EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

CLIMATE CHANGE
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Refers to a broad range of global phenomena created predominantly by burning fossil

fuels, which add heat-trapping gases to Earths atmosphere. These phenomena include
the increased temperature trends described by global warming, but also encompass
changes such as sea level rise; ice mass loss in Greenland, Antarctica, the Arctic and
mountain glaciers worldwide; shifts in flower/plant blooming; and extreme weather
events.
Ref: Whats in a name? Weather, global warming and climate change,
http://climate.nasa.gov/resources/global-warming/

Were facing the biggest environmental challenge our generation has ever seen. No
matter what were passionate about, something we care about will be affected by climate
change.

Over the past 150 years, weve changed the balance of our planet by living beyond our means.
In fact, were living as if we had 1.5 planets! Weve burnt huge amounts of fossil fuels (such as
coal, oil, gas), bred vast amounts of methane- producing livestock and cut down vast amounts
of
forests,
which
would
naturally
absorb
carbon
dioxide
from
the
air.
Climate change is affecting our brilliant planet in lots of ways.
Ref: The effects of climate change,
http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/tackling_climate_change/impacts_of_climate_change/

Climate change is already having a significant impact on ecosystems, economies and

communities.
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Rising average temperatures do not simply mean balmier winters. Some regions will
experience more extreme heat while others may cool slightly. Flooding, drought and
intense summer heat could result. Violent storms and other extreme weather events
could also result from the increased energy stored in our warming atmosphere.

One of the most serious impacts of climate change is how it will affect water
resources around the world. Water is intimately tied to other resource and social
issues such as food supply, health, industry, transportation and ecosystem integrity.

The impacts of climate change are already being observed across Canada's diverse
geographic regions. Canada's forests are expected to be among the most vulnerable
in the world to climate change. These forests support countless species and
ecosystems and are among the many examples of at-risk habitat.

The global meltdown of ice sheets and alpine glaciers represents another, taking an
immense toll on Arctic ecosystems.

Climate change also threatens the health of our children and grandchildren through
increased disease, freshwater shortages, worsened smog and more. These impacts also
pose incalculable economic risks that far outweigh the economic risks of taking action
today.

The world's leading scientists report that to prevent dangerous levels of global warming
governments should act to limit global warming to less than 2C by taking concerted action to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The sooner we act to reduce greenhouse gases, the less
severe impacts will be. Now is the time to implement solutions.
Ref: Impacts of climate change, http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/climatechange/science/impacts/impacts-of-climate-change/

Global climate change has already had observable effects on the environment. Glaciers have
shrunk, ice on rivers and lakes is breaking up earlier, plant and animal ranges have shifted and
trees are flowering sooner. Effects that scientists had predicted in the past would result from
global climate change are now occurring: loss of sea ice, accelerated sea level rise and longer,
more intense heat waves.
Scientists have high confidence that global temperatures will continue to rise for decades to
come, largely due to greenhouse gases produced by human activities. The Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which includes more than 1,300 scientists from the United
States and other countries, forecasts a temperature rise of 2.5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit over
the next century.
According to the IPCC, the extent of climate change effects on individual regions will vary over
time and with the ability of different societal and environmental systems to mitigate or adapt to
change.
"Taken as a whole," the IPCC states, "the range of published evidence indicates that the net
damage costs of climate change are likely to be significant and to increase over time.

FUTURE EFFECTS
Some of the long-term effects of global climate change in the United States are as follows,
according to the Third National Climate Assessment Report:

Change will continue through this century and beyond

Global climate is projected to continue to change over this century and beyond.
The magnitude of climate change beyond the next few decades depends primarily on
the amount of heat-trapping gases emitted globally, and how sensitive the Earths
climate is to those emissions.

Temperatures will continue to rise

Because human-induced warming is superimposed on a naturally varying
climate, the temperature rise has not been, and will not be, uniform or smooth across the
country or over time.

Frost-free season (and growing season) will lengthen

In a future in which heat-trapping gas emissions continue to grow, increases of a
month or more in the lengths of the frost-free and growing seasons are projected across
most of the U.S. by the end of the century, with slightly smaller increases in the northern
Great Plains. The increases will be considerably smaller if heat-trapping gas emissions
are reduced.

Changes in precipitation patterns

Projections of future climate suggest that the recent trend towards increased
heavy precipitation events will continue. This trend is projected to occur even in regions
where total precipitation is expected to decrease, such as the Southwest.

More droughts and heat waves

Droughts and heat waves (periods of abnormally hot weather lasting days to
weeks) everywhere are projected to become more intense, and cold waves less intense
everywhere. By the end of this century, what have been once-in-20-year extreme heat
days (one-day events) are projected to occur every two or three years over most of the
nation.

