Climate Change Climate change refers to the variation in the Earth's global climate or in regional climates over time. It describes changes in the variability or average state of the atmosphere - or average weather - over time scales ranging from decades to millions of years. These changes may come from processes internal to the earth, be driven by external forces (e.g. variations in sunlight intensity) or, most recently, be caused by human activities. In recent usage, especially in the context of environmental policy, the term "climate change" often refers to the ongoing changes in modern climate, including the rise in average surface temperature known as global warming. In some cases, the term is also used with a presumption of human causation, as in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The UNFCCC uses "climate variability" for nonhuman caused variations. photo source

Special contribution from Encyclopedia of Earth    The last two decades of the 20th century produced mounting evidence that climate change posed significant risks to society. At the beginning of the 21st century, climate change has become a defining issue of our time. The importance of this issue is underscored by its magnitude and complexity: it is a global problem with wide geographic and economic disparity between the largest sources of the problem and those who will experience the greatest impacts. Many solutions often run counter to powerful entrenched interests and long-held patterns of individual behavior. All of this is happening amidst a global community that is increasingly connected by flows of information, people, commerce and environmental change. This collection brings together some of the world’s leading scientists and organizations and presents the essential knowledge underlying the issue of climate change. — Cutler J. Cleveland [cutler], Editor-in-Chief, Encyclopedia of Earth ◊ Reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Read the full reports online by the IPCC, co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize "for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change." ◊ Articles Featured Article: Dr. Mohan Munasinghe—leading climate scientist, Chairman of Munasinghe Institute for Development (MIND), and Honorable Senior Advisor to the Government of Sri Lanka—provides an authoritative but accessible overview of the science and policy underlying the issue of climate change. Browse articles on climate change, organized by topic, and see a listed of "Wanted Articles" that you may be qualified to write. To view the full collection, click here

Current TV Links Small Town Climate Change Seal cubs threatened by global warming WWF warns Could Arctic ice melt spawn new kind of cold war? GM Vice Chairman Calls Global Warming A "Total Crock of S**t"  Jon Stewart Ponders Bush's Ignorance About $4 Gas Related WiserEarth Portals Air Agriculture and Farming Alternative Fuels Climate Justice Consumption and Green Consumers Ecological Footprint Emissions Trading Endangered Plant Species Protection Energy Environmental Law and Policy Environmental Monitoring Global Beef Industry Global Governance Global Wood Products Industry Greenhouse Gases Greening of Industry Hydrology and the Global Water Cycle Infectious Diseases Logging Natural Capitalism Ozone Layer Pollution Prevention and Reduction Precautionary Principle Refugees, Internally Displaced Persons, and Migrants Renewable Energy Sustainable Cities and Design Sustainability Education Sustainable Living Sustainable Transportation Tropical Moist Forests

Featured Organizations & Resources Campus Climate Challenge is a project of more than 30 leading youth organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada. The Challenge leverages the power of young people to organize on college campuses and high schools across Canada and the U.S. to win 100% Clean Energy policies at their schools. The Challenge is growing a generation-wide movement to stop global warming. Stop Climate Chaos seeks to build a massive coalition, that will create an irresistible public mandate for political action to stop human-induced climate change. South African Climate Action Network SACAN is a network of like-minded Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and individuals working on climate change issues in South Africa. Climate Solutions seeks to stop global warming at the earliest point possible by helping the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia become world leaders in practical and profitable solutions. International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives ICLEI is an international association of local governments and national and regional local government organizations that have made a commitment to sustainable development. ICLEI's mission is to improve the global environment through local action. On the issue of global warming, we provide resources, tools, and technical assistance to help local governments measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their communities. Climate Change Education is a hub website dedicated to global warming science education. CarbonCounter is a collaborative project to address the threat millions face each year from the effects of global climate change. photo source Climate Change Discussion photo source Join a discussion on Climate Change and exchange ideas about Climate Change or discuss how you would like this page to look.

---

Did You Know?

keywords
global warming, biodiversity, carbon dioxide, pollution, greenhouse gases, climate policy, regulation, fuel efficiency, atmosphere, temperature, weather, energy production, coal, oil, gas, combustion, global commons, carbon budget, climate equity, climate justice, atmospheric carbon concentration, climate change mitigation, low-carbon development, emissions trading, Kyoto Protocol, greenhouse effect, climate change and crop yields, climate change and impacts on weeds, diseases, and insect pests; sea level rise, carbon cycle, climate change and water resources, agricultural emissions, climate change and ocean currents, wildlife responses to climate change, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), general circulation models (GCMs), climate change and fire, aerosols, climate change and melting ice, developed countries, developing countries, climate justice, carbon footprint, carbon neutral