate Change refers to gradual, long-term changes in the Earth’s climate. A very hot day in July is not a sign of climate change; it is a sign of variation in weather. Scientists are more concerned with changes in average temperature and climate over years, decades, and even centuries. While the Earth undergoes natural climate cycles due to changes in the Earth’s orbit, this process has been accelerated by human activities.

Most human-induced accelleration of climate change is due to increases of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere caused by the burning of fossil fuels for energy and transportation. Even small changes in average global temperatures could lead to sea-level rise, flooding, extreme weather events, desertification, and the extinction of animals that can not adapt quickly enough to changes in the environment.