Final answer:
The term for the changes to Earth's climate due to increased greenhouse gas concentrations from burning fossil fuels is 'climate change,' which includes global warming and other shifts in environmental patterns.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term for changes to Earth's climate, including global warming produced primarily by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases created by the burning of fossil fuels is known as climate change. This phenomenon encompasses not only the rise in the Earth's average temperatures, nicknamed global warming but also the larger-scale alterations in weather patterns sea levels, and other environmental effects. The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas is the principal source of the greenhouse gases that are responsible for climate change. Over time, this has led to changes in temperature weather, storm activity,and other significant shifts.
The consensus among scientists is that these changes are primarily the result of human activity since the Industrial Revolution which has led to increased levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane in the atmosphere. These gases trap heat and contribute to the greenhouse effect, accelerating climate change. It is important to note that while many of the effects are irreversibly changing the planet, the term climate change also recognizes the existence of both higher and lower temperature variations in the short term, despite the overall trend towards a warmer planet.