Earth Fever is an interactive educational timeline that visualizes the trajectory of global climate change. It tracks key milestones in Earth's rising temperature from 1850 to projected scenarios beyond 2100, showing what different levels of warming mean for the planet.

What is the current global temperature rise?

As of 2023, global average temperatures have risen approximately 1.3°C above pre-industrial levels. 2023 was the hottest year in recorded history, with ocean surface temperatures reaching levels not seen in approximately 125,000 years.

What happens if global temperatures rise by 1.5°C?

At 1.5°C of warming — the Paris Agreement threshold — coral reefs are projected to collapse worldwide, extreme weather events become far more frequent, and hundreds of millions of people face water scarcity. Current emissions trajectories suggest this threshold will be permanently breached in the 2030s.

What can individuals do about climate change?

High-impact individual actions include adopting a plant-based diet, flying and driving less, eating local and seasonal food, reducing consumption, and — critically — using your political voice to support climate legislation and hold corporations accountable. Systemic change requires individual action and collective political will.

Earth Fever — An Interactive Climate Change Timeline

Phase I

Mild Symptoms

1850

The Baseline

Pre-industrial temperatures establish the baseline. Earth's thermostat is in balance — carbon absorbed equals carbon released. A delicate equilibrium maintained for millennia.

+0.0°C

1896

Arrhenius's Warning

Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius calculates that doubling CO₂ could raise global temperatures by 5–6°C. The world doesn't listen. The first cough goes unnoticed.

+0.1°C

1950s

The Great Acceleration

Post-war industrial expansion sends fossil fuel consumption soaring. CO₂ emissions double, then double again. The patient's lifestyle is becoming dangerously unhealthy.

+0.2°C

Phase II

The Fever Builds

1988

The Diagnosis

NASA scientist James Hansen testifies before Congress: global warming has begun. The IPCC is formed. The fever is officially recognized — but the patient refuses treatment.

+0.4°C

1997

Kyoto Protocol

The first global agreement to cut greenhouse gases. Ambitious on paper, toothless in practice. The prescription is written but never filled. The fever ticks upward.

+0.5°C

2005

Hurricane Katrina

Category 5. 1,800 lives. $125 billion in damage. Warmer oceans fuel increasingly violent storms. The planet is shaking with chills — violent, destructive tremors.

+0.6°C

Phase III

Critical Condition

2012

Arctic Ice Collapse

Arctic sea ice hits its lowest extent in recorded history. 3.4 million km² — half of what it was in the 1980s. The planet's cooling system is failing. The ice packs are the cold compresses sliding off a feverish forehead.

+0.8°C

2015

Paris Agreement — 1.5°C Promise

196 nations agree to limit warming to 1.5°C. A dramatic intervention. But emissions continue rising. The doctors agree on the treatment plan — then walk out of the hospital.

+1.0°C

2020

Australia Burns

The Black Summer fires destroy 46 million acres. Three billion animals perish. Skies turn blood-red over Sydney. The fever is causing organ damage. The lungs of the Earth are on fire.

+1.1°C

Phase IV

The Burning

2023

Hottest Year in 125,000 Years

Global average temperature shatters all records. Ocean surface temperatures hit levels not seen since the Eemian period. The fever has surpassed anything in human history. Every system is under stress.

+1.3°C

2030s

1.5°C Breached

The Paris threshold is crossed permanently. Coral reefs collapse worldwide. Extreme weather becomes the new normal. Hundreds of millions face water scarcity. The fever that was supposed to be prevented has arrived.

+1.5°C

2050s

The Two Degree World

Ice sheets pass the point of no return. Sea levels are locked in to rise by meters over coming centuries. A billion people are displaced. Ecosystem after ecosystem collapses. The organs are shutting down one by one.

+2.0°C

Phase V

Terminal

2100

Worst-Case Scenario

If emissions go unchecked: +3.5°C or more. Amazon rainforest turns to savannah. Permafrost thaws release trapped methane in a runaway feedback loop. The fever causes delirium — cascading tipping points beyond human control.

+3.5°C

2200+

A Hostile World

Much of the equatorial region becomes uninhabitable. Mass extinction rivals the Permian event — the Great Dying. The oceans acidify. The fever dream becomes a nightmare from which there may be no waking.

+5.0°C

The Prognosis Is
Not Yet Written

Every fraction of a degree matters. Every year of delay narrows our options. But the fever can still be brought down — if we act with the urgency this diagnosis demands. The patient is still alive.

Read the Full Diagnosis → IPCC

Cool the Fever:
What You Can Do

Every individual action compounds. You don't have to do everything — but you can start somewhere. Here are six of the most impactful changes you can make today.

🌱

Go Plant-Based

Animal agriculture accounts for roughly 14.5% of global emissions. Adopting a vegan or plant-heavy diet is one of the single biggest things an individual can do to cut their carbon footprint.

🏡

Eat Local & Seasonal

Food shipped across the globe carries a heavy carbon cost. Buying from local farms and eating what's in season slashes transportation emissions and supports your community.

♻️

Use Less, Reuse More

The greenest product is the one you didn't buy. Repair, thrift, borrow, and repurpose. Every item kept out of a landfill is a small victory against the cycle of extraction and waste.

🚲

Drive Less

Walk, bike, carpool, or take public transit. Transportation is the largest source of emissions in many countries. Fewer car trips means cleaner air and a cooler planet.

✈️

Fly Less

A single round-trip transatlantic flight can exceed the annual carbon budget a person should produce. Choose trains, video calls, or staycations when you can.

📢

Use Your Voice

Individual actions matter — but systemic change matters more. Vote, organize, support climate legislation, and hold corporations accountable. Your voice is the most powerful tool you have.

A Climate Timeline Earth Fever