Weather change is climate change

Fossil fuel burning is not only resulting in global warming, but more frequent weather extremes such as droughts, floods, heatwaves, wildfires and storms. According to the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 'small changes in the mean climate or climate variability can produce relatively large changes in the frequency of extreme events ' Extremely high temperature events, intense precipitation, long dry spells, and frequent hurricanes are all types of weather extremes that can be expected.

Global average air temperature near Earth's surface rose 0.74% or 0.18° Celsius in the last century. According to the 2007 report from the IPCC, "most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations," which leads to warming of the surface and lower atmosphere by increasing the greenhouse effect.

There may also be increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, though it is difficult to connect specific events to global warming. Other consequences include changes in agricultural yields, glacier retreat, reduced summer streamflows, species extinctions and increases in the ranges of disease vectors.

The climate of the Earth is always changing. In the past it has altered as a result of natural causes. Nowadays, however, the term climate change is generally used when referring to changes in our climate which have been identified since the early part of the 1900's. The changes we've seen over recent years and those which are predicted over the next 80 years are thought to be mainly as a result of human behaviour rather than due to natural changes in the atmosphere.

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