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Evidence for the rise in global temperatures
More frequent and intense extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and disrupted ecosystems. -
The solar cell
Converts sunlight into electricity. Reduces fossil fuels. -
Connection between rising CO2 and fossil fuel emissions
Dr Charles David Keeling provides the first evidence that CO2 levels are rising. Dr Keeling’s discovery was one of the most important scientific works of the 20th century. Since then, daily readings at Mauna Loa have continued almost uninterrupted for more than 60 years. The 'Keeling Curve', which documents changes in CO2 levels over time, is the longest continuous record of CO2 concentrations in the world. -
First model of Earth's changing climate
The model predicts that doubling concentrations of CO2 could raise global temperatures by 2°C. The model looked at all the different components that contribute to climate, including the atmosphere, oceans and clouds, and the relationships between them. It even allowed researchers to adjust levels of CO2 to see what impact this would have on global temperatures. -
First prediction of melting ice caps
Dr Mercer was conducting fieldwork at the Reedy Glacier in West Antarctica when he discovered evidence of a former freshwater lake, 1,400 meters high up in the Transantarctic Mountains. Dr Mercer took that as evidence that the entire West Antarctic Ice Sheet had once melted away, something that previously had been thought to be impossible. -
Earth's temperatures measured by satellites
The Nimbus III satellite was the first to include instruments that could measure atmospheric temperature. This provided an independent satellite record confirming that the Earth’s lower atmosphere was warming. -
Ozone hole detected
The ozone layer in the Earth’s atmosphere naturally protects us from harmful ultraviolet (UV) light. A NERC commissioned analysis estimated that, had the discovery of the ozone hole been delayed by five to 10 years, the cost of this delay would have resulted in 300 more skin cancer cases every year in the UK by 2030. -
Drilling deep into ice caps
The deeper you dig, the further back in time you go. So, when a team of French and former Soviet scientists extracted an Antarctic ice core over 2,000 meters long in 1985, they were able to tell what atmospheric conditions were like 150,000 years ago. -
IPCC begins
The IPCC provides policymakers with regular scientific assessments on the current state of knowledge about climate change. Since 1990 these reports have consistently found that the Earth is warming, and that the release of greenhouse gases by humans is responsible. -
Coral Reefs in danger
Scientists realize that higher levels of CO2 in the ocean will make it harder for corals and other animals to build reefs. When CO2 dissolves in the ocean, it raises the water's acidity level. -
First climate change legislation
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was the first international treaty designed to limit greenhouse gas emissions and prevent climate change. It entered into force on 21 March 1994, and has been ratified by 197 countries. This also led directly to the 1995 Kyoto Protocol, which committed industrialized countries and economies to limit and reduce greenhouse gases emissions in accordance with agreed individual targets. -
Connection between severe weather and climate change
Professor Pete Stott, a scientist at the UK Met Office, published a paper in the scientific journal Nature showing that climate change had doubled the risk of the 2003 European heatwave that killed tens of thousands of people. -
Impacts of the Artic
Polar regions are warming twice as fast as the rest of the Earth, putting polar bears and other wildlife at risk. As the planet warms and ice caps melt, less light is reflected, leading to even more warming. -
Ice collapse is 'irreversible'
Ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland may have already passed the point of no return; their collapse could raise sea levels by 10 meters. -
Losing life on Earth is 'unprecedented'
Up to one million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction, and many could die out within decades. The main factors driving this mass extinction are changes in land and sea use, direct exploitation of organisms, climate change, pollution and the introduction of invasive alien species.