Is climate change real?

Is climate change real? I'll gather the latest scientific evidence to answer.

Yes, climate change is real and the scientific evidence for it is overwhelming.

Scientific evidence continues to show that human activities (primarily the human burning of fossil fuels) have warmed Earth's surface and its ocean basins, which in turn have continued to impact Earth's climate.

Key points of the scientific consensus and evidence:

•Broad scientific agreement: The vast majority of actively publishing climate scientists – 97 percent – agree that humans are causing global warming and climate change. Multiple studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals show that climate-warming trends over the past century are extremely likely due to human activities.

Major scientific organizations have endorsed this position. For example, a statement from 18 Scientific Associations said: "Observations throughout the world make it clear that climate change is occurring, and rigorous scientific research demonstrates that the greenhouse gases emitted by human activities are the primary driver."

•Assessment by the IPCC: The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - the global body that synthesizes peer-reviewed climate science - has concluded that human influence has unequivocally warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land. Its Sixth Assessment Report states that human activities, principally through greenhouse gas emissions, have unequivocally caused global warming.

According to the IPCC, "Since systematic scientific assessments began in the 1970s, the influence of human activity on the warming of the climate system has evolved from theory to established fact."

•Observed warming: While Earth's climate has changed throughout its history, the current warming is happening at a rate not seen in the past 10,000 years. The planet's average surface temperature has risen about 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degrees Celsius) since the late 19th century, a change driven largely by increased carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere and other human activities. Most of the warming occurred in the past 40 years, with the seven most recent years being the warmest.

Other compelling evidence documented by NASA includes ocean warming, shrinking ice sheets, retreating glaciers, decreasing snow cover, sea level rise, declining Arctic sea ice, and increasing extreme events and ocean acidification.

Citations (1)

1nasa.govGovernment
Scientific Consensus - NASA Science
Backs: “Yes, climate change is real and the scientific evidence for it is overwhelming. Scientific evidence continues to show that human activities (primarily the human burning of fossil fuels) have warmed Earth's surface and its ocean basins, which in turn have continued to impact Earth's climate.”