Climate+Change

The earth has warmed by about one degree (F) over the last 100 years. Climate change is becoming the preferred term to global warming to convey there are other factors contributing to rising temperatures besides human activity. So whats the difference between the terms?? Climate change represents a change in weather patterms (temperature, rainfall, etc.) over a long period of time (decades or longer). The changes may be a result of:
 * natural factors such as the intensity of the sun or slow changes in the Earth's orbit around the sun
 * natural processes such as changes in the ocean circulation
 * human activities that change the earth's composition through the burning of fossil fuels and land surface

Global warming is an average increase in the Earth's temperature which can contribute to changes in global climate patterns. The warming of the Earth may lead to:
 * changes in rainfall patterns
 * rising sea levels
 * wide range of impacts on plants, wildlife, and humans

Source: US EPA