Klimaveränderung

Klimaveränderung refers to significant and lasting changes in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It can be a change in average weather conditions or in the distribution of weather around the average conditions (i.e., more or fewer extreme weather events). Klimaveränderung has been occurring naturally throughout Earth's history, but the term is now most commonly associated with the rapid warming observed since the mid-20th century.

The current era of Klimaveränderung is primarily driven by human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas. This process releases greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide and methane, into the atmosphere. These gases trap heat, leading to a gradual increase in global average temperatures. Other contributing factors include deforestation, industrial processes, and certain agricultural practices.

The consequences of Klimaveränderung are far-reaching and multifaceted. They include rising sea levels due to thermal expansion of water and melting glaciers and ice sheets, more frequent and intense heatwaves, changes in precipitation patterns leading to droughts and floods, and ocean acidification. These shifts can impact ecosystems, biodiversity, agriculture, water resources, and human health, posing significant challenges to societies worldwide.

Scientific consensus, as documented by organizations like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), indicates that the Earth's climate system is unequivocally warming and that it is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century. Addressing Klimaveränderung involves both mitigation strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation measures to cope with the unavoidable impacts.