Trend Watch

Climate

World leaders gather in Paris to discuss climate change

When:

Lookups spiked on November 30, 2015.

Why:

The leaders of about 150 nations of the world gathered in Paris to discuss climate change. They hope to negotiate a deal that would limit average planetary temperature increase to two degrees Celsius in order to prevent the worst predicted consequences of a warming planet. Climate, climate deal, climate change, climate talks, and climate meeting are all being used in the news coverage of the gathering.

Climate means “the usual weather conditions in a particular place or region” or “a region with particular weather patterns or conditions.” It entered English through French from the Greek word meaning “inclination,” “slope,” or “latitude,” and ultimately from the Greek verb meaning “to lean.”


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