What Is Global Warming?
Quick Answer
Global warming is the gradual increase in Earth's average temperature, mainly caused by humans burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. These fuels release greenhouse gases that trap extra heat in the atmosphere, like a blanket getting thicker around the planet. This warming is causing ice to melt, sea levels to rise, and weather patterns to change around the world.
Explaining By Age Group
Ages 3-5 Simple Explanation
You know how if you put on too many blankets at night, you get too hot? Well, the Earth has a blanket of air around it, and that blanket is getting thicker and thicker. That is making the whole Earth warmer than it should be, and we call that global warming.
The blanket is getting thicker because of gases that go up into the air when people burn things like gasoline in cars and coal to make electricity. Those gases float up and make the Earth's air blanket trap more heat from the Sun.
When the Earth gets too warm, it causes problems. Ice at the North Pole and South Pole starts to melt. The water in the oceans gets higher. And the weather can get more wild, with bigger storms and hotter summer days.
People are working really hard to stop making the blanket so thick. They are using energy from the Sun and the wind instead of burning dirty fuels. You can help too by turning off lights you are not using and not wasting water!
Ages 6-8 More Detail
Global warming means the Earth's temperature is slowly going up, year after year. The planet has gotten about 2 degrees Fahrenheit warmer over the last 150 years. That might not sound like much, but for the entire Earth, it is a really big deal.
The main reason this is happening is because of something called the greenhouse effect going into overdrive. Gases like carbon dioxide act like the glass roof of a greenhouse, letting sunlight in but keeping heat from getting out. When humans burn coal, oil, and gas for energy, they add extra greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, trapping more and more heat.
This extra warmth is causing real changes you can see. The ice caps at the North and South Poles are getting smaller. Glaciers in mountains around the world are shrinking. Animals like polar bears are losing the ice they need to hunt on. And the extra melted ice is making the oceans rise, which threatens towns and cities near the coast.
Global warming also makes extreme weather more common. Heat waves last longer, storms can be stronger, and droughts happen in places that used to get plenty of rain. Farmers sometimes struggle to grow food when the weather becomes unpredictable.
Scientists all over the world agree that human activities are the main cause of global warming. The good news is that we know what to do about it: use cleaner energy, waste less, plant more trees, and take better care of the planet. Every little bit helps.
Ages 9-12 Full Explanation
Global warming is the measured increase in Earth's average surface temperature over time, and it has been accelerating since the mid-20th century. The global average temperature has risen by about 2 degrees Fahrenheit (roughly 1.1 degrees Celsius) since the late 1800s. That may not sound dramatic, but when you are talking about the average temperature of an entire planet, even a small change has enormous consequences.
The primary cause is the burning of fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. When these fuels are burned for electricity, transportation, and manufacturing, they release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, meaning it traps heat from the Sun that would otherwise escape back into space. Before the Industrial Revolution, the atmosphere contained about 280 parts per million of CO2. Today it is over 420 parts per million, a level not seen in at least 800,000 years.
The effects of global warming are wide-ranging and interconnected. The Arctic is warming about two to three times faster than the rest of the planet, causing sea ice to shrink dramatically. Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are losing billions of tons of ice per year, contributing to rising sea levels. Since 1900, global sea levels have risen about 8 to 9 inches, and the rate is accelerating. Coastal cities and low-lying island nations face real threats of flooding.
Global warming does not just mean hotter summers. It destabilizes weather patterns worldwide. Warmer oceans fuel stronger hurricanes. Shifting rainfall patterns cause droughts in some regions and flooding in others. Wildfires are becoming larger and more destructive as conditions get hotter and drier. Agricultural systems that have depended on predictable weather for centuries are being disrupted, threatening food supplies.
The scientific consensus on global warming is overwhelming. Over 97 percent of climate scientists agree that human activities are driving the current warming trend. This conclusion is based on decades of data from temperature records, ice cores, ocean measurements, satellite observations, and atmospheric chemistry. It is one of the most thoroughly studied and well-supported findings in all of science.
Addressing global warming requires transitioning away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy sources like solar and wind power, improving energy efficiency in buildings and transportation, protecting and restoring forests that absorb carbon dioxide, and rethinking how we produce and consume goods. Young people have been some of the most vocal advocates for climate action, and for good reason. The decisions made in the coming decades will shape the planet you grow up on.
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Tips for Parents
Global warming can be a challenging topic to discuss with your child. Here are some practical tips to help guide the conversation:
DO: Follow your child's lead. Let them ask questions at their own pace rather than overwhelming them with information they haven't asked for yet. If they seem satisfied with a simple answer, that's okay — they'll come back with more questions when they're ready.
DO: Use honest, age-appropriate language. You don't need to share every detail, but avoid making up stories or deflecting. Kids can sense when you're being evasive, and honesty builds trust.
DO: Validate their feelings. Whatever emotion your child has in response to learning about global warming, acknowledge it. Say things like 'It makes sense that you'd feel that way' or 'That's a really good question.'
DON'T: Don't dismiss their curiosity. Responses like 'You're too young for that' or 'Don't worry about it' can make children feel like their questions are wrong or shameful. If you're not ready to answer, say 'That's an important question. Let me think about the best way to explain it, and we'll talk about it tonight.'
DO: Create an ongoing dialogue. One conversation usually isn't enough. Let your child know that they can always come back to you with more questions about global warming. This makes them more likely to come to you rather than seeking potentially unreliable sources.
Common Follow-Up Questions Kids Ask
After discussing global warming, your child might also ask:
How do scientists know the Earth is getting warmer?
Scientists track temperatures from thousands of weather stations, ocean buoys, and satellites around the world. They also study ice cores drilled from glaciers that contain tiny air bubbles from thousands of years ago. These records clearly show that global temperatures have risen sharply since humans started burning large amounts of fossil fuels.
Is global warming the same as climate change?
Global warming specifically refers to the increase in Earth's average temperature. Climate change is a broader term that includes global warming plus all the related effects, like changing rainfall patterns, rising seas, melting ice, and more extreme weather. Global warming is one part of the bigger picture of climate change.
Why does 2 degrees matter so much?
Two degrees is the average for the entire planet. Some places are warming much more than that, especially the Arctic. Small changes in average temperature can tip large systems: ice sheets start melting faster, ocean currents shift, ecosystems that took thousands of years to develop get disrupted. It is like a fever; even a small rise in your body temperature means something serious is happening.
Can we reverse global warming?
We cannot instantly undo the warming that has already happened because CO2 stays in the atmosphere for a long time. But we can slow and eventually stop further warming by dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Some warming effects can be partially reversed over centuries if we bring emissions down to net zero.
What are fossil fuels?
Fossil fuels are coal, oil, and natural gas. They formed millions of years ago from the remains of ancient plants and animals that were buried underground and transformed by heat and pressure. When we burn them for energy, the carbon that was stored underground for millions of years gets released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
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