Finding Accurate Climate Information in 2025

Every year we see dozens of headlines about climate change. Sea levels are rising. Biodiversity loss is exponentially increasing. Southern states are getting snow. It can feel like there’s an endless stream of new and dire information, which can be difficult to parse through. Though I’m an Environmental and Sustainability Studies major, I sometimes find myself shutting down in the face of so much bad news too.

None of us can handle it all. Fighting for a better future isn’t about keeping up with everything that’s going wrong all the time. That’s a recipe for burnout, which is what we want to avoid the most given the time-intensive nature of mitigating climate change. We need to cut through the noise.

There are 3 things everyone should know about climate change:

1. Greenhouse gases (GHG) trap heat within the Earth’s atmosphere.

This process regulates Earth’s climate and prevents extreme cooling that would make the planet uninhabitable. However, releasing greenhouse gases beyond natural levels can result in excessive warming.

2. Greenhouse gas concentrations have been increasing rapidly in the atmosphere over the past century due to human activities.

Our overconsumption of Earth’s resources, through extraction and pollution, has led to a significant rise in greenhouse gas levels, far exceeding natural rates in the past. This clearly links human activity to the increases we are observing.

3. The Earth’s average surface temperature has increased by over 1°C in the past century, emphasizing the urgent need for action to prevent a bleak future.

This temperature increase has already caused, and will continue to drive, droughts, extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and biodiversity loss, posing a serious threat to life as we know it.

These three facts clearly demonstrate the reality of human-induced climate change, detailing its process, causes, and consequences. Now that we know the 3 indisputable facts about climate change we can discuss how to find sources with additional information that don’t use hysteria-inducing headlines or biased political perspectives.

The IPCC is one of the best sources you can go to for climate information because they don’t conduct research, rather synthesize other scientists’ work to form a bigger, more accurate picture. This panel was established for and by the international community, highlighting how climate change is not just a polarized political issue but a globally relevant problem we all have a responsibility to address. Their last synthesis report came out in 2023 and details the changes we can expect to see in the coming years. It’s important to note, however, that the IPCC and other sources can only predict the future, not see into it. That being said, neither can anyone else, so it’s a safe bet to go to the sources that are grounded in data.

The IPCC reports can be extremely dense and full of scientific jargon, which is why I’d recommend reading the summaries for policy makers or SPMs which focus on key findings and use more accessible language.

Other sources of accurate climate information include:

• http://www.realclimate.org/
• http://stephenschneider.stanford.edu/Climate
• http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/
• http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/globalwarming.html
• http://nsidc.org/

Don’t get me wrong, these sources aren’t going to tell you everything is fine, but they are going to tell you it like it is. Whether we like it or not, time will keep moving forward. Knowing the facts enables you to make informed decisions with your personal lifestyle and involvement in politics.

As extreme weather events become more frequent, understanding the climate can help you reduce risks and prepare for what’s occurring in your area.

Additionally, on a more optimistic note, learning about and combating climate change isn’t just about staving off the worst of its effects, it’s also about building a world we want to live in. Spending too much time thinking about short-term gains is how we ended up with a polluted planet. Accurate climate data helps us plan for the future giving us an opportunity to invest in more equitable infrastructure, public health services, and economic systems.

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