The Earth we know today, will not look like this forever. The climate is changing, and it’s changing faster than ever. The consequences are occurring floods, droughts, wildfires, changing weather patterns, rising sea levels, and so on. Temperatures are quickly rising and continue to rise. It is real and happening right now, under our noses. Global warming is the greatest threat the Earth is facing the last 50 years, affecting the environment and humanity, and if no action is taken the results will be catastrophic. Global warming is caused by human activity. Most scientists and scientific experts have concluded that global warming is mainly caused by the industrial action and the growing population. Humans are putting too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere mostly by burning fossil fuels. The high amount of carbon dioxide that is released during the process increases the greenhouse effect and warms up the planet’s surface. More and more fossil fuels are being used to maintain the growing world’s population. Deforestation leads to an increased amount of carbon dioxide in the air. When trees are felled, the stored carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. Every minute we lose forests the size of 48 football fields. The impacts of global warming are alarming for the Earth. Right now, we already see the effects on a global scale. Since the Industrial revolution in the 19th century, the Earth’s temperature has risen by almost 1 degree Celsius. This may not sound like much, but the results are disastrous. The ice is melting, especially on the North and South Pole. The loss of sea ice also causes the habitat of polar bears, penguins and other arctic species to shrink. Sea levels are rising because of water expanding due to the warm temperature. When the temperature of the ocean rises, they become less able to absorb carbon dioxide. The increased ocean temperature also leads to coral bleaching. Areas are flooding because of the rising sea levels. In the future, this is going to be a huge problem, since 40% of the world population lives along the coast. In other areas, droughts occur because they last longer and have been drier in recent years. The warmer weather causes the soil to evaporate and absorb less water, also increasing the risk of flooding. Global warming is a complex problem and the solutions are not fast and easy. Turning your heater off won’t save the world. For effective solutions, we must make clear agreements like the Paris Agreement in 2016 or the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The greenhouse gasses that are in the atmosphere right now, will stay there for hundreds of years. This does not only affect the current generation, but also the future generations. During the Paris Agreement, 195 UNFCCC participating member states promised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Last year, 329 billion US dollars were invested in renewable energy. This ‘green power’ uses renewable sources, such as wind, water and sunlight. “Energy which is replenishable within a human lifetime and causes no long-term damage to the environment.” as said by Jamaica Sustainable Development Network. It won’t reverse climate change, but we’re working for a better world. Global warming is real and happening. Working to a sustainable future is a slow progress. The most important thing is to cooperate and work together for a brighter future. Not only for the current generation, but also for the future generations and the Earth itself.