The term "warming climate" refers to an increase in global temperatures over time. This can be attributed to a variety of factors, including human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, which release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and trap heat from the sun. The result is that Earth's average temperature has been rising steadily since the late 19th century, with most of the warming occurring in the last few decades. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as "global warming" or "climate change."