Question Asked: Is Climate Change Real?
Yes, scientific evidence and long-term observations confirm that climate change is real and happening right now. It is defined as a long-term shift in the average weather patterns that define Earth’s local, regional, and global climates.
Scientific Consensus and Evidence
Scientists state that the current warming trend is “unequivocally” the result of human activity since the 1950s, primarily the burning of fossil fuels which increases heat-trapping greenhouse gases. Key indicators of this change include:
• Rising Temperatures: The global average temperature has increased by about 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) since the pre-industrial period and is rising by more than 0.2 degrees Celsius per decade. 2025 was reportedly the third warmest year on record.
• Ocean Changes: Every ocean basin is currently affected by rapid warming, acidification, and rising sea levels. The ocean absorbs about 90% of the excess heat generated by human-induced emissions.
• Breached Planetary Boundaries: Seven of nine “Planetary Boundaries”—metrics used to measure the planet’s health—have been breached due to human activities. These include climate change, biodiversity loss, and land system change.
• Extreme Weather: There has been a documented increase in the frequency and severity of hurricanes, heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, and floods. For instance, the number of synchronous fire weather days increased from an average of 22 (between 1979 and 1984) to more than 60 days in 2023 and 2024.
Impact on Human Health
Scientific studies identify climate change as a public health emergency. Research has linked warming to thousands of deaths and illnesses annually:
• Heat-Related Mortality: In the U.S., heat-related deaths doubled between 1999 and 2023. One study found that human-caused climate change is responsible for more than a third of all global heat deaths.
• Respiratory and Heart Issues: Warmer temperatures and wildfires lead to higher concentrations of ground-level ozone and particulate matter, exacerbating asthma and heart conditions.
• Infrastructure Strain: Extreme weather events disrupt health services and destroy critical manufacturing facilities for medical supplies.
Differing Perspectives
While the Trump administration has characterized climate change as a “scam” and revoked scientific findings revoked scientific findings regarding its danger to public health, the scientific community strongly disagrees. Experts compare denying climate change to “insisting that the world is flat,” noting that over 29,000 peer-reviewed studies have documented the intersection of climate and health over the last 15 years.
