Global warming, climate change, the climate crisis.

Whatever you want to call it, it is the single biggest issue being faced by our planet.

But, despite scientific evidence to the contrary, there are many who deny that it is happening - or that we need to do anything about it.

I recently had the privilege of spending time with 800 people from across the Indo-pacific region, and former US Vice President Al Gore, discussing all the ins and outs of climate change.

Throughout this, one thing became clear to me. Although the words climate change and global warming are thrown around a lot, there are lots of people who don't understand the science of what is happening - and how it can result in all sorts of extreme weather, not just drought.

So here is the deal with climate change, in simple terms: The Earth's atmosphere traps what we call greenhouse gasses, things like carbon dioxide. As energy from the sun passes through the atmosphere, and bounces off the Earth, some of it becomes trapped by this layer of gas.

This is a good thing - it's what keeps Earth at a nice, habitable temperature for us humans, for plants and animals. The problem is, the layer of greenhouse gas in our atmosphere is thickening. The burning of fossil fuels, our agricultural practices, and other activities release gasses like carbon dioxide, which contribute to this layer.

As the layer of greenhouse gas increases, more heat is trapped.

This is not a good thing - it's what is causing global temperatures to rise, and what may cause Earth to no longer be a nice, habitable temperature for us humans, for plants and animals.

Over the past 50 years, the average global temperature has increased at the fastest rate in recorded history.

And this trend is accelerating, with the last 5 years being the 5 hottest years ever recorded.

These heatwaves have been deadly for many, especially the elderly and those living in poverty.

With increased temperatures we also see more water being evaporated from the ground, resulting in more extreme droughts.

The kind of droughts that leave communities like ours on high level water restrictions.

But climate change is linked to more than just heatwaves and droughts.

Warm air can hold more moisture, so as water is evaporated from land and oceans it builds up into large droplets.

But what goes up must eventually come down - and this water does, in the form of flooding downpours and extreme storms.

Increasing global temperatures are also melting ice sheets at the poles - causing sea levels to rise and threatening island and coastal communities.

These changes don't just affect us - they impact the habitats of plants and animals, and are predicted to be the major cause of species extinction over the next 100 years.

So often people advocating for action on climate change are written off as crazy "tree-hugging hippies".

That's not me at all. I'm just a regular person, asking you to really consider what the science is telling you, and help advocate for a better future for our planet.