Global warming is causing average temperatures to rise due to increased greenhouse gases trapping heat in the atmosphere. This is resulting in sea level rise, more extreme weather, and impacts to ecosystems. Key effects include melting glaciers and ice sheets, rising sea levels, stronger hurricanes, ocean acidification harming coral reefs, and changes to forest and plant life. While some effects like increased rainfall in some areas may have benefits, on the whole the impacts of climate change are expected to be severely damaging to human and natural systems.