Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Global Climate Change

Global Climate Change

Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.

What is Climate?

What is Climate?

Climate refers to the prevailing weather conditions in a specific area over an extended period. As the saying goes, “Climate is what you expect. Weather is what you get.” Climate is influenced by geographic factors, such as latitude, terrain, and proximity to bodies of water.

The Carbon Cycle

The Carbon Cycle

Carbon is the basis of all organic matter on Earth, and is recycled through the ecosystem in two primary processes: one in which carbon is exchanged among living organisms, and one in which carbon is cycled over long periods of time through fossilized organic remains, weathering of rocks, and volcanic activity. Human activities, including increased agricultural practices and the burning of fossil fuels, has greatly affected the balance of the natural carbon cycle.

What is Weather?

What is Weather?

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.

The Water Cycle

The Water Cycle

The Earth’s hydrosphere includes all of the areas where the storage and movement of water occurs. Since water is the basis of all living processes, the cycling of water is extremely important to ecosystem dynamics.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

[Science and gender, feminism and history of science: interview with Evelyn Fox Keller].

Historia, ciencias, saude--Manguinhos·2022

Same author

Active matter, then and now.

History and philosophy of the life sciences·2016

Same author

Doing justice to allosteric regulation.

Comptes rendus biologies·2015

Same author

From gene action to reactive genomes.

The Journal of physiology·2014

Same author

Towards a science of informed matter.

Studies in history and philosophy of biological and biomedical sciences·2011

Same author

Historical and philosophical perspectives on contemporary biology.

PLoS biology·2009

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 27, 2026

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions

Published on: March 31, 2023

Climate science, truth, and democracy.

Evelyn Fox Keller¹

¹MIT, Professor Emerita of the History and Philosophy of Science, United States.

Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences

|July 4, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This essay explores the critical link between climate science, truth, and democracy in the U.S. It argues for greater public engagement with climate change to ensure informed policy and societal action.

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Unveiling Plankton Response to Climate Change Through Time-Series Data and Artistic Expression

Author Spotlight: Unveiling Plankton Response to Climate Change Through Time-Series Data and Artistic Expression

Published on: July 28, 2023

Simulating Temperature in a Soil Incubation Experiment

Simulating Temperature in a Soil Incubation Experiment

Published on: October 28, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 27, 2026

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions

Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions

Published on: March 31, 2023

Author Spotlight: Unveiling Plankton Response to Climate Change Through Time-Series Data and Artistic Expression

Author Spotlight: Unveiling Plankton Response to Climate Change Through Time-Series Data and Artistic Expression

Published on: July 28, 2023

Simulating Temperature in a Soil Incubation Experiment

Simulating Temperature in a Soil Incubation Experiment

Published on: October 28, 2022

Area of Science:

Environmental Science
Political Science
Philosophy of Science

Background:

The essay addresses the urgency of climate change threats and the U.S. national response.
It was written in response to Philip Kitcher's "Science, Truth and Democracy" (2001).
It clarifies the relationship between climate science, truth, and democratic principles.

Purpose of the Study:

To provoke public engagement on climate science and its democratic implications.
To clarify the unique position of climate science in discussions of truth and democracy.
To foster dialogue among academics in science, philosophy, and sociology.

Main Methods:

Informal circulation of an unpublished essay.
Engagement in a dialogue with Philip Kitcher.
Development of a co-taught university course.
Publication of a book, "The Seasons Alter: How to Save Our Planet in Six Acts".

Main Results:

An extended dialogue with Philip Kitcher ensued.
A co-taught course at Columbia University was developed.
The book "The Seasons Alter" was published, reflecting optimism post-Paris Climate Accord.

Conclusions:

Recent events have rekindled concerns about the initial "darker mood" of the essay.
The essay's publication is suggested to encourage renewed discussion.
Continued engagement with climate science is vital for truth and democracy.