Climate Change and Its Impacts

“Don’t like the weather? Just wait five minutes!” It’s a joke that weathers well because the weather is always changing. Climate change, however, refers to changes in the Earth’s climate over long periods of time — 30 years and more — by measuring such factors as temperature, precipitation, humidity and atmospheric pressure and determining the average conditions, range of conditions and trends.

Climate experts have concluded that the Earth’s climate is now on a warming trend, and there are consequences for natural systems and human communities. By gaining a better understanding of climate change and its impacts in different regions, public and private sector leaders can help their communities prepare.

For resources on climate change and what it means close to home, see:

DID YOU KNOW?

The world is warmer. Each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the Earth’s surface than any preceding decade since 1850. In the Northern Hemisphere, 1983-2012 was likely the warmest 30-year period of the last 1,400 years.
Greenhouse gases have intensified. The atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have increased to levels unprecedented in at least the last 800,000 years. CO2 concentrations have increased by 40% since pre-industrial times, primarily from fossil fuel emissions and also from net land use change emissions. The ocean has absorbed about 30% of the emitted anthropogenic CO2, causing ocean acidification.
The trend continues. Global surface temperature change by the end of the 21^st Century is likely to exceed 1.5°C–2°C relative to 1850-1900. Limiting further climate change will require substantial and sustained reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.

Source: Working Group I, International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

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