Climate change is a long-term shift in Earth's average temperature and weather patterns, largely caused by human activities like burning fossil fuels that ...

Climate change is a long-term shift in Earth's average temperature and weather patterns, largely caused by human activities like burning fossil fuels that release heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. These changes, including more extreme weather events and rising sea levels, threaten ecosystems and human societies.  

What It Is

• Long-term shifts: 

  Climate change refers to changes in typical weather patterns, such as temperature, rainfall, and wind, over many decades or longer. 

• Global warming: 

  The Earth is generally warming, with many of the warmest years on record occurring recently, a trend sometimes called global warming. 

What Causes It

• Human activities: 

  The primary cause is the increase in heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, mainly from burning fossil fuels for energy, industrial activity, and forest clearing. 

• Natural factors: 

  Natural factors like volcanic eruptions and changes in the sun's activity can also contribute to climate change, but human activities have become the dominant force. 

What It Means for the Planet

• More extreme weather: The planet is experiencing more extreme and unpredictable weather, such as record heatwaves, floods, and storms. 
• Rising sea levels: As temperatures rise, glaciers melt, leading to rising sea levels. 
• Threatened ecosystems: These shifts in climate threaten the sustainability of Earth's ecosystems and the ability of plants, animals, and humans to adapt.