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Friday, Aug. 29, 2025

Is global warming actually happening?

Sue Bin Park, Skeptical Science
yes

Multiple indicators show Earth is warming rapidly. 

Global surface temperatures are now about 1.47 °C (2.65 °F) above the 19th century average, with the past ten years the warmest on record. Surface temperatures are measured by thousands of land weather stations and weather balloons, along with ships, ocean buoys, and satellite measurements. Oceans, which absorb over 90% of excess heat, hit record highs in 2024, making the last decade the warmest since the 1800s.

Sea levels are rising at the fastest rate in 2,500 years, driven by melting ice sheets and the thermal expansion of seawater. Polar regions are losing ice, while heatwaves and droughts are becoming more intense and frequent.

Atmospheric CO2 reached 428 ppm in July 2025, or 50% higher than preindustrial levels, before large-scale fossil fuel use. Evidence from air, land, oceans, and ice all point to global warming, with human activity as the primary cause.

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