Which of the following is a key indicator of recent climate change and a potential societal impact?

• A. Global temperature rise.
• B. Decrease in sea-level.
• C. Stable weather patterns.
• D. Decreased extreme events.

Answer: (A)

Global temperature rise is the clearest signal of recent climate change because it directly reflects the net energy imbalance driven by human emissions. This long-term warming is measured consistently across many datasets and time scales, and it underpins other changes in the Earth system, from melting ice to warmer oceans. The societal impacts flow from this warming: more intense heat waves threaten health and productivity, growing seasons shift and crop yields can decline, energy demand for cooling increases, and infrastructure faces greater stress from heat and related droughts. The other options don’t fit: sea level has risen, not decreased; weather patterns are not simply stable but become more variable; and extreme events have become more frequent or intense in many places, not fewer.