When speaking of climate change and global warming there are some significant distinctions and also a number of overlaps that are commonly accepted within the scientific community. There remains some debate about the nature of global warming and its impact on climate change, but most acknowledge that the planet has experienced, and continues to experience, climate change in both significant and minor forms.

Climate Change

In its simplest explanation climate change is a long-term change in the average climate of the planet or a region of the planet. A key factor in this description is the use of the phrase long-term. While any area may experience seasonal or annual changes, climate change as a phenomenon refers to a long-term change. Often long-term change is measured by monitoring the changes in climate averages. Among the averages that can be significant indicators, factors in, or impacted by climate change are precipitation and temperature.

With climate any single aspect or element can influence others and any one may be directly effected or contribute to climate change. In this way the delicate and intertwined nature of the weather’s elements are evident. Climate change can be caused by natural occurrences. There is evidence that long-term cyclical climate change has already occurred and will continue to occur. Climate change can also be caused by the actions of man. Here is one connection between global warming and climate change. Global warming, as it is defined, can cause climate change. It is also notable that climate change can magnify the process and impact of global warming.

Global Warming

Global warming is the warming of the lower atmosphere as a result of the increase of a number of gases that have been classified as greenhouse gases. Global warming is a phenomenon that is a type of climate change. It is generally attributed to the release of specific gases by the action of mankind. Specific gases capture more heat than others and  these gases that have been released in larger numbers since the Industrial Revolution. These gases are released in a number of industrial processes from the operation of automobiles to the operation of many varieties of power plants.

Because the effects of global warming can contribute to further warming it has the potential to create very long-term and dramatic climate change. These sorts of self-fueling phenomenon tend to continue for some time after the initial catalyst is no longer being introduced. A number of organizations have taken action to reduce the gases released by their members. These include international groups and national governments. Many agree though that more must be done if the world is to avoid a catastrophic and relatively immediate effect.

Overview

Most of the international scientific community has acknowledged that the actions of mankind have contributed to the phenomenon now called global warming. Scientific evidence has shown that the processes involved in such phenomenon can cause climate change and are part of a self-fueling cycle that would continue for some time even if greenhouse gas emissions were completely halted.

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