Home > Learning Center > Climate change

Climate Change

Climate change is different than global warming, though each phrase is often used interchangeably. The term is much broader and can refer to a single location, a region, or the entire planet. In addition to this, it encompasses more aspects to weather than just temperature. For instance, precipitation and wind patterns may also be affected within climate change.

It is possible for average weather to remain the same while significant change in climate is occurring. The average weather represents a median. Extreme weather scenarios can be taking place and producing the same average as more moderate ones if the hot and cold or the wet and dry continue to balance each other out of the equation.

Along with occurring in different scopes of area (from cities to countries to continents) climate change can also occur over different time frames. This means it can be discussed in the context of decades as well as in the context of millennia.

Changes in climate have been a natural part of the Earth’s timeline. On a global scale, ice ages as well as periods of warmth have had significant runs. There are many natural factors within the environment which have had major influence on climate. Changes in ocean circulation, sunlight intensity, land movement and the orbit of the earth are just a few examples.

Anthropogenic, or human-caused, influences on the climate are of major concern today. Though humans are estimated to have existed for at least 200,000 years, it has only been within the last 130 years that the effect of human civilization on the climate has stepped into view. A major part of this was the industrial revolution during the 1880s. At this time, the use of fossil fuels became widespread. This in turn has been steadily increasing the CO2 levels within the atmosphere.

The current consensus of the scientific community is that these increased levels of CO2 are the primary cause of global warming.

In addition to fossil fuels, there are other anthropogenic factors influencing the planet to a lesser degree. Manmade aerosols have a cooling influence on the atmosphere. In fact, some scientists believe that earlier “global dimming” due to aerosols may have masked the warming of the planet until the 1990s. Some have claimed that this may be used to counteract global warming. However, the short lifespan of aerosol as well as its negative ecological effects have encouraged most to view this option as unwise. Acid rain, droughts, and excess rainfall are some of these negative ecological effects.

Other ways in which humans influence climate include irresponsible irrigation, deforestation, and agriculture. Human maintenance of unnaturally large herds of livestock also has had negative influences on the environment. This is both through greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation.

For many years, there has been debate regarding climate change among the scientific community. However, the current consensus is that human activity is very likely the main explanation for the rapid change in climate that has been occurring over the last 50 years. The debate has now moved on to ways of decreasing impact in the levels of nations, governments, and communities as well as simply within the home. Regardless of the cause it is in everyone’s best interest to reduce human impact on the planet.