Is climate change real?
Yes, climate change is real. The scientific consensus that Earth's climate is warming and that human activities are the primary driver is overwhelming.
Over 97%—and in some recent peer-reviewed studies, more than 99%—of actively publishing climate scientists agree on this. Major scientific organizations around the world, including NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the National Academies of Sciences, have confirmed this reality based on decades of rigorous observation and research.
Here is a breakdown of the evidence, the causes, and the impacts of climate change:
1. The Evidence: How We Know It's Happening
Scientists track Earth’s climate using a combination of modern instruments (such as satellites, ocean buoys, and weather stations) and natural historical records (such as ice cores, tree rings, and coral reefs). The evidence is unequivocal:
2. The Cause: Human Activity
Earth's climate has naturally shifted in the past due to slight variations in the planet's orbit. However, the current warming trend is happening 10 times faster than the average rate of warming after a typical ice age, which is far too rapid to be natural.
The primary cause is the greenhouse effect. When we burn fossil fuels (like coal, oil, and natural gas), clear forests, and engage in certain agricultural practices, we release vast quantities of greenhouse gases—principally carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) and methane—into the atmosphere. These gases act like a blanket, trapping the Sun's heat that would otherwise escape back into space. Atmospheric carbon dioxide is now more than 50% higher than it was before the Industrial Revolution.
3. The Impacts: What is Happening Now
Climate change is not just a problem for the future; it is actively altering environments and affecting lives today:
Summary of Scientific Agreement
Virtually every reputable scientific body in the world agrees that climate change is real, is happening now, and is primarily caused by humans. On this topic, the IPCC has stated: "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."
Citations (6)
- nasa.gov
Backs: “Yes, climate change is real. The scientific consensus that Earth's climate is warming and that human activities are the primary driver is overwhelming.”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: Scientific consensus that Earth's climate is warming and human activities are the primary driver is overwhelming.
- wikipedia.org
Backs: “Yes, climate change is real. The scientific consensus that Earth's climate is warming and that human activities are the primary driver is overwhelming.”
evidence, reference entry, points to yes. Claim: Scientific consensus that Earth's climate is warming and human activities are the primary driver is overwhelming.
- climate.gov
Backs: “Over 97%—and in some recent peer-reviewed studies, more than 99%—of actively publishing climate scientists agree on this. Major scientific organizations around the world, including NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the National…”
statistic, article, points to yes. Claim: Over 97%, and in some studies over 99%, of actively publishing climate scientists agree on human-caused warming.
- nasa.gov
Backs: “Major scientific organizations around the world, including NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and the National Academies of Sciences, have confirmed this reality based on decades of rigorous observation and research. Here is a…”
attribution, article, points to yes. Claim: Major scientific organizations including NASA, NOAA, IPCC and National Academies have confirmed climate change based on decades of research.
- noaa.gov
Backs: “Global Temperature Rise: Earth’s average surface temperature has risen by about 2°F (1.1°C) since the late 19th century, with the vast majority of that warming occurring in the last 40 years. Shrinking Ice Sheets and Glaciers: The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have lost billions of tons of mass, while glaciers…”
statistic, data page, points to yes. Claim: Earth's average surface temperature has risen about 2°F (1.1°C) since the late 19th century, mostly in the last 40 years.
- noaa.gov
Backs: “This has increased the acidity of ocean waters, threatening marine ecosystems. 2. The Cause: Human Activity”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: Oceans absorbed CO2, increasing ocean acidity and threatening marine ecosystems.