Science
What is Global Warming?
Global warming is the long-term rise in Earth's average temperature, driven mainly by human activities that release greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. As these gases trap more heat, the planet warms — fuelling melting ice, rising seas, and more extreme weather.
See it, don’t just read it.
Watch a 2-minute lesson with voice + animation that explains global warming.
Key things to understand
- 1Global warming is the steady increase in Earth's average surface temperature over the last century.
- 2Its main cause is the extra greenhouse gases (especially CO₂) released by burning fossil fuels.
- 3These gases trap more of the Sun's heat — the enhanced greenhouse effect.
- 4Effects include melting glaciers, rising sea levels, and more frequent heatwaves, droughts, and storms.
- 5It's the central driver of broader 'climate change'.
Frequently asked questions
- What causes global warming?
- Mainly burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas), which releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that trap extra heat in the atmosphere.
- What's the difference between global warming and climate change?
- Global warming is specifically the rise in average temperature; climate change is the broader set of shifts it causes — in weather patterns, sea levels, ice, and ecosystems.
- Can global warming be slowed?
- Yes — chiefly by cutting greenhouse-gas emissions: shifting to clean energy, using energy efficiently, and protecting forests that absorb CO₂.