Final answer:
Climate change is a lasting change in weather patterns over decades, often associated with human-induced global warming. It results from greenhouse gas emissions, causing temperature changes, extreme weather, and rising sea levels. Scientific consensus has recognized its reality and the necessity for immediate action.
Step-by-step explanation:
Climate change refers to significant and lasting changes in weather patterns over periods that span decades or longer. It is a broad term that encapsulates a variety of changes, including alterations in temperature, precipitation, and wind patterns. While climate change can be driven by natural processes like volcanic eruptions or continental drift, in recent centuries, the term is largely associated with the effects of human activities, especially the emission of greenhouse gases.
Global warming is a specific aspect of climate change, focused on the long-term warming of the planet. However, climate change also recognizes that there can be short-term fluctuations that include both warmer and cooler temperatures. Notably, the emission of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels is a major contributor to this change, leading to an increase in extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and a variety of challenges for ecosystems and human societies.
One of the most visible outcomes of climate change includes more frequent and intense weather extremes, such as hurricanes and heatwaves, which not only have a dramatic impact on human life and property but also on agriculture and biodiversity. The concept has become increasingly important as the evidence for ongoing global climate change has become more apparent, with scientific consensus asserting its reality and urging for urgent action to mitigate its effects.