Is Climate Change A Real Thing Unpacking The Evidence

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 6, 2025, 10:11 PM

is climate change a real thing unpacking the evidence

There is unequivocal evidence that Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate. Human activity is the principal cause. Earth's climate has changed throughout history. Just in the last 800,000 years, there have been eight cycles of ice ages and warmer periods, with the end of the last ice age about 11,700 years ago marking the beginning of the... Most of these climate changes are attributed to very small variations in Earth’s orbit that change the amount of solar energy our planet receives. The current warming trend is different because it is clearly the result of human activities since the mid-1800s, and is proceeding at a rate not seen over many recent millennia.1 It is undeniable that...

This extra energy has warmed the atmosphere, ocean, and land, and widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, and biosphere have occurred. Earth-orbiting satellites and new technologies have helped scientists see the big picture, collecting many different types of information about our planet and its climate all over the world. These data, collected over many years, reveal the signs and patterns of a changing climate. Scientists demonstrated the heat-trapping nature of carbon dioxide and other gases in the mid-19th century.2 Many of the science instruments NASA uses to study our climate focus on how these gases affect the movement... From the measured impacts of increases in these gases, there is no question that increased greenhouse gas levels warm Earth in response. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

By definition, climate change is the periodic modification of Earth’s climate due to changes in the atmosphere and interactions between the atmosphere and other geologic, chemical, biological, and geographic factors within the Earth system. All living things respond to climate and changes in the climate, even if these changes are subtle and temporary. Some of the most noticeable examples include the shedding of leaves by flowering plants when water availability is low and shelter-seeking behaviors and dormancy in animals in response to colder or drier conditions. It seems that life on Earth is adapted to tolerating a changing climate to some degree, and this is evidence that climate changes, but our own experience of climate throughout our lifetimes, along with... From a certain perspective, daily weather could be considered a type of climate change. Temperatures move up and down during the course of the day; winds change speed and direction; and rain and snow pass through different areas over the course of a day.

Although we can sense each one of these phenomena, such moment-to-moment changes are usually set apart from the climate discussion. Weather is simply the set of atmospheric conditions at one location at one limited period of time. Climate, however, involves the average condition of the atmosphere over a long period of time (such as across a few decades or more) at a given location. Every place on Earth experiences seasonal variation in climate (though the shift can be slight in some tropical regions), and this variation is caused by seasonal changes in the amount of sunlight (solar radiation)... Year-to-year climate changes also occur; they include droughts, floods, and other events caused by a complex array of factors and Earth system interactions—including atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns (such as El Niño, La Niña,... Climate variations also take place at timescales lasting decades, with clusters of wet, dry, cool, or warm conditions that span several years in a row for given locations.

At timescales of thousands of years beyond human lifetimes, climate responds to the precession (slow rotation or “wobble”) of Earth’s axis, the planet’s tilt (obliquity), and the changes to the elliptical shape (eccentricity) of... These phenomena interact with one another to determine the amount of sunlight (and thus solar heating) different parts of Earth’s surface receive during different seasons of the year. We must also consider that the amount of radiant energy Earth receives from the Sun is slowly increasing, which adds more and more energy to the mix over time. Is climate change real? The natural phenomena described above demonstrate that it is, but this is not the whole story. Human activities also affect climate, and a consensus of scientists are sure that the impact of these activities is playing an ever-greater role in determining what form Earth’s climate takes.

It starts with a whisper—rising seas nibbling away at coastlines, warmer winters replacing the cold snaps of old, forests catching fire in places that once stood serene and damp. Somewhere, a polar bear drifts on a dwindling ice floe. Elsewhere, a farmer stares at the cracked, parched earth that once yielded life. And everywhere, people are asking: Is this real? Is it natural? Is it too late?

Global warming. For decades, those two words have hovered in the background of public discourse, growing louder with each passing year. Yet for every scientist shouting the alarm, there’s a social media post casting doubt. Climate change is real, they say. No, it’s a hoax. It’s human-caused.

No, it’s natural. The confusion is not surprising. When fear, politics, and profit collide, the truth often gets buried. But today, we dig it out. Not with shouting, but with clarity. Not with fear, but with facts.

This is a journey through science and storytelling, separating myth from reality, to help you understand what global warming really is—and why the truth matters now more than ever. The story of global warming is ancient, stretching back far before the Industrial Revolution. Our planet’s climate has never been static. It has swung from ice ages to tropical epochs over millions of years, driven by natural factors like volcanic activity, solar radiation, and changes in Earth’s orbit. But something different began in the late 18th century. Humanity discovered coal, then oil, then gas.

We built engines, powered factories, lit up cities, and transformed the world. And in doing so, we began to alter the chemistry of our atmosphere in ways nature never had. Multiple lines of evidence, including measurements of a variety of planetary indicators, show that climate change is happening and is caused primarily by human activity. As the concentration of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere has increased — much of it from burning fossil fuels — land and ocean temperatures have risen, along with sea levels,... The changes are consistent with the basic physics of the greenhouse effect that have been understood since the mid-1800s and map to what is expected from human activity. Importantly, the warming of the planet, which is far more rapid than anything experienced in many millennia, cannot be explained by natural variations in the climate, despite claims to the contrary.

Scientists also know that fossil fuels are the main source of the carbon dioxide because of the chemical signature of the molecules in the atmosphere. The evidence for climate change is overwhelming. As NASA says, there is “unequivocal evidence that Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate” and that human activity “is the principal cause.” The 2023 National Climate Assessment similarly states, “Human activities—primarily emissions of... Scientific research and empirical data collected over decades provide comprehensive evidence that our planet's climate is undergoing significant changes. The warming trend, observed in global temperature records, is not a random fluctuation but is part of a long-term shift primarily linked to human activities. This evidence emerges from diverse sources such as ice cores, rock samples, satellite data, and modern instrumentation that all reinforce the observation of a warming planet.

Human activities like the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes have dramatically increased the concentration of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄), in the atmosphere. These gases trap heat, leading to a phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect. Studies comparing ice core samples from decades past with modern measurements reveal an increase in atmospheric CO₂ levels from about 280 parts per million to over 410 parts per million — a clearly established... An overwhelming consensus among climate scientists supports the reality of climate change. Approximately 97% of climate researchers agree that recent global warming is primarily driven by human-related activities. This consensus is based on robust evidence from multiple scientific disciplines.

Data from weather stations, ice cores, satellite imagery, and rigorous climate models all point to a clear warming trend largely due to increased concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases. Climate science integrates evidence from various fields: Analysis of ice cores and tree rings has allowed researchers to reconstruct historical climate patterns. These proxies reveal that current levels of greenhouse gases are unprecedented in the context of thousands of years of natural climate variability. We found the psychological impetus people need to take action on climate change — realizing it will affect them and their way of life personally. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Here’s how it works. Climate change is real. It’s happening. Now. Here. Wherever you are.

Recognizing that climate change is immediate, close, and affecting people's way of life is one of the key messages we need to communicate to spur them to act. Despite efforts from bad faith actors trying to spread misinformation and disinformation, the public overwhelmingly accepts that much more urgently needs to be done to address climate change. But in order to meaningfully limit warming, we need to enact policies that will alter the lives of billions of people.

Is Climate Change A Real Thing Unpacking The Evidence

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