Climate change is a statistically significant change in climate means and climate outliers, which can be reflected in several climate elements, such as average temperature, average precipitation, maximum and minimum temperatures, and extreme weather events. Below is a detailed explanation of climate change:
Definition:
Climate change is a change in the mean state of the climate over time, i.e., a statistically significant change in one or both of the mean state of the climate and the departure (distance from the mean) together.
Climate change includes not only changes in the mean but also changes in the variability.
Main manifestations:
Global warming: the average surface temperature of the Earth has risen by about 2°C since the late 19th century, a change caused mainly by carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere and other human activities.
Extreme weather events: such as hurricanes and wildfires have become more frequent and intense.
Sea level rise: Sea levels are rising due to melting glaciers and thermal expansion of seawater.
Ecosystem changes: the range of plants and animals extends to polar regions and high altitudes, and the populations of certain plants and animals decrease.
Causes of formation:
Natural factors: including changes in solar radiation, changes in the Earth’s orbit, volcanic activity, and changes in atmospheric and oceanic circulation.
Anthropogenic factors: mainly caused by human activities since the Industrial Revolution, especially the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, land use changes and other greenhouse gases emitted by human activities have led to a substantial increase in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and an enhanced greenhouse effect, which in turn has caused global warming.
Impact:
Direct impacts on ecosystems, e.g. sea level rise, glacier retreat.
Indirect impacts on human society, such as agricultural production, water supply, public health, etc.
International consensus:
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) defines “climate change” as “a change in the climate resulting from human activity that directly or indirectly alters the composition of the global atmosphere in addition to natural climate variability observed over a substantial period of time.”
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has stated that anthropogenic climate change has already caused widespread adverse impacts on nature and humans and associated loss and damage beyond natural climate change.
In short, climate change is a complex and serious issue that requires a global response. The trend of climate change can be effectively slowed and its impacts mitigated through measures such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting sustainable development and adapting to climate change.