Climate change is the result of human activities–such as burning fossil fuels, agriculture, and deforestation–that cause an increase in global greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in temperature increases and significant alteration to global climatic and weather patterns. This shift can exacerbate existing hazards, cause new ones, and is likely to have a severe impact on many socio-economic systems, leading to a variety of both acute and long-term problems. In essence, climate change is a true global challenge, one which must be addressed with a multi-faceted approach that includes both mitigation and adaptation efforts on an individual and systemic scale.

See also: fossil fuels, indigenous peoples, natural world, sacred activism, spiritual practice