EARTH IS A UNIQUE PLANET. It is the only one in the Solar System that has both an atmosphere and oceans of water, and these have created ideal conditions for life to evolve and flourish. Currents in the atmosphere and oceans carry heat and moisture around the globe, so life can exist almost everywhere. These currents also create the weather. This changes daily, but in predictable patterns. The pattern of weather in a particular place is its climate. Climates vary slowly over time, forcing life to adapt to new conditions, but recently the rate of climate change has speeded up.
Earth's climate
The greenhouse effect
The carbon cycle
Checks and balances
Natural climate change
The human impact
Burning the forests
Fosil fuels
Our carbon culture
Adding to the problem
Heatwaves and droughts
Melting ice
Warming oceans
Oceanic research
Living with the heat
Plight of the polar bear
Predicting future climates
The next century
What scares the scientists?
Climate change and society
Adapting to climate change
Combating climate change
Cutting the carbon
Nuclear power
Renewable energy
Power for the people
Energy efficiency
Green transport
Your carbon footprint
Greenhouse gas producers
Timeline
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Glossary
Index