There's a lot of climate jargon out there, but what does it all mean?

Greenhouse gases, global warming, CO2 equivalent, carbon neutrality, Net zero, decarbonization, greenwashing, ESG, carbon footprint, global warming potential and many more named in the context of climate change and environmental sustainability. Let's start with a basic question. Has the Earth's climate always changed?

Global warming or climate change?

When do we talk about global warming and when do we talk about climate change? The answer is: Both terminologies are correct, but each emphasizes a different aspect of the problem. In the past, the term "global warming" was more commonly used because the increase in the average temperatures of the planet was one of the first and most visible signs that scientists noticed.

On the other hand, the term "climate change" is much broader and takes into account many other factors that affect our planetary system. "Climate change" may be less psychologically intimidating than global warming. But in reality, climate change means that we have more energy in our system, which leads to higher temperatures, but also to a whole spectrum of other phenomena: from chronic climate risks to acute extreme events.

Chronic and acute climate risks are two categories of climate change consequences. While chronic risks manifest as prolonged increases in temperatures, acute risks include extreme climate events such as heat waves or strong storms that can develop into cyclones. Also, climate change has a major impact on rainfall patterns. Unlike the 20th century, when there were periods with a high risk of drought, today drought periods are extended to almost the entire ten months of the year. The increasing variability of rainfall – less rain in the spring and more in the winter – has significant implications for industries such as agriculture.

Climate vs. The weather

One of the common arguments of climate change deniers is to point to cold weather to suggest that global warming cannot be true as long as there are severe snow storms or cold temperatures. However, this approach ignores a key difference between weather and climate. Weather refers to short-term forecasts over a period of a few days, while climate studies examine trends over longer periods of time, typically 20 to 30 years. "Trends must show long-term changes." By tracking and comparing data from several decades, including temperature and precipitation, we can better understand climate trends.

Climate changes and their causes

A counter-argument that is often heard is that climate change has always been present and is a natural phenomenon. Yes, climate has changed historically for reasons such as the Earth's cycles around the Sun and ice ages. But in this context it is more accurate to talk about the variability of the climate. "It is true that 20,000 years ago there was an ice age and global temperatures were 5-6°C lower than now. But that was 20,000 years ago. Today's pace of change is unprecedented - in a few centuries it matches change that once took place over thousands of years, and shows the necessity to adapt to these changes.

Evidence of human responsibility for accelerated global warming has existed since the late 1970s, when private research by the energy company ExxonMobil predicted how increasing consumption of fossil fuels would warm the planet. Despite this, the company has publicly denied any link between human activities and climate change, while trying to continue doing business without restrictions. This evidence-based denial remains a controversial topic and it is important that we are informed about the facts and consequences of climate change that we are facing. (Co2AI)