Achieving the ambitious goal of reducing emissions requires tried and tested policies, international cooperation, ecosystem stewardship and inclusive governance. These efforts can be accelerated by local governments. Keeping global temperature increase below 1.5 degrees Celsius will require all countries to rapidly decarbonize their economies and remove carbon from the atmosphere. This is a moral imperative and an economic necessity. Climate…
Large swaths of the world’s forests are cleared every year to make way for commodity crops like beef and palm oil. This deforestation releases massive amounts of GHGs and also alters local and global precipitation patterns, making it a major contributor to climate change. The modeled temperature response to deforestation in high, mid and low latitudes is consistent with previous…
Climate change is a global issue that requires global action. Governments must provide leadership and implement policies that encourage societal change. They must also respect ecosystems that play key roles in the fight against climate change. For example, forests absorb carbon and wetlands protect coastlines. Government agencies must consider how their mission and climate actions can benefit each other. This…
Scientists have observed dramatic changes in global temperatures over the last several decades. They also know that if we continue on our present course, future temperatures are likely to rise much higher. There is high confidence that a world warming two degrees will lead to increased risks from weather disasters such as wildfires, coastal flooding and inland flash floods; reduced…
As global warming threatens to wreak havoc on the planet, governments, businesses and citizens are taking action to fight the problem. But it will take more than a shift in energy consumption habits and demands from leaders to bring the world to a sustainable future. One way to help reduce climate change is to improve scientific literacy and inspire young…
Climate change is already wreaking havoc on the planet, from hurricanes and melting polar ice to escalating food and water crises. And if we don’t tackle this challenge now, it will only get worse. We must keep global warming below two degrees Celsius, which is a tipping point at which small changes have profound impacts on life as we know…
Climate change is a natural process. There are many natural factors that influence climate, such as the sun’s intensity and volcanic eruptions. However, it is now obvious that the climatic warming seen in the last century is a product of human activities that release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide, the most important of these gases, traps extra heat…
Our oceans play an integral role in global climate and weather patterns. Nevertheless, they are also vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Warming oceans have been linked to ice-melting, sea level rise and ocean acidification. These impacts are causing unprecedented cascading effects. Temperature As Earth warms, the ocean absorbs more heat, affecting our weather and climate. This is largely…
Climate change is an increasing threat to all life on Earth, from the plants and animals that we love to our air and water. It’s a crisis we must tackle now. Human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are warming the planet, causing sea levels to rise, melting glaciers and ice sheets, and intensifying extreme weather events like heat waves and hurricanes. 1….
Climate change is a long-term shift in the way the climate works. It is caused mainly by human activity that releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, warming our planet by absorbing and reflecting sunlight. The warming is causing extreme weather, including heat waves and droughts. Climate change is…