Marine Corps Reserve Col. Anthony Fernandez, commanding officer of Task Force African Lion in Morocco, inspects the solar panel of an Expeditionary Forward Operating Base module during the testing phase of this sustainable energy initiative. Image by Maj. Paul Greenberg.

A fly fisherman in Yellowstone National Park watches a bison walk past him. The fish, the insects the fly fisher imitates, and big game like bison area all affected by climate change.

To model climate change, scientists incorporate complex models of the fluid dynamics of the ocean and atmosphere, such as this image from a model of the ocean around Africa.

Scientists can measure the increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide over the last 150 years. By comparing the type of carbon being added to the atmosphere, they see that the kind of carbon released by burning coal, gasoline, and natural gas is diluting the naturally-occuring carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Data from Trudinger, et al (1999). Image by Steve Newton for NCSE, in 2012.

A teacher explains climate concepts. Image via NREL.