climate change
noun/ˈklaɪmət ˌtʃeɪndʒ/
1
Usually Natural large-scale and long-term change in the Earth's climatic system, as brought about by ice ages.
2
Usually Rapid, large-scale, and long-term change in the Earth's climatic system produced by global warming; anthropogenic climate change.
- Nevertheless, it is clear that the global energy demand for air-conditioning will grow substantially as nations become more affluent, with the consequences of climate change potentially accelerating the demand.2013 September-October, Michael Sivak, “Will AC Put a Chill on the Global Energy Supply?”, in American Scientist:
- “Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods,” he writes. “It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day.”2015 June 18, Jim Yardley, Laurie Goodstein, quoting Pope Francis, “Pope Francis, in Sweeping Encyclical, Calls for Swift Action on Climate Change”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
4 more examples
- It’s time for our generation-defining public works. How about stopping climate change before we destroy the planet and getting millions of people involved manufacturing and installing solar panels?2017 May 25, Mark Zuckerberg, “Mark Zuckerberg’s Commencement address at Harvard”, in The Harvard Gazette:
- If you are serious about climate change a rolling programme of electrification is the only rational policy.2019 October, Roger Ford, “WCP award - victory for DfT reactionaries”, in Modern Railways, page 31:
- Both the UK and Europe have experienced record summer temperatures in the past couple of years, which have brought home the fact that climate change is happening.2023 December 27, Richard Foster, “Building a greener future”, in RAIL, number 999, page 34:
- In short, mainstream parties no longer offer an element that every successful political project requires: a promise of a better world. But nativists still offer it. They solve the problem of climate change by pretending it doesn't exist.2025 October 11, Simon Kuper, “A utopian future is still, just about, possible”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 20:
- Derived terms
- climate despair, climate grief