The Science

Climate science is a fascinating and complex field. Thousands of scientists across the world are working on measurements and models that form our understanding of the huge systems that drive the Earth’s climate. The main pieces of the puzzle have been summarised by the international science community in 2007 as follows:

1. Warming of the climate system is unequivocal. Observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice and rising global average sea level clearly indicate this trend¹.

2. Global atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased markedly as a result of human activities since 1750 and now far exceed pre-industrial values determined from ice cores spanning over 650,000 years¹.

3. Most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in greenhouse gas concentrations from human activities¹. The term ‘very likely’ means the likelihood is between 90 and 95%.

Even today, there continue to be deniers of the climate science. Typically these people have vested interests in polluting activities or are people who simply haven’t taken the time to look at the scientific evidence. CAN welcomes people of all persuasions to learn more about the climate science because the science speaks for itself.

 
¹ IPCC, Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report, Summary for Policymakers

(Figures from ¹ and Robert A. Rohde Global Warming Art project)