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Climate change: the basics
The climate is changing
- Temperatures have risen steadily since the late 1800s [1]
- 2016 was the hottest year on record
- Storms, droughts and wildfires have become more frequent and more severe
The changing climate is due to release of CO2 and other greenhouse gases by human activity
- Atmospheric CO2 has increased by 40% since the late 1800s [2]
- Methane and other greenhouse gases have also increased
- The increased CO2 and other greenhouse gases trap more of the sun's energy and raise tempertures [3]
The science is beyond reasonable doubt
- The great majority of the experts agree on the science [4]
- All of the counter-arguments can be seen to be invalid when subjected to critical scrutiny [5]
References
[1] NASA global land-ocean temperature chart downloaded 2.5.2019 from https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/global-temperature/
[2] D McCoy & B Hoskins (2014) The science of anthropogenic climate change: what every doctor should know British Medical Journal BMJ 2014;349:g5178
[3] The Royal Society (2010) Climate change: a summary of the science
https://royalsociety.org/policy/publications/2010/climate-change-summary-science/
or from here
[4] IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) http://www.ipcc.ch/
[5] Global Warming & Climate Change Myths Skeptical Science website (viewed 12.3.2015) https://www.skepticalscience.com/argument.php
First published: 2015
Last updated: 14 Jul 2019