Burning fossil fuels puts more carbon dioxide into our atmosphere, which acts as an insulating blanket around the Earth, trapping more of the Sun’s heat.
Behind the struggle to address global warming and climate change lies the increase in greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. A greenhouse gas is any gaseous compound in the atmosphere that is capable of absorbing infrared radiation, thereby trapping and holding heat in the atmosphere. By increasing the heat in the atmosphere, greenhouse gases are responsible for the greenhouse effect, which ultimately leads to global warming.
Over the past 20 years, evidence that humans are affecting the climate has accumulated inexorably, and with it has come ever greater certainty across the scientific community in the reality of recent climate change and the potential for much greater change in the future.
In the case of our home planet, gases in the atmosphere play a vital role in maintaining this delicate equilibrium, by balancing the absorption and emission of all the electromagnetic radiation (microwaves, infrared waves, ultraviolet light and visible light, for example) reaching the surface of the Earth.
"The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it."
As climate science and the Earth’s climate have continued to evolve over recent decades, increasing evidence of anthropogenic influences on climate change has been found.
The science is clear: climate change is happening. We are the cause. We need to act now.
The sun's energy reflected off the earth's surface. Greenhouse gases then radiate heat energy back toward the earth. This heats the earth's atmosphere and ultimately contributes to increasingly warmer climates, a process known as global warming. Common greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide (CO2), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and tropospheric ozone (O3)
This video covers the topic of deforestation. Aspects of deforestation that are discussed include tsunamis, landslides, global warming and the extinction of animal species.
From the UN Climate conference to the People's Climate March to the forces that deny the science of global climate change, this special extended episode covers all sides of the issue.
Sea levels are rising and the consequences could be huge. By the end of this century, areas that currently flood once every hundred years, could start to flood several times every year. The rising sea is the sleeping giant of climate change.
The frozen continent of Antarctica contains the vast majority of all freshwater on Earth. Now that ice is melting at an accelerating rate, in part because of climate change. What does this transformation mean for coastal communities across the globe?
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Professor Malcolm McCulloch is identifying natural and anthropogenic carbon dioxide locked within the coral skeleton, to help us understand past climate and the influence of carbon dioxide on reefs and ocean waters.
In this confronting special, Catalyst explores the lethal threat of coral bleaching to the Great Barrier Reef, and the challenges we all face to protect this global treasure.
Sea level rise is caused primarily by two factors related to global warming: the added water from melting ice sheets and glaciers and the expansion of seawater as it warms
With continued ocean and atmospheric warming, sea levels will likely rise for many centuries at rates higher than that of the current century. high-population-density coastal areas, Sea level plays a role in flooding, shoreline erosion, and hazards from storms. Globally, eight of the world's 10 largest cities are near a coast, according to the U.N. Atlas of the Oceans.
Global warming is the primary cause of current sea level rise. Human activities, such as burning coal and oil and cutting down tropical forests, have increased atmospheric concentrations of heat-trapping gases and caused the planet to warm by 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880.
The Reef Resilience Network connects individuals at the front lines of coral reef conservation to address threats and mobilize action for improved coral reef health.
links to threats, threat reduction, restoration, managing, protection, reef fisheries, community based climate adaption and ways to store carbon to reduce impact of climate change.
This National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration site has information about coral biology, reef ecology, threats to coral reefs, a glossary of coral reef terminology and reports on the environmental status of reefs worldwide.
Three-quarters of the world’s coral reefs are currently threatened. In the case of the Great Barrier Reef,
more than half of its coral cover has been lost, and in 2016 the Great Barrier Reef suffered a major
bleaching event which has left only about 7% of the reef unaffected.
Coral bleaching is a global crisis, caused by increased ocean temperatures driven by carbon pollution.
Coral bleaching, whitening of coral that results from the loss of a coral’s symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) or the degradation of the algae’s photosynthetic pigment. Bleaching is associated with the devastation of coral reefs, which are home to approximately 25 percent of all marine species.
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven natural wonders on our planet. It’s renowned for its beauty, diversity, spectacular marine wildlife and vibrant corals. The dazzling display attracts millions of tourists who travel all over the world to witness this magnificent and unique reef system.
But rising sea temperatures due to climate change threatens all of that. It’s estimated that half of the world’s coral reefs have been lost to coral bleaching over the last 30 years.
Atmospheric - The Burning Story of Climate Change by 
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Your Planet Needs You! by 
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The Australian Bureau of Statistics provide trusted official statistics on a wide range of economic, social, population and environmental matters of importance to Australia.
Climate Data Online provides access to a range of statistics, recent weather observations and climate data including weather observations dating back from the mid-1800s.
World Health Organization Health Data
WHO's Global Health Observatory (GHO) - access to data and analyses for monitoring the global health situation and themes ranging from health systems to disease-specific themes.
Scientific data repositories included on this page have been evaluated to ensure that they meet our requirements for data access, preservation and stability.
The CSIRO Data Access Portal provides access to research data, software and other digital assets published by CSIRO across a range of disciplines.
Australian Government Data Sets
This is the central source of Australian open government data. Anyone can access the data published by federal, state and local government agencies The site has over 30,000 publicly available datasets.
The Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO play an important role in monitoring, analysing and communicating observed and future changes in Australia’s climate.
This 7th biennial State of the Climate report draws on the latest national and international climate research, encompassing observations, analyses and future projections to describe year-to-year variability and longer-term changes in Australia’s climate.
The report is a synthesis of the science informing our understanding of Australia’s climate. The State of the Climate report is intended to inform a range of economic, environmental and social decision-making by governments, industries and communities. Observations, reconstructions of past climate and climate modelling continue to provide a consistent picture of ongoing, long-term climate change interacting with underlying natural variability. Associated changes in weather and climate extremes— such as extreme heat, heavy rainfall and coastal inundation, fire weather and drought—have a large impact on the health and wellbeing of our communities and ecosystems.
These changes are happening at an increased pace—the past decade has seen record-breaking extremes leading to natural disasters that are exacerbated by anthropogenic (human-caused) climate change. These changes have a growing impact on the lives and livelihoods of all Australians. Australia needs to plan for, and adapt to, the changing nature of climate risk now and in the decades ahead. The severity of impacts on Australians and our environment will depend on the speed at which global greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced.