Final answer:
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and environmental conditions, which can lead to regional variations in climate. The Northern Hemisphere has historically faced significant cooling during the ice ages, while the current trend of warming is largely driven by human activity, leading to a variety of regional effects.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement about the Northern regions becoming warmer due to climate change while the Southern regions are becoming colder suggests a complex pattern of regional climate variations.
Historically, Earth has experienced significant shifts in climate, such as the great ice ages that periodically lowered Northern Hemisphere temperatures. These ice ages lasted thousands of years, with the last ending around 14,000 years ago. In contrast to the past natural fluctuations, the current warming trend is attributed to human activities, notably the release of greenhouse gases.
Climate change impacts are not uniform; some regions may warm while others cool, which can lead to a variety of environmental changes such as melting polar ice caps, changing precipitation patterns, and shifts in species distributions. The increase in temperature generally tends to be greater in the higher latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.