Over the past 2.5 million years the Earth’s climate has constantly changed, shifting between ice ages and warmer periods, but over the last century temperatures have risen unusually fast. Many scientists think that human activity is the main cause behind these temperature increases, a process known as global warming.

The burning of fossil fuels such as oil and coal is known to release large amounts of carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere which then trap heat due to the greenhouse effect. Many believe this will and possibly already is having an affect on global weather patterns. As well as possibly having a huge affect on humans, global warming could put many animal species under the threat of extinction. Check out the video for more.