Climate models predict that Earth’s global average temperate will rise in the future. By the end of the century, 2°C of warming may be inevitable and, if greenhouse gases continue to rise at current levels, warming of about 4°C (7.2°F) can be expected. Only with swift action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will we be able to reduce some of the projected impacts of climate change.
Changes in Earth's climate have different effects in different areas of the world. Some places will warm much more than others, some regions will receive more rainfall, while others are exposed to more frequent droughts.
While global average temperature has risen 1°C (1.8°F) above the 1950-1980 average, our planet's polar regions are experiencing warming at a faster rate than other places.
Our climate is warming, which is changing the physical environments that support living systems. In many places, environments are changing so fast that plants and animals cannot keep up, endangering entire ecosystems.
How is climate change impacting human health? Explore how shifts in extreme natural events, vector-borne diseases, and water will affect human populations.
Water moves from place to place through the water cycle, which is changing as climate changes. Learn how the water cycle is changing as global temperatures rise.
A rise in sea levels is one of the most well-known consequences of global warming. There are two ways that higher temperatures cause higher sea level: (1) melting ice sheets and glaciers and (2) thermal expansion of seawater.
The American Southwest is becoming more prone to drought as Earth warms. How will the drier conditions affect mountain lions, the biggest cats in North America?
