Climate Change Ramped Up in 2010 | NBC Bay Area

The planet's long warming trend continued in 2010, which was the hottest year on record. Over the past decade, almost every year set records for heat.

Last month, it was confirmed that the arctic ice cap had shrunk to its smallest recorded size, according to Grist. The arctic has been particularly vulnerable to warming, along with Africa and some Asian countries.

Greenland and Canada also faced higher than normal temperatures.

But climate change doesn't just mean that summers will be hotter. It also means an exaggeration of other extreme climate conditions, such as "abnormally cold" regions in Europe.