The Effects of Global Climate Change

The Effects of Global Climate Change

Melting Ice and Rising Sea Levels   the Inter-governmental Panel on climate change (IPCC) assessment reports predict, 18-59 cm, sea level rise by 2100. This rise can be caused in two ways:

·         Rise due to thermal expansion: Water, like other substance expands as it warms. Thermal expansion contributes more than half of the rise in sea level. The current rate is about 3mm per year.

·         Rise due to melting of glacier and thawing of ice at the South Pole:  As the overall temperature of the earth has increased, a major thawing of glaciers and the polar ice caps has occurred. The area of ice-covered ocean in the Arctic has decreased significantly over the  past  several decades. Mountain glaciers around the world are also melting at accelerating rates.

Increasing Ocean Acidification As there is increase in CO₂ in the atmosphere; there is going to be more CO₂ in the oceans. The resulting change in the acid content of the ocean will disrupt the ability of plants and animals in the sea to make shells and selection of calcium carbonate. Marine creatures will have thinner shells or skeleton. This will decline the ocean biodiversity.

Changes in the precipitation

 patterns  As the global climate change occurs, precipitation patterns will change, causing some areas to have frequent droughts. At the same time, heavier snow and rainstorms are projected to cause more frequent flooding in other areas.

Effects on Ecosystem  The sustainability of ecosystem will be lost. Massive extinction of species will aggravate the environmental crisis. Sudden collapse of biological and ecological system may occur.

Effects on Organisms   The biology of plants and animal species is fast changing as a result of climate warming, such as early flowering for plant species; migrations of aquatic species. Changes are also evident in many populations, communities and ecosystems. Other human –induced factors, such as pollution and changes in land use,  exacerbate threats posed by climate change . There are several studies conducted to date, which show impact of climate change in living organisms. The decline in zooplankton in the California Current has affected the entire food web; a similar decline in shrimplike krill has contributed too a reduction in Adelie penguin populations; temperature –related coral –bleaching occurs when temperature exceeds a threshold, affecting the coral symbiotic and making them and the corals more susceptible to disease-causing organisms that healthy corals are normally resistant to.

Effect on Human health   The relationships between human health and climate work at the systemic level, and both are complex and inseparable. Some forms of impact are evident as, for example, some 2003  heat wave in France has resulted in around 15,000 deaths. The ranges of mosquitoes and other disease carriers are likely to expand into the newly warm areas and spread malaria, dengue fever, schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis  and yellow fever.

Effect on Agriculture      The rise in sea level may cause water to inundate river deltas, which are some of the world’s best agricultural land. Certain agricultural pests and disease –causing organisms will proliferate and decrease the yields. The frequency of droughts will increase and soil moisture will decrease. There will be change in night-time temperatures, which has positive effects on some plants, but others like tomatoes will be difficult to grow. On a regional scale agricultural productivity will increase in some areas and decline in others.

Increase in hunger all over the world The world is going to face food shortage. Increasing drought and desertification will spread.