Explainers

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.

Biofuel is any liquid fuel made from “biomass”—plants and other biological matter like animal waste and leftover cooking fat.

Renewable energy is energy from sources, like wind, solar, and hydropower, that we cannot run out of.