Sciencecalendar_todayLast updated: Apr 2026
What is Climate Change?
/ˈklaɪmɪt tʃeɪndʒ/
Long-term shifts in global temperatures and weather patterns. While natural factors play a role, since the 1800s human activities — primarily burning fossil fuels — have been the main driver.
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Everyday Example
The average global temperature has risen about 1.1°C since the pre-industrial era. That might sound small, but it's the equivalent of giving the entire Earth a fever — small changes have massive systemic consequences.
publicReal-World Application
“The 2015 Paris Agreement committed 196 countries to limiting warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Every fraction of a degree matters: 2°C warming would expose 37% more of the world's population to extreme heat.”
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Did you know?
Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius first calculated that doubling atmospheric CO₂ would warm the Earth by 5–6°C — in 1896. We've known about this for over 125 years.
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Key Insight
Climate change is not one problem — it's a threat multiplier. It amplifies existing inequalities, food insecurity, water scarcity, and conflict. Almost every global challenge becomes harder in a warmer world.
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