This document discusses the history of climate change from the 19th century to present day. It notes that scientists have been observing and studying rising global temperatures and their causes for over a century. It also explains the scientific consensus that the main cause of current climate change is human activity like burning fossil fuels that increases greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere. The summary concludes by stating that without significant reductions in these emissions, the negative impacts of climate change on the environment and human society will continue to intensify in the coming decades.