CLIMATE SCIENCE BASICS:
It’s warming.
It’s us.
We’re sure.
It’s bad.
We can fix it.
(Thanks to Dr. Kimberly Nicholas for putting it so simply).
1. It's Warming.
Right now, annual global average temperature is about 1° Celsius (1.9°F) hotter than pre-industrial levels.
0° C+1° C← HOTTERGlobal Temperature Index, 1880-2016 (NASA)
The world’s scientists confirmed in the 2018 IPCC report that at the current rate, the world could cross 1.5˚C hotter as soon as 2030. That’s only a decade from now, well within the lifespan of most people alive today.
1.5˚C might not sound like a big increase in temperature, but it’s the difference between life and death for thousands of people.
Earth has always had natural cycles of warming and cooling, but not like we’re seeing now. The top five hottest years on record are 2016, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2014.
And rising temperatures doesn’t only mean it’s getting hotter. The Earth’s climate is complex — even a small increase in average global temperature means big changes, with lots of dangerous side effects.
Monthly global average temperature relative to pre-industrial average
The last cooler-than-average month was in October 1965. (Climate Central)
2. It’s Us.
Human beings are causing climate change, largely by burning fossil fuels.
Rising temperatures correlate almost exactly with the release of greenhouse gases.
Before the 18th century, when humans in the industrial west began to burn coal, oil and gas, our atmosphere typically contained about 280 parts per million of carbon dioxide. Those are the conditions “on which civilization developed and to which life on earth is adapted.”
Now, as the use of fossil fuels spreads through the world, the amount of carbon in the atmosphere is skyrocketing — we’re now well over 415 parts per million of CO2 in the atmosphere. Read More
CO2 levels throughout history — note the sharp spike at the end. (source: Scripps Institution of Oceanography)
3. We’re Sure.
An overwhelming 97% of scientists agree that climate change is being caused by human greenhouse gas emissions. There is no meaningful debate about the basic science of climate change.
Scientists march at the 2014 People's Climate March in New York City.
Scientists at the 2014 People’s Climate March in New York City.
Scan of 1981 Exxon internal memo acknowledging the role of CO2 emissions in climate change.
1981 Exxon internal memo acknowledging the role of CO2 in causing climate change.
The finding that more CO2 in the atmosphere will warm the climate dates back to the 1890s. Attacks on the credibility of climate science are perpetuated by vested interests, including the fossil fuel industry, which continues to pump money into creating uncertainty about our understanding of climate change. Since the 2015 Paris Agreement, the top 5 oil majors alone have spent a combined $1 billion on misleading climate-related branding and lobbying.
The oil company Exxon knew about climate change’s impact in the 1970s, and found out that action would impact their bottom line. As a result, they joined an industry-wide attack on the truth, creating a false debate that prevented action for decades. Now we know that Exxon, and other companies like Shell, have been taking actions to protect their infrastructure from climate change for decades — while fighting action to protect the rest of us.
It’s also important to listen to indigenous, traditional and local knowledge. In many places of the world elders and community leaders are sharing their understandings of how ecosystems are changing.
If we pay attention to what scientists and frontline communities are telling us, instead of fossil fuel industry deceptions, the message is clear: Humans are causing the rapid onset of climate change, which is already bringing costly impacts across the world. The best way to stop it is by keeping fossil fuels in the ground, and accelerating a just transition to 100% renewable energy. Read more —>
https://350.org/science/#warming