Climate Change FAQs

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) provides a comprehensive overview of climate change, detailing the drivers of global warming, its environmental and health impacts, and the strategies for mitigation and adaptation. It emphasizes the role of human activity—specifically fossil fuel combustion and agriculture—in increasing greenhouse gas concentrations and outlines the current state of U.S. and international policy efforts, including the Paris Agreement.

• Global average temperatures have risen by approximately one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) since 1880, with projections suggesting a further increase of 0.3 to 0.7 degrees Celsius (0.54–1.26 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2035.
• Human activities are the primary cause of current global warming, specifically the burning of fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and oil), deforestation, and livestock raising, which release greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere.
• Climate change manifests in the United States through increased frequency and severity of extreme weather; for instance, major U.S. cities now average more than six heat waves per year, compared to two per year in the 1960s. NOAA data shows that the number of billion-dollar disasters increased from 2.9 events per year in the 1980s to 11.9 events per year in the 2010s.
• Sea levels are rising due to thermal expansion and the melting of glaciers and ice sheets in Greenland, the Antarctic, and mountain glaciers. Since 1880, the global average sea level has increased by eight to nine inches, with potential rises of over eight feet by 2100 under high-emissions scenarios.
• The ocean absorbs 25 to 30 percent of carbon dioxide emissions, leading to ocean acidification. This has resulted in a 0.1 pH unit decrease, representing a roughly 30 percent increase in acidity, which can dissolve or stunt the formation of shellfish shells.
• In the United States, agriculture accounts for 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, with livestock and manure specifically responsible for 38 percent of total U.S. methane emissions.
• The U.S. power sector's emissions are at their lowest point since 1987 due to a transition from coal to natural gas and renewables. Consequently, the transportation sector became the largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2018, accounting for 28 percent of the total.
• International efforts to limit warming to 'well below 2 degrees Celsius' are coordinated through the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. As of August 2020, 189 parties, including 188 countries and the European Union, have ratified the Paris Agreement.

APA

McGinn, A., Laporte, A., Anabel, E., Werner, C., & La Shier, B. (2021). Climate Change FAQs. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/faq-climate-change

Chicago

McGinn, Anna, Amaury Laporte, Ethan Anabel, Carol Werner, and Brian La Shier. Climate Change FAQs. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2021. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/faq-climate-change.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=McGinn |first1=Anna |last2=Laporte |first2=Amaury |last3=Anabel |first3=Ethan |last4=Werner |first4=Carol |last5=La Shier |first5=Brian |title=Climate Change FAQs |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=9 February 2021 |url=https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/faq-climate-change |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mcginn2021climate, author = {McGinn, Anna and Laporte, Amaury and Anabel, Ethan and Werner, Carol and La Shier, Brian}, title = {{Climate Change FAQs}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/faq-climate-change}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }