Climate Change
Life on earth has seen considerable transformation as a result of the global impacts of climate change. Let us uncover some of the most striking impacts that climate change has had around the globe.
Mounted temperatures, risen sea levels, dislodged seasons… do we need more? It’s high time we knew the importance of our environmental system which has long been exposed to the most dreadful ecological impacts of climate change. Climate change has terribly imbalanced life on earth by altering land and water, the two most essential aspects of our sustenance on planet earth. It is one of the greatest environmental challenges which is highly driven by human activity such as deforestation, urbanization, greenhouse gas emission, etc. Over a century ago, people all over the world used to burn charcoal and oil for household chores, factories, and transportation purposes. However, today, excessive burning of these fossil fuels has led to the emission of greenhouses gases such as carbon dioxide and methane in great amounts into the atmosphere. Hence, it is due to this addition of greenhouse gases that have induced earth’s atmosphere to warm even more quickly than it had been in the earlier times.
Note that, the impacts of climate change should not be construed as transformations in the global weather. Where weather offers tremendous variability, and is observed at a specific region for a particular time of the day, climate is a long-term aggregate of these everyday conventions, for example, the monthly or yearly average temperature or precipitation of a particular region. Keeping that in mind, let us first get briefed about some of the most common causes of climate change, followed by a study of the various impacts of climate change seen across the globe.
Climate Change: Causes
Scientists have sternly put forth their view on the key natural cause of climate change as human expansion of the greenhouse effect and global warming. This effect is a kind of warming that is caused when the earth’s atmosphere entraps the heat that is supposed to be radiated from the earth in direction of space. Gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, and water vapor in the atmosphere act as a glass on a greenhouse that allow the sunlight to pass through, however, blocking the heat from dodging.
On the other hand, human activities such as burning of fossil fuels has increased the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is again a terrible cause of climate change. Apart from that, clearing of land for agriculture, deforestation for industrialization, urbanization, etc. are other key causes of climate change. With increased air and water pollution levels, who will be able to escape from the deterioration of the ecological system? All causes considered, let us understand about all the impacts of climate change on the world.
Climate Change: Impacts
Above all, the changes in climate that we have been witnessing are hard to predict as a result of the eccentricity they hold. Nevertheless, some of the most dangerous impacts of climate change the world has witnessed so far are listed below.
Risen Temperatures
The gases emitted by automobiles, factories, deforestation, etc. have trapped heat that is supposed to be radiated back to space, thereby, warming up the planet. Note that the past records may represent a rise of just a degree in the atmosphere, but even 1 degree is enough to warm the planet earth to a great extent. Higher temperatures have contributed to some horrifying health impacts of climate change such as increased deaths and illnesses, and other natural impacts such as storm intensities, and rise in the sea levels.
Rise in Sea Levels
As a result of a phenomenon called thermal expansion, melting glaciers have increased the level of seas due to increase in temperatures. This rise in the level of seas has augmented floods on low-lying areas, thus, eroding shores, damaging property, and thrashing ecology as a whole. Rising seas have highly contributed to the life-threatening economic impacts of climate change.
Shifting Landscapes
The changing patterns in rainfall and temperatures have forced the vegetation all around the world to shift towards the polar regions, thereby, undermining all the efforts of the conservation communes. This has highly affected national parks, land trusts, and world preserves.
Impact on Wildlife
One of the deadliest impacts of climate change is upon the wildlife. Experts believe that by 2050, one-fourth of the animal species on earth will head towards extinction as a result of this perpetual global warming. Changes in temperature, weather, and vegetation are forcing animals to move towards cooler regions of the earth for survival, which is likely to affect their existence as a whole.
Economic Catastrophes
Impacts of climate change on agriculture businesses, world infrastructure, and coral reefs have already cost the government a pretty penny. If not acted upon, climate change can have some utter damaging effects on the world property as a result of flash floods, hurricanes, and downpours. These calamities have potentially cost the government billions of dollars. Also, drought and famines in many agricultural regions has led to decline in crop yields, thereby, putting countless people’s lives at stake.
The impacts of climate change on the world have hit the world like none other. While the poor are the most dependent on natural resources for their sustenance, the deadly effects of change in climate have made it impossible for them to putting up with it. Illnesses, natural calamities, and decline in crop production are few of the major impacts of climate change which, if not taken care of, can be responsible for scourging world’s most susceptible biotic regions.
Author: Veethi Telang
