Climate Change

Climate change refers to a long-term shift in the average weather patterns that define Earth’s local, regional, and global climates. These changes can be detected through statistical analysis of temperature, precipitation, and other climatic variables, and they persist for decades or longer. Climate change can result from natural processes, such as volcanic eruptions or variations in solar radiation, or from human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes that alter the composition of the atmosphere. In policy contexts, some definitions focus specifically on human-induced changes, excluding natural variability.