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Template:Cover abstract/Climate change
Climate change, also known as anthropogenic (or human-caused) global warming, is the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its related effects.
The phrase "global warming" by itself is often used to refer to the rapid rise in temperatures that the Earth has experienced since the start of the Industrial Revolution. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about 0.8°C (1.4°F) with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades. As a result, anthropogenic global warming has recently become a major concern for humanity. Such concerns are supported worldwide by the wide majority of climatologists.
Global-warming denialism refers to claims — mostly funded by the fossil-fuel industry passing through libertarian foundations ('charities') to cover their tracks — that global warming:
- A) is not happening
- B) is not caused by humans
- C) is not significant enough to be a threat
- D) is not important
- E) is beneficial — highlight positive effects (e.g., crops grow faster and could grow crops in the Arctic) while ignoring strong evidence for negative effects (e.g., crops will have lower nutrient levels)
- F) is unsolvable even if it is real (i.e., there is nothing we can do about it, so we shouldn't even try)
- G) will advance the second coming of Christ.