There are a lot of different ways to look at our planet’s warming climate – such as more extreme weather events, increasing levels of vegetation in the Arctic, and even shifting seasons.

A group of scientists have came together to discuss what we can learn about the environment by peering back into Earth’s history.

Looking back to the last time Earth’s atmosphere had this much carbon dioxide in it, the scene is rather dramatic: there were trees growing at the South Pole, sea levels were up to 20 metres (66 feet) higher, and global temperatures were 3-4°C above what they are today.

That paints a worrying picture about how much CO2 we’ve got in our air, and how our world might continue to change as temperatures go…