How do climate scientists make predictions?

Global temperatures are reaching record highs, prompting urgent analysis of climate models to understand Earth's future. Unlike fixed predictions, these models provide conditional projections that depend on human actions, specifically greenhouse gas emissions. NASA climate scientist Kate Marvell highlights the complex role of clouds, which simultaneously cool the planet by blocking sunlight and warm it through a localized greenhouse effect. This dual influence contributes to the Earth's energy imbalance, measured in watts per square metre, which indicates how much the planet's systems are out of whack. While the data confirms that human activity has driven global warming, it also underscores that the solution remains within human control. Because avoiding climate change entirely is no longer an option on the table, these scientific models serve as essential tools for navigating and adapting to an inevitable trajectory of environmental change.