Okay. So it’s actually Wednesday, but Wednesday Meets doesn’t have the same ring to it.
RL interfered on both Janet’s side and mine, so this was the earliest I could bring you our visit with Janet.
With no further ado, here’s Janet speaking about Global Warming.
Global Warming: More Inconvenient Truths
The term “global warming” has become a very common word associated with environmental problems. Just to begin with, in simple commonsensical terms, global warming means, an illness of earth environment when not protected properly. It refers rise in the average temperature of earth because of greenhouse gases. These gases act like a blanket of the planet earth and scientists are claiming that the way we are adding chemicals to the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels is causing the blanket to become thicker. Due to the thickness of green house gases earth is becoming warmer and it is increasing every year. The effect of this is called global warming.
Scientists and researchers are saying that increase in green house gases is caused by human activities. The effects related to climate change are ecological as well as social. Mainly there are many ecological/ environmental problems related to the effects of global warming such as: seasons are changing, increase in temperature, and rise in sea levels.
I. Ecological/Environmental Impacts
- Rise in earth’s temperature
The earth’s temperature is rising constantly every year due to deforestation, power plants, automobiles, and other similar kind of sources that emit heat-trapping gases. In fact from the year 1990 each year earth’s temperature is increasing. The effects of this are, increase in heat related deaths and illness, increase in intensity of storm, rising sea level and many other dangerous consequences related to it.
- Change in landscape pattern
Rising temperature gives rise to many other environmental changes such as: changing seasons, changing in landscapes, and changing patterns of rain and snow fall. These changes are creating many unusual shifting in vegetations around the world. As plant communities try to adjust to the changing climate by moving towards cooler or warmer areas according to their need, the animals that depend on them are also forced to move accordingly.
- Risk for wild life
Many of the earth’s species are heading towards extinction due to climate change. Rise in temperature, changing weather and changing vegetation patterns across the earth are forcing many animal species to migrate to new areas in order to survive.
- Sea level constantly rising
Another ecological effect of climate change is rise in sea level. It happens due to mainly two reasons, first, a process known as thermal expansion: that means as the earth heats up, sea levels rise because warm water takes more space than cold water. Second, melting glaciers make the problem more complex by dumping more fresh water into the ocean. Due to rise in sea levels millions of people would be displaced from their native places because:
- Rising sea level threatens to flood low lying areas and islands.
- Threatens dense coastal populations.
- Erodes shorelines.
- Erode in shorelines destroys ecosystems such as mangroves and wet lands that protect coasts against storms.
- Risk of severe natural disasters (drought, fire and floods)
Sever and frequent floods, fires and droughts are seen as the effects of climate change due to intensification of water circulation. Lots of moister evaporates from water and land due to increasing temperature and this leads to drought in many places. At the same time the areas affected by drought are always at higher risk of flooding once rain falls. These have devastating consequences for agriculture and water supply. Similarly high temperatures and dry conditions also increase the risk of forest fires.
- Increased risk of stronger storms
Due to climate change there is always an increased risk of severe storms, hurricanes and tropical storms. As scientific research says that increase in ocean temperature is the main reason for stronger storms because stronger storms like hurricanes get their energy from warm water. At the same time, other factors such as rise in sea levels, disappearing wet lands, and increased development in coastal areas are the reasons that intensify the damage caused by hurricanes and tropical storms.
- Illness and diseases due to heat
It is not surprising that climate change brings health risks. Today heat related diseases are rising because of rise in atmospheric temperature. Extreme heat waves cause deaths across the globe. The reason behind this is heat waves as an effect of climate change. In addition to it there is also increase in spread of infectious diseases. It is because warmer temperatures are favourable to the insects and microbes to survive that cause many diseases.
II. Economic and Social Impacts
It is not only the case that climate change has very adverse effect on the earth’s environment but also it has affected the economies and business around the world. Global warming is causing intense hurricanes and similar kind of storms and because of these there is more severe damage to property and infrastructure. Along with this there are thousands of people at the risk of starvation, because there is decline in crop yields due to prolonged drought and high temperatures. Climate change impacts, agriculture and food production due to the effects CO2 in the atmosphere. Human society is more sensitive to the impacts of climate change that affects human settlement and health.
Author Bio:
Janet Adams has been chosen her career as a writer to serve in an organization, marketing paper writing service which helps students in building a successful career in academics. She has been set up Masters Degree in Business Studies from a reputed university and has a good experience in writing business papers as well.
Stein's Station 