Is climate change real?

Yes, climate change is real.

There is an overwhelming consensus among the global scientific community—including NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)—that the Earth’s climate is warming rapidly and that this warming is primarily driven by human activities.

The physical evidence of climate change is clear and measurable across several key areas:

1. Rising Global Temperatures

The planet's average surface temperature has risen significantly since the late 19th century. The warming is accelerating:

2. Melting Ice Sheets and Glaciers

Earth's ice is melting at an unprecedented rate:

3. Rising Sea Levels

As glaciers and ice sheets melt on land, they pour water into the oceans. At the same time, water expands as it warms (thermal expansion). Consequently, global sea levels have risen by about 8 to 9 inches (20–23 cm) since 1880, with the rate of rise nearly doubling in recent decades, threatening coastal cities and low-lying islands.

4. Ocean Warming and Acidification

The world’s oceans absorb about 90% of the excess heat generated by greenhouse gas emissions, leading to record-breaking ocean temperatures. Additionally, because the oceans absorb about 30% of the carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) humans release into the atmosphere, seawater is becoming more acidic. This acidification makes it difficult for corals, shellfish, and plankton to survive, threatening entire marine food webs.

5. More Frequent and Severe Extreme Weather

A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture and contains more energy, which fuels more volatile weather. Around the globe, this is manifesting as:

What Is Causing It?

The primary driver of modern climate change is the greenhouse effect.

Earth's atmosphere naturally contains "greenhouse gases" (such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) that act like a greenhouse, trapping just enough of the sun's heat to make the planet habitable.

However, since the Industrial Revolution, human activities have drastically increased the concentration of these gases:

By adding more of these gases to the atmosphere, humans have effectively wrapped a "thicker blanket" around the Earth, trapping excess heat that would otherwise escape into space.

The Scientific Consensus

Among actively publishing climate scientists, 97% to 99% agree that climate change is real and caused by humans. Virtually every major scientific academy and society in the world shares this view. Because the science is so clear, global efforts are focused not on debating whether climate change is happening, but on how to rapidly reduce emissions and adapt to the changes that are already occurring.