anthropogenicĪnthropogenic means “caused or produced by humans.” According to the overwhelming scientific consensus, the alarming rate of climate change we are seeing is anthropogenic. Pyrocene is another commonly suggested term, as it refers to both humanity’s use of fire ( pyro– means “fire”) to change Earth’s climate and the destructive megafires (more on them later) caused by climate change. The actual official name for our current epoch is Holocene, but some have argued that a new term is needed to refer to significant Earth changes caused by humans. AnthropoceneĪnthropocene is an unofficial term for the epoch of time in which humanity has affected Earth’s climate ( anthropo– means “human” and -cene refers to geological periods). According to the IPCC, the 1.5☌ pathway (2.7☏) represents a less severe (but still bad!) potential future if we manage to keep temperature increases lower. This may not seem like a big number, but an increase of that amount would have a major effect on our planet (and everything living on it). According to the IPCC, we are projected to exceed a 2☌ (3.6☏) rise in global temperatures compared to pre-industrial levels. The term 1.5℃ pathway refers to a potential future temperature of the Earth, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The terms we have collected here should provide you with many informed entry points into the prevalent discussions going on today surrounding climate change. Climate change also refers to changes in the atmosphere, the effects on the Earth’s oceans, and to the fate of all life on Earth-including us! Glossary of terms □ Key message about language useĪs you will soon discover, the term climate change refers to much more than Earth getting warmer. This is why even the parts of Brazil with a humid and rainy tropical climate can (rarely) have snowy weather on a given day. In short, weather describes the short-term atmospheric changes in a small area, while climate refers to the general atmospheric conditions of a large region. If you want to fully understand the difference between weatherand climate, we have you covered with our in-depth explanation of the subject. Which leads to another common question: what is the difference between weather and climate? People may be confused by freezing winter disasters if Earth’s temperature is gradually rising. The term climate change more accurately describes what will really happen: Earth’s entire climate will change dramatically. Earth won’t “just” get warmer if the existential threat continues. We’ve gone down this road before in our other analysis of the terminology, but in summary, the term global warming does not fully encompass all the changes facing the environment. climateĪ common discussion centers on the difference between the terms global warming and climate change. If you’re looking specifically for terms to describe extreme and unpredictable weather, visit our compilation of weather words. Join us once again as we explore some more words used in the discussion of climate change. Both the terms we have covered already and the terms we will cover today reflect the vast range of effects climate change can have, from the biological to the psychological. However, climate change continues to affect our world, and the language around it continuously changes over time. Our first look at climate change explored terms like greenhouse gases, polar vortex, and solastalgia. As a dictionary, we use this date as an opportunity to document and describe the changing language surrounding climate change-but we should discuss climate change every day of the year, too! First commemorated in 1970 and now recognized in more than 190 countries, Earth Day is a perfect occasion to think about one of the biggest dangers facing our planet: climate change. Every year on April 22, we celebrate Earth Day and the big blue marble that we all call home.
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