Is climate change real?

Yes, climate change is real.

An overwhelming consensus within the global scientific community—supported by more than 97% to 99% of actively publishing climate scientists—concludes that Earth's climate is warming and that human activities are the primary driver.

Leading scientific organizations worldwide, including NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), have declared that the evidence for global warming is unequivocal.

1. What is causing it?

The primary driver of modern climate change is the greenhouse effect. When humans burn fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and natural gas) for energy, clear forests, and engage in industrial agriculture, we release massive amounts of greenhouse gases—such as carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) and methane ($CH_4$)—into the atmosphere. These gases act like a blanket, trapping heat from the sun that would otherwise escape back into space, thereby raising the global temperature.

2. The Scientific Evidence

Scientists track climate change using a wide range of observational data from satellites, weather stations, ocean buoys, and ancient ice cores. The evidence includes:

•Record-Breaking Global Temperatures: The 11 warmest years in modern history have all occurred in the past 11 years. 2024 was officially recorded as the hottest year on record since temperature tracking began in 1880. Furthermore, the three-year average from 2023 to 2025 marked the first time global temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, a critical threshold monitored by scientists.

•Shrinking Ice and Glaciers: Glaciers worldwide, as well as the massive ice sheets covering Greenland and Antarctica, are losing hundreds of billions of tons of ice every year. Arctic sea ice is also shrinking rapidly.

•Rising Sea Levels: Global sea levels are rising at an accelerating rate. This is caused by two factors: water melting from glaciers and ice sheets on land, and "thermal expansion" (water naturally expands as it warms).

•Ocean Warming and Acidification: The Earth's oceans absorb more than 90% of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases, leading to unprecedented marine heatwaves. Additionally, as the oceans absorb excess $CO_2$ from the atmosphere, they become more acidic, which threatens coral reefs and marine life.

•Extreme Weather Events: Climate change is shifting weather patterns globally, leading to more frequent and intense heatwaves, severe droughts, heavier rainfall and flooding, and larger, more destructive wildfires.

Why is there any debate?

While there is virtually no debate among actual climate scientists, public confusion has historically been fueled by political discussions, economic interests, and misinformation campaigns. However, the physical evidence of warming is clear and visible in everyday weather experiences and environmental shifts around the globe.

Citations (9)

1climateforesight.euNonprofits and think tanks
climateforesight.eu
Backs: “An overwhelming consensus within the global scientific community—supported by more than 97% to 99% of actively publishing climate scientists—concludes that Earth's climate is warming and that human activities are the primary driver. Leading scientific organizations worldwide, including NASA, the National Oceanic and…”
2wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “An overwhelming consensus within the global scientific community—supported by more than 97% to 99% of actively publishing climate scientists—concludes that Earth's climate is warming and that human activities are the primary driver. Leading scientific organizations worldwide, including NASA, the National Oceanic and…”
3nasa.govGovernment
nasa.gov
Backs: “Leading scientific organizations worldwide, including NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), have declared that the evidence for global warming is unequivocal. 1.”
4copernicus.euGovernment
copernicus.eu
Backs: “Leading scientific organizations worldwide, including NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), have declared that the evidence for global warming is unequivocal. 1.”
5nasa.govGovernment
nasa.gov
Backs: “The primary driver of modern climate change is the greenhouse effect. When humans burn fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and natural gas) for energy, clear forests, and engage in industrial agriculture, we release massive amounts of greenhouse gases—such as carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) and methane ($CH_4$)—into the atmosphere.”
6citizensclimatelobby.orgNonprofits and think tanks
citizensclimatelobby.org
Backs: “Ocean Warming and Acidification: The Earth's oceans absorb more than 90% of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases, leading to unprecedented marine heatwaves. Additionally, as the oceans absorb excess $CO_2$ from the atmosphere, they become more acidic, which threatens coral reefs and marine life.”
7latimes.comNews and mediaquality 0.85
latimes.com
Backs: “Extreme Weather Events: Climate change is shifting weather patterns globally, leading to more frequent and intense heatwaves, severe droughts, heavier rainfall and flooding, and larger, more destructive wildfires. Why is there any debate?”
8hawaii.eduAcademic
hawaii.edu
Backs: “While there is virtually no debate among actual climate scientists, public confusion has historically been fueled by political discussions, economic interests, and misinformation campaigns. However, the physical evidence of warming is clear and visible in everyday weather experiences and environmental shifts around…”
9arizona.eduAcademic
arizona.edu
Backs: “While there is virtually no debate among actual climate scientists, public confusion has historically been fueled by political discussions, economic interests, and misinformation campaigns. However, the physical evidence of warming is clear and visible in everyday weather experiences and environmental shifts around…”