Climate 101
Weather vs. Climate
Weather refers to short-term changes in the atmosphere, and climate refers to atmospheric changes over longer periods of time, usually 30 years or more.
Greenhouse Effect
Certain gases in Earth’s atmosphere trap the Sun’s heat.
This makes Earth much warmer than it would be without an atmosphere. The greenhouse effect is one of the things that makes Earth a comfortable place to live.
Causes
All changes in Earth’s climate since the mid-20th century are driven by greenhouse gas emissions human activities, particularly fossil fuel burning.
Effects
- Rising Global Temperature
- Sea Level Rise
- Melting Ice Sheets and Glaciers
- Sea Ice Loss
- More Droughts, Heatwaves, and Floods
Climate information
- NASA – science.nasa.gov/climate-change/
- NOAA – https://www.climate.gov/
- EPA – https://www.epa.gov/climate-change
- Carbon Brief – https://www.carbonbrief.org/
- Skeptical Science – https://skepticalscience.com/
- Yale Climate Connections – https://yaleclimateconnections.org/