Hurricanes will become stronger and more intense

The relative contributions of human and natural causes to these increases are
still uncertain. Hurricane-associated storm intensity and rainfall rates are projected to
increase as the climate continues to warm.

Sea level will rise 1-4 feet by 2100

Global sea level has risen by about 8 inches since reliable record keeping began
in 1880. It is projected to rise another 1 to 4 feet by 2100. This is the result of added
water from melting land ice and the expansion of seawater as it warms.
In the next several decades, storm surges and high tides could combine with sea level
rise and land subsidence to further increase flooding in many of these regions. Sea level
rise will not stop in 2100 because the oceans take a very long time to respond to warmer
conditions at the Earths surface. Ocean waters will therefore continue to warm and sea
level will continue to rise for many centuries at rates equal to or higher than that of the
current century.

Arctic likely to become ice-free

The Arctic Ocean is expected to become essentially ice free in summer before
mid-century.
Ref. The consequences of climate change, http://climate.nasa.gov/effects/

CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS

A warming atmosphere leaves little unscathed
Because there are so many impacts of climate change, scientists have broadly categorized
them into three areas:
- Erratic climate and weather extremes
- Altered ecosystems and habitats
- Risks to human health and society

1.The primary impact: Earth's water systems thrown off balance

Emissions of heat-trapping gases from human activityespecially the burning of
fossil fuels for energycause our atmosphere to heat up. This atmospheric heating
unleashes a torrent of rapid changes to the way water systems typically function on our
planet.

The cryospherethe frozen water on Earthis melting.

A warmer atmosphere causes the planet's snow pack, glaciers and sea and freshwater
ice to melt at an accelerated pace. Melting glaciers and polar ice sheets contribute to sea level
rise. As the ice melts, it also exposes more dark ocean waters, which absorbs more sunlight than
ice, and thus heats the ocean more, triggering a cycle of melting and heating.

Weather of all kinds is getting more extreme

The increased evaporation of water is like fuel for storms, exacerbating extreme weather
events, such as hurricanes. Rising sea levels make coastal flooding events worse. In more
naturally arid areas, droughts and wildfires intensify.

The oceans are getting hotter, expanding, and becoming more acidic
The oceans are getting hotter, because they soak up 90% of the extra heat in the
atmosphere. This causes the oceans to expand, and this also contributes to higher sea levels.
Meanwhile, the increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the ocean triggers a chemistry
change that makes the water more acidic. The ocean is almost 40% more acidic than it used to
be.

2. This shift in water patterns then alters natural habitats

As climatic patterns rapidly shift, habitats on land and in the sea are changing,
making them inhospitable for some species, while letting others move in and take over. In
some cases, entire ecosystems are at risk of collapsing.

Coral and shellfish are suffering

Coral reefs are highly sensitive to small changes in ocean temperatures. The heat
stresses the algae that nourish the corals and provide their vibrant colors. The algae then leave,
and the corals eventually starve, an event known as bleaching. Also, a more acidic ocean affects
the normal calcium balance, meaning creatures with calcified shells, such as shellfish and coral,
may not have enough calcium to grow

Forests are more prone to deadly infestations

Milder winters and longer summers allow tree-killing insects to thrive. Meanwhile, trees
weakened by prolonged drought have lower defense mechanisms. This cycle of warmer weather,
weak trees and thriving insects is likely the culprit behind the massive die-off of 70,000 square
miles of Rocky Mountain conifers.

Our Arctic creatures need ice, but it's vanishing

As sea ice disappears, ice-dependent mammals like walruses and polar bears struggle to
survive. In 2008, the polar bear became the first animal to be added to the Endangered Species
Act list of threatened species because of global warming.

3. It also places many added burdens on people and society

Human life is thrown out of balance, too. One of the biggest impacts? Where, how and
when we grow food, which is vitally connected to our climate's normal patterns. More extreme
weather also means we face increased pressure on our health, infrastructure, and economy.

Climate change is a major threat to agriculture

The toll that climate change takes on agriculture is nearly incalcuable, and as a result,
our food security is at risk. All over the world, farmers are struggling to keep up with shifting
weather and increasingly unpredictable water supplies.

Warmer, polluted air affects our health

A warmer atmosphere increases chemical reactions that form ground-level ozone, also
known as smog. Smog is a well-known lung irritant and a major trigger of asthma attacks. Smoke
from wildfires further degrade the air. Extreme summer heat will mean more deaths during heat
waves, and warmer freshwater makes it easier for pathogens to grow and contaminate drinking
water.

Infrastructure and transportation are at risk, too

Hot weather, flooding and other extreme weather events damage infrastructure, put heavy
burdens on electrical supplies, and disrupt how we travel and commute.

Ref: Climate change impacts: A warming atmosphere leaves little unscathed,

https://www.edf.org/climate/climate-change-impacts