What is the difference between “climate change” and “global warming”?
Return to Climate Question & Answers
Headline writers and environmental advocates appear to prefer the more evocative term “global warming” over “climate change” in describing the anthropogenic (human-caused) warming of Earth’s atmosphere. Many in the climate science community, however, appear to favor “climate change” precisely because it is broader in terms of describing potential impacts – not just warming, but droughts, wildfires, severe storms, sea-level rise, public health, and the like. The term “climate change” can also be used to encompass natural events, such as the onset of ice ages due to variations in Earth’s orbit, while “global warming” is typically used to imply that humans are at least partially responsible.
Although the terms often are used synonymously, many experts increasingly recommend “climate change,” even though it may lack the attention-getting pizzazz of “global warming.”
More Information: U.S. EPA Glossary of Climate Change Term
Return to Climate Question & Answers