Is climate change real?

Yes, climate change is real, and the scientific evidence is unequivocal.

The overwhelming consensus among scientists worldwide is that the Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate, and that human activities—primarily the burning of fossil fuels—are the principal cause.

Here is a breakdown of what the science shows, the consensus, and the key evidence.

1. The Scientific Consensus

Among actively publishing climate scientists and in peer-reviewed scientific literature, the agreement that human-caused climate change is real is virtually unanimous:

•Over 99% Agreement: Multiple rigorous studies analyzing thousands of peer-reviewed scientific papers have found that over 99% of climate science research agrees that human activity is driving global warming.

•Major Scientific Organizations: Every major scientific academy and agency in the world—including NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the national academies of science of dozens of countries—officially recognize human-caused climate change as an established fact.

2. The Cause: The Greenhouse Effect

While Earth’s climate has naturally changed over millions of years (due to slight variations in Earth's orbit, solar output, and volcanic activity), the current rapid warming trend cannot be explained by these natural cycles.

Since the Industrial Revolution in the mid-1800s, human activities—such as burning coal, oil, and gas, and clearing forests—have released massive amounts of greenhouse gases (primarily carbon dioxide and methane) into the atmosphere. These gases act like a blanket around the planet, trapping the Sun's heat in a process known as the greenhouse effect.

•Atmospheric carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) levels are now higher than they have been at any point in at least the last 3 million years.

3. The Evidence

Scientists track climate change using thousands of weather stations, ocean buoys, satellites, and natural historical records like ice cores and tree rings. The physical evidence of a warming planet includes:

•Rising Global Temperatures: The planet’s average surface temperature has risen by about 2 degrees Fahrenheit (over 1 degree Celsius) since the late 19th century. Global temperature records show that the most recent decade has been the warmest on record.

•Warming Oceans: The oceans absorb more than 90% of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases, leading to rapidly rising ocean temperatures.

•Shrinking Ice and Glaciers: Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are losing billions of tons of mass each year. Glaciers around the world are retreating, and Arctic sea ice is declining rapidly in both thickness and extent.

•Rising Sea Levels: Global sea levels have risen as a result of both water expanding as it warms and the runoff from melting glaciers and ice sheets.

•Extreme Weather Events: Heatwaves are becoming more frequent and severe, heavy rainfall events are increasing in intensity, and warming ocean waters are fueling stronger, more destructive hurricanes.

•Ocean Acidification: As the ocean absorbs excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, it becomes more acidic, which threatens coral reefs and marine life.

Conclusion

Climate change is not a prediction for the far future; its effects are already being measured and felt globally. The science is clear: the planet is warming, and human greenhouse gas emissions are the driving force.

Citations (8)

1nasa.govGovernment
nasa.gov
Backs: “Yes, climate change is real, and the scientific evidence is unequivocal.”
2nasa.govGovernment
nasa.gov
Backs: “Yes, climate change is real, and the scientific evidence is unequivocal.”
3cornell.eduAcademic
cornell.edu
Backs: “Among actively publishing climate scientists and in peer-reviewed scientific literature, the agreement that human-caused climate change is real is virtually unanimous: Over 99% Agreement: Multiple rigorous studies analyzing thousands of peer-reviewed scientific papers have found that over 99% of climate science…”
4wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “Among actively publishing climate scientists and in peer-reviewed scientific literature, the agreement that human-caused climate change is real is virtually unanimous: Over 99% Agreement: Multiple rigorous studies analyzing thousands of peer-reviewed scientific papers have found that over 99% of climate science…”
5nasa.govGovernment
nasa.gov
Backs: “Major Scientific Organizations: Every major scientific academy and agency in the world—including NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the national academies of science of dozens of countries—officially recognize human-caused climate…”
6climate.govGovernment
climate.gov
Backs: “Since the Industrial Revolution in the mid-1800s, human activities—such as burning coal, oil, and gas, and clearing forests—have released massive amounts of greenhouse gases (primarily carbon dioxide and methane) into the atmosphere. These gases act like a blanket around the planet, trapping the Sun's heat in a…”
7skepticalscience.comNonprofits and think tanks
skepticalscience.com
Backs: “These gases act like a blanket around the planet, trapping the Sun's heat in a process known as the greenhouse effect. Atmospheric carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) levels are now higher than they have been at any point in at least the last 3 million years.”
8noaa.govGovernment
noaa.gov
Backs: “Atmospheric carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) levels are now higher than they have been at any point in at least the last 3 million years. ---. 3.”