The document discusses various climatic factors that affect plant and animal life as well as human structures and design. These factors include the orbits of the Earth, sun and moon; the composition of the atmosphere; and natural phenomena like volcanism, ocean currents, and the magnetic field. Specific climate types are also outlined such as tropical, temperate, polar, arid and desert. When examining climate, it is important to understand what types of plants and animals can thrive and how to structure human settlements based on the climate. Climate data like rainfall totals and temperature extremes should inform design approaches.