Climate Trunk - Science

Posted on 18 August 2026 by BaerbelW

In April 2026 we published a guest blog post by John Lang in which he introduced his "Climate Trunk" graphics project and website. Since then, he has been adding one graphic per week and plans to keep going for about 2 years rounding out the big picture of human-caused climate change graphic by graphic. In this blog post we'll show-case the graphics related to climate science and will keep adding more as they get published.

What we know about the climate system, how we know it and where the uncertainties are.

#1 - It’s real

Global temperatures are rising fast. The long-term trend is unequivocal: Earth has heated by around 1.3°C since the late 19th century – with most of that increase coming recently.

Earth is heating.

#2 - It’s Us

Human activity is driving today’s heating. Greenhouse gases create strong warming, partly offset by cooling from air pollution. Natural factors play a minimal role in the long-term trend.

And it's 'unequivocal'.

#3 - It’s bad.

Climate change is bad news for societies built on stability. But the future is not pre-written. Within a single lifetime, the extent of heating – and the risks that come with it – depends on the choices societies make over the next decade or so.

The future has not been written.

#4 - We can fix it: net zero

Net ZeroNet zero is not a political slogan, it’s the physics of how we stop heating. Turn down the emissions tap as far as possible, then remove what’s left – bringing inflows and outflows into balance so temperatures stabilise.

Net zero is the only way to stabilise rising temperatures.

#12 - Matter of Degrees Not Thresholds

Climate change is a slope we slide down, not a cliff we fall off. Every fraction of a degree matters because that means impacts worsen and risks compound. By avoiding additional heating, it also reduces the risk of triggering irreversible tipping points in the Earth system.

Climate change isn't a cliff we wall off. It's a slope we slide down.

#17 - Two Centuries, One Conclusion

Climate science did not emerge overnight. It is built on two centuries of observation, experiment and discovery by thousands of scientists, all pointing to the same conclusion: human activities are driving today's global heating.

Modern climate science stands on the shoulders of giants.

#18 - A Reflection Problem

Climate change is first and foremost an emissions problem. It is also increasingly becoming a reflection problem. As Earth reflects less sunlight back to space, more energy stays in the climate system, increasing Earth's energy imbalance and accelerating global heating.

About 30 out of every 100 rays of sunlight are reflected back to space.

...to be continued!

Follow these links to dive into the other Climate Trunk rings: Impacts, Economics, Political Economy, Governance, Solutions, Energy, Daily Life.