Scientists collected fossil samples and other data from 73 sites across the world and reconstructed the history of the planet?s temperature from the end of the last Ice Age to the present.

This period of 11000 years is known as the Holocene and includes all of recorded human civilization.

Global mean temperatures varied within a range of one degree Celsius during the Holocene. It was mainly caused by a slow shift in Earth's orbit, which changed the amount of sunlight falling on different parts of the globe.

The first half of the Holocene period was warm. Then there was a cooling trend that lasted approximately 5,000 years. About 200 years ago, temperatures began to rise steadily.

The past 10 years have been hotter than 80 per cent of the past 11,300 years.

The research shows that a one-degree temperature variation that took 11,300 years to occur has been repeated in the last 150 years from the start of the Industrial Revolution.

If the scientists' forecasts are correct, the planet will be warmer in year 2100 than it has been for 11,300 years.

• Climate change can increase or decrease rainfall, influence agricultural crop yields and affects human health.
• It causes extreme weather events – more storms, floods, droughts and heat waves - these will be abrupt and acutely felt affecting our health.
• World Health Organisation has identified five major health consequences of climate change.
• First one is Malnutrition : Changing  temperatures and precipitation, frequent droughts and floods will affect agricultural production impacting food security.
• Second is more frequent loss of lives and property due to storms and flooding.
• Third is outbreak of serious diseases like cholera and diarrhoea, especially when water and sanitation services are damaged or destroyed.
• Diarrhoeal disease is the second leading infectious cause of childhood mortality and accounts for a total of approximately 1.8 million deaths annually.
• Fourth problem is Warmer average temperatures causing frequent heat waves and leading to heat stroke and dehydration.
• Young children, aged and sick people and the poor are more vulnerable than others to heat-related illness. Demand for electricity in summer to run air conditioning increases air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. This in turn causes more heating and diseases
• Fifth problem: Changing temperatures and rainfall lead to more of insects that spread infectious diseases like Malaria and dengue.
• There are many other water borne and food borne diseases like gastro intestinal diseases caused by germs breeding under extreme weather.
• Following are some of the important steps to combat global warming:

• Food is the second largest contributor to global warming.
• When food rots, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says is 20 times more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide.
• Landfills account for more than a third of all methane emissions in the U.S.
• We all love partying and receiving gifts
• Celebrations and happiness derived are essential for every person however the gift syndrome has left the world with billions of wasted gifts which the donor gives with good intention but does not meet the expectations of the receiver.
• Life can become sustainable only if money wasted through such un-necessary gifts is used for productive purposes and the waste ending in landfills is reduced.
• The world is getting drowned by the huge e-waste from using too many electronic devices and changing them frequently.
• Innovate ways of installing cheap solar cells in each home and office roof top.
• Conserving natural resources – Primarily Water, Electricity, Fossil fuel, Paper etc.
• We should avoid use of plastic covers in groceries and vegetable markets and also we should make all beaches and parks as no plastic zones.
• Avoid use of items made from the animals like products made from ivory, feathers, animal skins etc.
• Switch to Vegetarian food.