Is climate change real?

Is climate change real? I'll pull the latest science to give you a clear answer.

Yes, climate change is real - according to the overwhelming body of scientific evidence and scientific organizations worldwide.

Scientific consensus

There is overwhelming scientific evidence that the Earth is warming and that human activities, especially the emission of greenhouse gases, are the primary cause.

Multiple lines of assessments support this:

•"There is unequivocal evidence that Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate. Human activity is the principal cause."

•According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (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."

•It is "unequivocal that the increase of CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere over the industrial era is the result of human activities and that human influence is the principal driver of many changes observed across the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, and biosphere."

Quantitative studies of the literature show:

•Yes, the vast majority of actively publishing climate scientists – 97 percent – agree that humans are causing global warming and climate change

•A 2019 review found consensus at 100%, and a 2021 study concluded that over 99% of scientific papers agree on the human cause of 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 issued public statements, including:

> "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." (2009, statement from 18 Scientific Associations)

NASA and other agencies list nearly 200 worldwide scientific organizations that hold that climate change has been caused by human action.

Why scientists say current warming is different

•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 current warming trend is different because it is clearly the result of human activities since the mid-1800s, and is proceeding at a rate not seen over many recent millennia

Natural factors like changes in Earth's orbit explain most historical ice age cycles, but they do not explain the current rapid warming.

Evidence

Scientific information from natural sources (ice cores, rocks, tree rings) and modern equipment (satellites and instruments) all show the signs of a changing climate. Key observations include:

•Global Temperature Is Rising: 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

•Ocean warming: The ocean has absorbed much of this increased heat, with the top 100 meters showing warming since 1969, storing 90% of the extra energy

•Ice sheets and glaciers shrinking, snow cover decreasing, sea level rising, and Arctic sea ice declining - all measured by satellites and field observations

•Ocean acidification: surface ocean acidity increased about 30% since the Industrial Revolution due to CO2 absorption

•Extreme events: increasing record high temperatures and intense rainfall events

NASA notes: "There is unequivocal evidence that Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate. Human activity is the principal cause" and earth-orbiting satellites collecting many different types of information "reveal the signs and patterns of a changing climate".

In short, climate change is not just a theory about the future - it is an observed, measured, and extensively documented change happening now, with human greenhouse gas emissions identified as the dominant driver since the mid-20th century.

Citations (1)

1nasa.govGovernment
Evidence - NASA Science
Backs: “"There is unequivocal evidence that Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate. Human activity is the principal cause.". According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), "Since systematic scientific assessments began in the 1970s, the influence of human activity on the warming of the climate system…”