Published on Feb 12, 2015

Performance by comedian Marcus Brigstocke. Climate change is no laughing matter, but when all else fails, perhaps it's time to take humour a bit more seriously? Humour has long been a powerful tool in the social-change arsenal, but is it powerful enough to help us break through the static on this colossal issue? Is 'laughing-it-off' just about evasion, or is it the key to transforming public perspective at scale, in time?

With the climate clock ticking we witness a seemingly endless cycle of public talks, journalistic comment pieces and debates on old turf, mostly reinforcing what we already know and fear. 

In a bid to generate a new dialogue that sparks enduring change, the RSA is embarking on a series of climate events with a difference, starting with a comedy night.

Last year was Earth's warmest on record, separate reports by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released on Friday showed.

With the exception of 1998, the 10 warmest years on record have now occurred since the year 2000, according to analysis of surface temperature measurements by NASA and NOAA.
NASA said since 1880, when record-keeping began, Earth’s average surface temperature has warmed by about 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degrees Celsius), a trend that is largely driven by the increase in carbon dioxide and other human emissions into the planet’s atmosphere. Published on Jan 16, 2015

Climate science explained in 60 seconds by the Royal Society and the US National Academy of Sciences.

During the last 200 years, human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels have increased concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere by 40%. If unchecked, continuing emissions will warm up the planet by 2.6°C to 4.8°C by the end of this century. This would have serious implications for human societies and the natural world.

This 60-second animation from the world's two leading science academies brings you the science behind climate change. Published on Dec 10, 2014

Looking for more?
- How confident are scientists that Earth will warm further over the coming century?
- Are climate changes of a few degrees a cause for concern?
- Climate is always changing. Why is climate change of concern now?

The full document 'Climate Change: Evidence & Causes' is available to read on the Royal Society website here.

Arctic Emergency: Scientists Speak On Melting Ice and Global Impacts. This film by Max Wilbert brings you the voices of climate scientists - in their own words.

Rising temperatures in the Arctic are contributing the melting sea ice, thawing permafrost, and destabilization of a system that has been called "Earth's Air Conditioner".

Global warming is here and is impacting weather patterns, natural systems, and human life around the world - and the Arctic is central to these impacts. Published on Aug 1, 2014
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Scientists featured in the film include: Jennifer Francis, PhD. Atmospheric Sciences
Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University; Ron Prinn, PhD. Chemistry
TEPCO Professor of Atmospheric Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Natalia Shakhova, PhD. Marine Geology International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska-Fairbanks; Kevin Schaefer, PhD. Research Scientist, National Snow and Ice Data Center; Stephen J. Vavrus, PhD. Atmospheric Sciences Center for Climatic Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Nikita Zimov, Northeast Science Station, Russian Academy of Sciences.; Jorien Vonk, PhD. Applied Environmental Sciences Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University; Jeff Masters, PhD. Meteorology .Director, Weather Underground