Is global warming and global climate change the same thing?

Answer 1

Well not really. At first the concept was 'Global Warming', but during the late 1990's and early 2000's, the climate started to cool off and winters were getting more severe. This made the "Global Warming" believers look foolish, after all, how can you have warming AND record cold and snowfall?

So the concept was changed to "Climate Change". Now if it gets warm or cool, it's climate change, floods or droughts, it's climate change, active hurricane season, quite hurricane season, it's climate change.

See how well that works? Now EVERYTHING can be blamed on climate change!!!

Answer 2

Actually yes. You'll hear climate change also involves cooling, but all the things related to cooling already have names, and don't need another.

This was originally called the greenhouse effect (by the scientists). It refers to the atmosphere's property of trapping heat from the sun, similar to a greenhouse. Used in conjunction with the level of CO2 in the atmosphere it refers to the rising temperature that has resulted from increased CO2 levels since industrialization (unless the laws of physics were suspended in this one case, as some argue)If you want to search for information about this topic prior to the Bush/Blair Administration Greenhouse Effect is the search term you would want to use.

"Global Warming" was I think coined as an intermediate term, probably mainly to get the explicit term "Greenhouse Effect" out of general use. It concedes the earth is warming up, but leaves out the cause.

Since 2000 the term "Climate Change" was put into use to mean both man made effects, like Global Warming and natural effects like like the Glacial cycle. This vague generalization allowed people to start saying all sorts of things about Global Warming that could not have been applied previously. It leaves out both the fact that the earth is getting warmer and the cause. I expect it was done to open a lot of ridiculous "debate", and thoroughly confuse the public on what was a straightforward issue in the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's.

Answer 3

Global warming is when various radiative forcing factors alters (in the case of global warming increases) the temperature, normally measured as average surface temperature. The radiative forcing factors can be green house gases, changes to the Earth's surface, solar radiation changes etc. If the positive forcing factors are greater then the negative ones then the temperature will increase.

Climate change, including global climate change, is a measurement of all relevant components that comprise 'weather', such as temperature, rainfall and so on, over an extended period of time. Variations in these averaged components is what make up climate change. They are effected by global warming, but they can also change without it. An easy to see example is plate tectonics. As the continents move the weather will alter.

Answer 4

Not exactly. Global warming refers only to a rise in teh average temperature of the Earth. In the current situation, it happens to be due to human activities, although, as you're no doubt aware, there can be natural global warming as well.

Climate change means a shift in climate and/or weatehr patterns that persist for a long period of time--it does not refer to short -term variations such as a hot summer or drought. A sustained reduction in rainfall in a region that lastes for sevral years or decades would be an example of climate change.

There can be various reasons for climate change. Global warming is one of them. So here's the relationship: we are facing a near-certainty that the current global warming will cause extensive climate change on a worldwide basis.

Answer 5

No.

Global warming is only 1/2 of global climate change. Climate change also involves global cooling.

Answer 6

Not really. They're different, but sometimes less-knowledgeable persons (*cough* the mainstream news) will call global warming 'global climate change'.

Answer 7

Climate change is the overall change in climate, global warming is the current warming trend; just like it sounds.

Climate change is constant and has always been constant. The earth's climate has changed from times when there were no ice caps to ice ages when most of the earth was frozen over. Many things effect the rate of change, including volcanic eruptions, collisions with asteroids and more recently, industrial pollution.

Answer 8

They're related but not the same thing.

Global warming is the term used to describe the general warming trend that is occurring, this has many effects on our climate and it's these effects that are termed climate change.

Global warming = cause, climate change = effects.

Answer 9

Not exactly.'Climate change' could refer to ANY change-warm, hot or cold.
'Global Warming' refers to a specific issue we have now.

Edit: 'mswaak83's answer-he/she said something about there being no snow before-interesting, will probably look into it but I wonder if we are capable of adapting to this if the climate changes to that state

Answer 10

Yes, It is the same thing>>>Global warming, and climate change. it is about the rising of temperature that is casued by greenhouse gases(e.x. CO2). Many scientist think that human activities is the cause of this temperature risen, but however there are few Meteorologists who disagree because they think that snow is new thing according the history of earth, so snow melting, and the rising temperature is normal since the earth used to be warm. the other side, think that the natural used to change by it self, but now human being try to play role by idusterial activities, so this is could be the reason.

i hope this will help

regards,