Climate-
the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period.
rising maximum temperatures
rising minimum temperatures
rising sea levels
higher ocean temperatures
an increase in heavy precipitation (heavy rain and hail)
shrinking glaciers
thawing permafrost
Fossil fuels — coal, petroleum, and natural gas — are our main sources of energy, producing the vast majority of fuel, electricity, and heat used by people across the globe. In 2005 a whopping 86 percent of energy used worldwide came from fossil fuel combustion, and right now in the United States, the number isn’t much lower at about 85 percent. Unfortunately fossil fuels are also the primary culprit behind climate change. In the United States, they’re to blame for more than 80 percent of greenhouse gas emissions — and 98 percent of CO2 emissions alone. And while natural processes can absorb some of this CO2, an estimated 4.1 billion metric tons of it is added to our atmosphere each year. That number will rise dramatically if we don’t check ourselves.
