Climate change is real and it's getting worse. Global temperature averages are creeping upward, seas are warming, rising and becoming more acidic, and extreme weather events such as droughts, wildfires, floods and powerful storms are becoming more common. The threat is so great that humanity must act now to defuse what United Nations scientists call a "climate time bomb" which, if ignored, will yield "untold suffering."
At Live Science, our expert writers and editors cover the impact of global warming, and the measures that scientists, world leaders and innovators are taking to reduce our harmful impact on the planet, with the latest climate change news, features and articles.
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Kabul could become the first modern capital to run out of water — here's why
Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul has an existential water problem and other cities may also be vulnerable.
A peatland in the Amazon stopped absorbing carbon. What does it mean?
Peatlands cover just a fraction of Earth's surface, but store huge amounts of carbon. In the Peruvian Amazon, one of these swamps has switched to carbon neutral.
We're within 3 years of reaching a critical climate threshold. Can we reverse course?
A report published in June found that the world only has three years before it crosses the 1.5 C climate target. So what should we do now?
Tuvalu residents prepare for world’s first planned migration of an entire nation — and climate change is to blame
A first-of-its-kind lottery for residents of Tuvalu who want to move to Australia due to climate change threats is closing today, with more than 5,000 applications received.
Strongest nor'easters along US East Coast are becoming more intense as the world warms, study suggests
A new study finds the strongest nor'easters have intensified over the last 80 years, with a 6% increase in peak wind speeds.
Humanity could be just 3 years away from crossing a dire climate threshold, report warns
Record carbon emissions mean that the planet's carbon budget could be exceeded in as little as three years, according to a new report.
Ancient groundwater records reveal worrying forecast for US Southwest
Groundwater records from the last ice age indicate that aquifers in the U.S. Southwest are more sensitive to global warming than aquifers in the Pacific Northwest.
Covering poop lagoons with a tarp could cut 80% of methane emissions from dairy farms
"Digesters" that convert methane from manure ponds into fuel can dramatically reduce emissions of this potent greenhouse gas on dairy farms, scientists have found.
Earth's energy imbalance is rising much faster than scientists expected — and now researchers worry they might lose the means to figure out why
For reasons still unknown, Earth's energy imbalance is rising much faster than models can account for. Now, scientists are calling for long-term investment in monitoring capability, so that they can make informed predictions about climate change.
