Our Earth is getting warmer because of things people do, and this is changing our planet in many important ways.

This warming is causing lots of problems for our planet. We're seeing more very hot days, called heat waves, and more big fires, called wildfires. In cold places like the Arctic, the ground that used to be frozen all the time is now melting, and big chunks of ice (glaciers and sea ice) are shrinking. Higher temperatures also mean stronger storms, long dry spells (droughts), and other really extreme weather.

Many animals and plants are struggling because their homes are changing too quickly. Some have to move to cooler places, and others might even disappear forever. Even if we try our best to slow down the warming, some changes will keep happening for a long time, like the ocean getting warmer, becoming more acidic, and sea levels rising.

“Many animals and plants are struggling because their homes are changing too quickly. Some have to move to cooler places, and others might even disappear forever.”

Climate change also affects people in many ways. It can lead to more floods, really hot weather that's dangerous, and not enough food or water for everyone. It can even make people sick or cause them to move from their homes. Experts say climate change is one of the biggest dangers to people's health in our lifetime.

If we don't do enough to stop the warming, these problems will get much worse. Sadly, people in poorer communities often feel the effects of climate change the most, even though they've done the least to cause it. They have fewer ways to protect themselves from these changes.

Scientists have been watching these changes closely. The year 2024 was the warmest year we've ever recorded! Countries around the world made a promise in 2015, called the Paris Agreement, to try and keep the Earth from getting too much hotter. They want to keep the warming "well under 2 °C" (that's degrees Celsius). But even with their promises, we might still reach about 2.8 °C warming by the end of the century if we don't do more.

Many people want to help stop climate change. One big way is to stop using so many fossil fuels. Instead, we can use clean energy sources like wind, solar (from the sun), and hydro (from water). We can also save energy in our homes and cars, and plant more trees, which help soak up carbon dioxide from the air.

For a long time, scientists used different words to talk about these changes. Before the 1980s, they weren't sure if the warming from greenhouse gases was bigger than the cooling from pollution in the air. They sometimes called it "inadvertent climate modification." Later, "global warming" became popular, meaning just the Earth getting hotter. But "climate change" is a bigger idea, including both the warming and all the other changes it causes, like different rainfall patterns.

Sometimes, you might hear people say "climate crisis" or "climate emergency" to show how serious the situation is. It's all about understanding how our planet's climate is shifting and what's causing it.

“But "climate change" is a bigger idea, including both the warming and all the other changes it causes, like different rainfall patterns.”

Scientists have been studying Earth's temperature for a long time, even looking at clues from trees and ice cores that tell us about the past. They know that Earth's climate has changed naturally over millions of years, with times that were much colder (ice ages) and times that were warmer.

But the warming since the Industrial Revolution (when we started using lots of machines and factories) is different. At first, some pollution actually helped cool things a bit, but after 1970, with more greenhouse gases and less of that cooling pollution, the Earth started warming much faster. This warming is happening at a speed we haven't seen in thousands of years.

Not all parts of the world warm up at the same speed. Land areas warm almost twice as fast as the oceans because oceans can soak up a lot of heat and cool down by evaporating water. The northern parts of the world, especially around the North Pole, are warming three to four times faster than the rest of the planet! This is because when ice and snow melt, the darker ground or water underneath soaks up more sunlight, making it even warmer.

Scientists use special computer programs called climate models to guess what might happen in the future. These models help us understand how much warmer it might get depending on how many greenhouse gases we keep putting into the air. They show that if we don't cut down on these gases, the Earth could get much, much hotter, like it was millions of years ago.

The good news is that we can do many things to help! We can use more clean energy like wind and solar power instead of fossil fuels. We can also try to use less energy overall, like turning off lights when we leave a room or walking instead of driving. Planting and protecting forests also helps, because trees are great at soaking up carbon dioxide.

It's a big job, but many countries are working together to find solutions. By making smart choices about how we get our energy and how we live, we can protect our amazing planet for everyone, including future kids like you!