Answer:
Climate change refers to the long-term changes in the Earth's climate patterns, including changes in temperature, precipitation, and weather events that occur over several decades or longer. These changes are caused by a variety of factors, including human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and land-use changes, as well as natural factors such as volcanic activity, solar radiation, and changes in the Earth's orbit.
The primary difference between climate change and natural variations in the Earth's climate is the cause of the changes. Natural variations in the Earth's climate occur due to natural factors such as volcanic eruptions, changes in solar radiation, and the Earth's orbit. These natural factors cause changes in the climate that occur over a long period of time.
In contrast, climate change is primarily caused by human activities such as burning fossil fuels, which releases large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, trapping heat and causing the planet's temperature to rise. This leads to changes in the Earth's climate that occur more rapidly than natural variations, with significant impacts on the planet's ecosystems, weather patterns, and sea levels.