Quick facts about climate change
How much Earth has warmed since 1850: about 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius)
What causes climate change: Gases trapping heat in the atmosphere
The effects of a warming planet: Increased heat waves, flooding, wildfires, hurricanes and more
Climate change is any long-term shift in average weather patterns. Climate change has occurred many times in Earth's history, and for many different reasons. The changes in global temperature and weather patterns seen today, however, are caused by things humans do, like driving cars or burning coal. And today's climate change is happening much faster than natural climate variations that occurred in the past.
