SUMMARY

Climate change is now one of the biggest issues facing humanity because of its
environ mental effects and, above all, because its main determinant is the
increase of greenhouse gases
resulting from human activity.
Climate, considered on an average and variability scale, and not simply specific
valuesof
temperature, wind and precipitation, is the result of the interaction of solar
radiation, theEarth's
orbit, latitude, atmospheric composition, ocean currents, the albedo effect and,
above all, an thropogenic effects.
The acceleration of climate change in recent decades, as a result of increased
greenhouse
gases produced by burning fossil fuels, is a social reality that poses a serious
threat to different
ecosystems.
The increase in global temperature caused by the greenhouse effect is the
cause of
sealevel rise, the decline of the layers of snow and ice as well as the c hanging
trend in rainfall.
All these affect natural systems linked to ice, hydrological systems and water
quality, biologi cal sea and freshwater systems, and agricultural and forest
productivity.
Studying the causes of climate change and the evolution of its determinants, as
the IPCC
does, allows us to present general climate evolution scenarios according to
demographic, tech nological and energy consumption factors, as well as its
effects both within the European Un ion and globally.
Key words: Cambio climático, efectos medioambientale