What Is Committed Warming? A Comprehensive Explanation
Committed warming refers to the future increase in global average temperature that is already unavoidable due to past greenhouse gas emissions, even if all…
Topic archive
Climate Change
Impact of greenhouse gases on global temperature and weather patterns.
What Would a Weaker AMOC Mean for Climate?
A weaker Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) would disrupt global climate patterns, leading to cooler temperatures in the North Atlantic region, rising sea levels…
Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity vs Transient Climate Response: Understanding the Difference
Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity (ECS) and Transient Climate Response (TCR) are two metrics that quantify how much Earth's surface warms in response to a doubling…
What Does Net Zero Actually Mean?
Net zero refers to achieving a balance between the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere and the amount removed. It is a…
How Phytoplankton Influence Earth’s Climate
Phytoplankton are microscopic marine organisms that influence Earth’s climate by absorbing carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and releasing compounds that promote cloud formation. They produce…
What Is Nitrous Oxide and Why Does It Matter for Climate?
Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential roughly 300 times that of carbon dioxide over a 100-year period.…
Climate Overshoot Explained
Climate overshoot refers to a scenario where global average temperatures temporarily exceed a target level, such as 1.5°C or 2°C above pre-industrial levels, before…
What Is Carbon Lock-In? A Comprehensive Explainer
Carbon lock-in is the self-reinforcing inertia of fossil fuel-based systems that makes shifting to low-carbon alternatives difficult. It arises from technological, institutional, and behavioral…
Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs): Current Scenarios and Climate Projections
Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) are greenhouse gas concentration trajectories used in climate modeling. The current set includes RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6.0, and RCP8.5, defined by…
What Is a Carbon Tax?
A carbon tax is a fee imposed on the carbon content of fossil fuels, designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by making polluting activities…