Explainers

Extreme heat is a dangerous weather condition that is becoming more common and severe as climate change warms the planet.

Greenhouse gases are gases—like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide—that keep the Earth warmer than it would be without them.

Climate sensitivity describes the extent to which rising levels of greenhouse gases affect the Earth’s temperature.

Radiative forcing is what happens when the amount of energy that enters the Earth’s atmosphere is different from the amount of energy that leaves it.