How to Better Understand the Climate Crisis: Your Questions Answered

World temperatures are rising because of human activity, and climate change now threatens every aspect of human life. Left unchecked, humans and nature will experience catastrophic warming, with worsening droughts, rising sea levels and mass extinction of species. The world faces a huge challenge, but there are potential solutions.

The stories we tell ourselves about the future.

It’s our last shot to save the planet, and these are the numbers that could change the end of the story.

We've looked at natural cycles and causes. None of them can produce this warming.

Getting to the bottom of which countries have contributed most to climate change is complicated, but a few pieces of data can help.

So much is happening, both wonderful and terrible – and it matters how we tell it. We can’t erase the bad news, but to ignore the good is the route to indifference or despair.

Many young people feel like their future is in peril. To make progress on climate change, we must move past doomsday scenarios.

We’re not powerless, even if it feels that way.

Climate change is tremendously complex — and we’re here to help. The climate desk at The Times has been collecting reader questions and has started answering them here. Type your question in the search box to see if we’ve covered it yet.

Saving the planet isn’t a one-person job. But there are ways each of us can protect and preserve Earth, from planting native gardens to supporting climate action organizations—and more.