Top 5 Facts: Climate change

1) Warming up

Average global temperatures increased by 0.85°C (1.53°F) between 1880 and 2012, and that figure is likely to reach 1.5°C (2.7°F) by the end of this century.

2) Sea levels

The global average sea level rose by 19cm (7.5in) between 1901 and 2010 and is predicted to rise a further 24-30cm (9-12in) by 2065.

3) Ice melting

Since 2003, Antarctica has been losing about 147 billion tons of ice per year and Greenland has been losing an estimated 258 billion tons per year.

4) Carbon emissions

In 2005 it was found that CO2 levels in the air were at their highest in 650,000 years, having risen from 280 parts per million to 379 parts per million in the last 150 years.

5) Species extinction

The golden toad (Incilius periglenes) is thought to be the first species to become extinct due to climate change. The last one died in Central America in 1989.

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