Fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum are the largest contributor to worldwide climate change. Did you know they account for approximately 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and 95 percent of carbon dioxide emissions?
Greenhouse gases trap the heat of the sun and increase the temperature of the Earth to a great extent. According to World News Today, warmer temperatures pose several risks to living beings. After all, they change the weather patterns and disturb the overall balance of nature.
The following write-up specifies the impact of climate change in detail. Please check it out right now.
1. Severe Storms
Storms have become extremely intense and frequent in various regions. When the temperature rises, moisture evaporates, and worsens rainfall and flooding. This ultimately paves the way for destructive storms. Tropical storms are also affected by the hot ocean. Typhoons, cyclones, and hurricanes gain nourishment from the warm waters on the ocean’s surface. They often ruin homes and are responsible for economic losses as well as deaths.
2. Excessive Drought
Climate change is affecting water availability. Water has become scarcer in plenty of areas. According to World News Today, global warming triggers water shortage and elevates the risk of agricultural and ecological droughts. The former destroys crops while the latter makes the ecosystems vulnerable.
Droughts also cause dust and sand storms, which move tons of sand throughout continents. Due to this reason, deserts are growing and people are not finding any land to produce food.
3. A Warm and Rising Ocean
The ocean soaks almost all the heat caused by global warming. The rate at which the ocean is getting hot has increased over the past decades. The volume of the ocean is also increasing because water expands on warming. Melting ice caps has also forced the sea levels to rise, putting island and coastal communities in great danger. The ocean also absorbs carbon dioxide and prevents it from reaching the atmosphere. But carbon dioxide makes the ocean acidic, which in turn endangers coral reefs and marine life.
4. Loss of Species
Climate change risks the life of species on land as well as in water. These risks increase with the temperature. As per research, owing to climate change, around one million species will become extinct within the next few years. Extreme weather fluctuations, forest fires, and life-threatening diseases are some of the consequences of climate change. A few species may be able to survive and relocate, but most will unfortunately not.
5. Lack of Food
Climate change is perhaps the main reason behind global hunger and malnutrition. Crops, livestock, and fisheries are hardly productive. With the ocean becoming acidic at a considerable pace, marine resources that sustain billions of people are jeopardized. Changes in ice and snow cover in multiple Arctic regions have obstructed food supplies from hunting, fishing, and herding. Heat stress diminishes grasslands, causing a decline in crop yields.
6. Significant Health Risks
Climate change is the biggest health risk humanity is facing at present. Climate change is already harming people’s health through air pollution, abnormal weather events, displacement, poor nutrition, diseases, etc. Each year, around thirteen million people die due to environmental factors. Changing weather is increasing diseases and deaths. The healthcare systems are failing to keep up.
7. Poverty and Dislocation
Climate change escalates the factors that keep individuals in poverty. Floods sweep away the urban slums, destroying homes as well as livelihoods. Heat can make it challenging to take outdoor jobs. Water scarcity affects crops. Over the last ten years, weather events have displaced about 24 million people, leaving many on the verge of poverty. A large number of refugees come from nations that are incredibly vulnerable and not prepared to adapt to the impact of climate change.
Now you know how climate change is reshaping our world. Well, to fight it, we all must work together. Even when someone does not share your perspective, try finding common ground. People trust family members, peers, and loved ones more than scientists, experts, and environmental organizations. So, talk to people regarding climate change and open their minds.
The United Nations has started a campaign that allows individuals from all parts of the world to undertake action for climate change and sustainability.