Climate change
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2005 was the warmest year ever recorded, closely followed by 1998 and 2007. Twelve of the 13 warmest years on record were between 1995 and 2007.
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The reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) are based on the peer-reviewed, published work of 2,500 scientists in more than 130 countries.
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Climate is average weather. It’s what all the weather adds up to over time, to give averages for temperature, rainfall, snow and frost.
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The difference in climate between a warm period and the middle of an ice age is between 4°C and 6°C.
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125,000 years ago (during the last warm period between ice ages) temperatures were around 1.5°C higher than they are now; the sea level was 4–6m higher.
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The world has already warmed 0.74°C over the past 100 years.
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The oceans keep New Zealand cooler than the rest of the world. Since 1950 New Zealand has warmed by 0.4°C. Thank you, Pacific Ocean.
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If we stop emitting all greenhouse gases today, the world will keep warming because of the gas already in the atmosphere. In 30 years it would be at least 1.6°C warmer than before the Industrial Age began 200 years ago.
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The most serious consequences of global warming might be avoided if global average temperatures rise by no more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels.
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If greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked, our grandchildren could face increases in global average temperature of up to 6°C by 2100. This will have a devastating impact on life on Earth.
