How Global Warming Is Affecting Us

We are living on the planet as if we have another one to go. In 2020, we are dealing with global crises like population explosion, hunger, poverty. Yet we are exploiting our resources that our environment is collapsing. As a result of our activities, an alarming situation is coming: Global Warming. We can furthermore define: When there is a net rise from the optimum temperature of the earth. Notably, the earth’s temperature has raised 1.5 Celsius from the 1880’s. Although this looks at a small increase, the effects of global warming are drastically noticeable. Likewise, changes were slow up to the last few decades, which showed rapid changes around us.

Global warming is neither caused by one factor nor does it affect only the temperature. The warming of the earth’s surface changes ecosystems formed, climate patterns, and everything else. A slight change in temperature brings drastic changes in the whole ecosystem. Although Carbon emission is one factor highly contributing to global warming, there are many more. Looking for the past few decades, our ecosystem has undergone drastic changes due to global warming.  Subsequently, the summers are breaking record every year and ice caps are on verge of melting. Besides that, there are several more changes we have undergone and will be looking further into it.

Causes

Global Warming occurs by a huge amount of carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases. Layers of the atmosphere around earth trap a certain amount of solar radiation. Following, this trapped radiation help in maintaining the optimum temperature for life. The huge emissions additionally from another layer around the earth and trap more solar radiance. This subsequently rises to global warming. There are various factors contributing which we will discuss briefly.

Read the causes in detail here.

• Vehicles: Automobiles are the main source of carbon emission. They run on fossil fuel. Additionally, when they burn produce CO2   and water vapor. Both gases are a major contributor to global warming.
• Industrial: Industries produces many gases in production. Moreover, they release these harmful gases in the atmosphere without any treatment.
• Deforestation: Deforestation is another main reason in the rising in global temperature. With a lesser number of trees, the carbon released in the atmosphere is not absorbed and an imbalance occurs.
• Agriculture: To provide optimal conditions for plants to grow, glass surface traps radiation. This is known as the greenhouse. The gases trapped in this setup are greenhouse gases. Subsequently, they contribute to global warming.

Impact of Global Warming

– Climate Change

Global warming has most noticeable changes in the climate around us. Here we do not refer only rising average temperatures as Climate change. Moreover, it is comprises of extreme weather conditions, shifting habitat and much more.

• Undoubtedly the most alarming change is in the sea level. Ice poles are melting rapidly, including glaciers and ice sheets. Subsequently global sea levels are rising 0.13 inches (3.2 millimetres) a year, or higher.
• Hence resulting in more floods and precipitation, whereas some areas are facing extreme droughts. This is increasing the risk crop pattern loss and new weather conditions.
• In addition, with glaciers melting at a rapid rate, less fresh water will be available in future. It should be noted that only 2.8% of water available is fresh.
• Above all, the extreme climate is also resulting in frequent forest fires. With only 6 million square feet left, we cannot afford more occurrence.

– Ecosystem

Ecosystem varies from size to size. One can be considered as small as pool and as big as a forest. To sum up, a special setting under which a habitat lives is an ecosystem. As result of extreme weather patterns, ecosystems are changing. Moreover, this is leaving species with only to option: to adapt or to extinct.

• Species in Polar Regions such as penguins and polar bears are highly affected. With their natural habitat being ice, they have no place left to move. Subsequently with ice caps melting, their population has dropped by 90 % or more.
• Also, with changing climate patterns, many species are fighting to survive with migration. Different types of butterflies, foxes, birds and alpine plants are moving to places with cooler temperatures. Other species that are unable to migrate will be facing extinction very soon.
• On the other hand, species like – mosquitoes, ticks, jellyfish, and crop pests are thriving with this climate change. Locusts and beetles attack – who likewise feed on the crops or trees are becoming more frequent. With their group of millions. they sweep the fields of crops clean under a few minutes. Further, this will add to more food shortage in the world.
• Many species of rare plants and animals are already extinct, because of unsuitable changes in weather conditions.

– Health

Surprising enough, Global warming has both direct and indirect impact on our health. With affect on functioning of body and mind, it moreover promotes outbreaks of diseases.

• Human body requires evaporate cooling to prevent overheating, even with a low activity level. With excessive ambient heat and humidity, adequate evaporate cooling does not take place.
• Extreme climate patterns extended seasons are creating climates that are able to sustain vectors for longer periods, allowing diseases multiply rapidly, and creating climates that are allowing the introduction and survival of new vectors.
• Too fast changes in temperature and humidity facilitate the spread of diseases. zootonic, e.g., the virus passed from animals to humans. Such diseases are occurring more frequently in the latest decades, due to a number of factors, so, as for now, 75% of all emerging disease is zoonotic.
•  Climate change does not affect everyone equally; those of lower economic and social status are at greater risk and experience impacts that are more devastating^. A 2018 study of CDC data connected temperature rise to increased numbers of suicides.