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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When China makes a climate pledge, the world should listen
Opinion Beijing has a track record of only promising what it plans to deliver. But too often the world's attention is elsewhere.
The Panama Canal needs a staggering amount of water to operate. Climate change could threaten that, study warns
The vital commercial artery depends on a supply of fresh water to move ships between the two oceans. Drought conditions that were once rare could become common by the end of the century, greatly impacting the canal’s operation.
Yosemite's glaciers have survived 20,000 years — but we could be the first people to see Sierra Nevada ice-free
New research finds the disappearance of glaciers in the Sierra Nevada will be unprecedented in the human history of North America.
Amazon rainforest trees are resisting climate change by getting fatter from CO2 in the atmosphere
Tree trunks in the Amazon are getting 3.3% thicker every decade as the plants absorb extra carbon dioxide, suggesting they are more resilient to global warming than previously thought.
'New' island emerges from melting ice in Alaska
NASA's Earth Observatory has announced that Alaska has a "brand new island" after a retreating glacier lost contact with the Prow Knob mountain landmass in Alsek Lake.
Action on climate change faces new threat: The doomers who think it's too late to act
"Doom-mongering convinces many would-be climate advocates that climate action is a hopeless cause. But the blistering attacks against mainstream climate science and scientists advance an agenda of division, dividing the rank-and-file climate activists and leading voices from the scientific community."
'Serious adverse and unintended consequences': Polar geoengineering isn't the answer to climate change
Opinion The plans could also unintentionally harm fragile polar ecosystems.
Key Atlantic current could start collapsing as early as 2055, new study finds
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation brings heat to the Northern Hemisphere and regulates the climate globally, but research suggests it could weaken significantly in the coming decades.
'Like a creeping mold that's spreading across the landscape': Separate dry areas around the world are merging into 'mega-drying' regions at an alarming rate, study finds
Unchecked groundwater extraction and climate change have dried continents significantly over the past 22 years, with 101 countries now losing fresh water to the ocean, research reveals.
Glaciers across North America and Europe have lost an 'unprecedented' amount of ice in the past 4 years
Glaciers in Washington, Montana, British Columbia, Alberta and the Swiss Alps have set grim records over the past four years, with both the annual amount of ice lost and the four-year average reaching all-time highs.
