Climate Change FAQs

The document explains that human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels, have increased average global temperatures by approximately one degree Celsius since 1880. It details the resulting impacts, including more frequent extreme weather, rising sea levels, and ocean acidification. The text outlines strategies for addressing these challenges through climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience, while describing the roles of the U.S. government, corporations, and the United Nations in implementing these solutions.

• Average global temperatures have risen by about one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) since 1880, and are projected to increase by another 0.3 to 0.7 degrees Celsius (0.54–1.26 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2035.
• Human-caused global warming is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather; in the United States, the heat wave season has lengthened by more than 40 days in many cities since the 1960s, and the average number of annual heat waves in major cities has risen from two to over six.
• Sea levels are rising due to thermal expansion and the melting of land-based ice sheets in Greenland, the Antarctic, and mountain glaciers. Projections for 2100 range from a one-foot rise under low-emissions scenarios to more than eight feet under high-emissions scenarios.
• The ocean's pH has decreased by 0.1 units, representing a 30 percent increase in acidity, which can dissolve shellfish shells and stunt their formation.
• In the United States, livestock and manure are responsible for 38 percent of total methane emissions, and agriculture overall accounts for 10 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
• The U.S. transportation sector has replaced the power sector as the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, representing 28 percent of total emissions in 2023.
• International efforts to combat climate change are led by the UNFCCC and the IPCC, with 195 parties having ratified the Paris Agreement as of July 2025 to limit warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius.

APA

Wilson-Black, H., Laporte, A., McGinn, A., Anabel, E., Werner, C., & La Shier, B. (2025). Climate Change FAQs. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/climate-change-FAQ

Chicago

Wilson-Black, Hannah, Amaury Laporte, Anna McGinn, Ethan Anabel, Carol Werner, and Brian La Shier. Climate Change FAQs. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2025. https://www.eesi.org/climate-change-FAQ.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Wilson-Black |first1=Hannah |last2=Laporte |first2=Amaury |last3=McGinn |first3=Anna |last4=Anabel |first4=Ethan |last5=Werner |first5=Carol |last6=La Shier |first6=Brian |title=Climate Change FAQs |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=July 2025 |url=https://www.eesi.org/climate-change-FAQ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wilsonblack2025climate, author = {Wilson-Black, Hannah and Laporte, Amaury and McGinn, Anna and Anabel, Ethan and Werner, Carol and La Shier, Brian}, title = {{Climate Change FAQs}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2025}, month = jul, url = {https://www.eesi.org/climate-change-FAQ}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }