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Frequently asked questions on climate change

Climate change research runs across many different disciplines from natural sciences, engineering and technologies to the social and economic fields. As such, it generates many questions from peope trying to gain a better understanding of the area.   Below are a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) on climate change to help you understand the topic in more detail. Sources for the answers include the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the European Environment Agency and www.change.ie.

How will climate change affect Ireland?
What factors determine Earth's climate?
What is the relationship between climate change and weather?
What is the greenhouse effect?
What are the main Greenhouse Gases?
What are the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the different gases?
How does human activity lead to additional greenhouse gases?
Is sea level rising?
Is the amount of snow and ice on the Earth decreasing?
Has there been a change in extreme events like heat waves, droughts, floods and hurricanes?
How is precipitation changing?
What caused the Ice Ages and other important climate changes before the industrial era?
Do projected changes in climate vary from region to region?
If emissions of greenhouse gases are reduced, how quickly do their concentrations in the atmosphere decrease?
Can individual extreme events be explained by greenhouse warming?
How do people adapt to climate change?
What impacts of climate change have already been observed?
What actions can be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
How likely are major or abrupt climate changes, such as loss of ice sheets or changes in global ocean circulation?
Are extreme events, like heat waves, droughts or floods, expected to change as the Earth's climate changes?
Can the warming of the 20th century be explained by natural variability?
How reliable are the models used to make projections of future climate change?
Are the increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases during the industrial era caused by human activities?
Is the current climate change unusual compared to earlier changes in Earth's history?
How are temperatures on Earth changing?
How do human activities contribute to climate change and how do they compare with natural influences?