The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, (IPCC), released a new report detailing the consequences of climate change on Earth. It determined that the world must reduce its anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions significantly by 2030 if global temperatures are to remain below 1.5 degree Celsius (C). This would avoid severe consequences.
The report highlights five major risks. These are heat and drought, coastal flooding as well storm surges and sea-level rise. The "burning embers" chart, below, shows the severity of the risks at various levels of warming. Darker colors indicate greater stress levels.
The physical effects of climate change are not the only ones. There are also socioeconomic consequences. Increased risk of flooding and tropical cyclone surges will cause more people to be forced from their homes. This will result in more people being killed by climate extreme events. The report also found that the population at risk of coastal climate hazards will grow to a billion people by 2050.
While many of the impacts of climate change are already occurring, the report notes that the impacts are far larger than previously reported. Many species have been forced to range shifts, with about half of the land animals and plants moving their ranges to areas that are more conducive to survival.
Climate change has had severe consequences for access to water and food, in addition to altering the ecosystems. Many people are experiencing severe food insecurity as a result. In addition, rising temperature and storminess is reducing water availability. Natural disasters continue to cause displacements of over eight million people around the world.
More than eight percent of terrestrial species are now at very high risk of extinction. This number is expected rise to 13 percent at three and 15 percent at four degrees. A higher chance of regional extinctions also exists.
Increasing sea levels will make flooding more severe, and could lead to major cities exhausting their water resources. At the same time, oceans are warming, leading to hypoxia. This will make marine microbes less able to absorb oxygen. In addition, melting Arctic permafrost can release more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.
Another key threat to agriculture is the risk of drought. At two degrees, agricultural drought is projected to be 150 to 200% more likely. In addition, the expected decline in agricultural yields could be as high as 5 to 10 percent. Depending on how much CO2 is released into the atmosphere, this could cause zinc and other vital nutrients to diminish.
Changes in iron, protein and other nutrients are also a result of climate change. A study estimates that a carbon-equivalent increase in atmospheric CO2 will reduce zinc by 7%. Likewise, a CO2 equivalent increase will lower protein by 4%.
These results are based upon climate data from five global climate modeling. These findings are compared with two emission scenarios, a low and high scenario. Each one outlines different ways to reach macro-level conditions by 2030.
FAQ
What is climate and how does it affect us?
Climate change refers the long-term shifts that occur in global weather patterns due to an increase in greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. These gases trap heat and cause global temperatures to rise, which can lead to a variety of changes in weather patterns and climate. This could lead to rising sea levels, melting glaciers and extreme storms and dry spells, widespread coral reef bleaching, and the extinction of species.
Climate change is primarily caused by human activity, such as the burning of fossil fuels for electricity, transportation, and cutting down forests. These activities emit large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) into our atmosphere, which causes the planet to heat up faster than natural processes such as volcanic eruptions.
Global greenhouse gas emissions are also influenced by deforestation, which contributes about 15-20%. When trees are cut down or burned it releases their stored carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. Forests are also a natural carbon-sink that removes carbon dioxide from the air. Without this absorption capacity, carbon levels will continue increasing with devastating consequences for the ecosystems around the globe.
Human-caused pollution not only releases CO2, but also other harmful gases like methane (CH4) or nitrous oxides (N2O). Industrial processes have used methane extensively and it contributes to significant atmospheric warming. However, N2O is emitted mostly by agricultural soil management activities such as fertilization and tilling. These activities release excessive nitrogen into the soil which leads to N2O production when microbial contact occurs.
Humanity must work together across all levels of society, economy, and politics to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We need to shift from dependence on fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and low-carbon hydrogen fuels in order to limit climate change. A smart approach to reducing atmospheric contamination and preventing CO2 accumulation could be to replace polluting fossil-fuel technologies with ones that encourage zero-waste living. Reforestation projects, which are powerful aid in the fight against climate change by absorbing large quantities of CO2 back into nature and maintaining biodiversity, can help us take responsibility for our environmental impact.
How does climate change affect the world's oceans and marine life?
What is the effect of climate change upon the world's oceans?
Since its inception, climate change has had a significant impact on the oceans and marine life of the world. The loss of the ozone coating and constant oceanic temperature increase causes significant disruptions in marine ecosystems.
Climate change can also be linked to unpredictable weather and stronger storms. This can cause extreme sea level rises that can prove fatal for coastal areas. Additionally, temperature changes may cause water systems to lose oxygen. This can result in "dead areas" in which abundant marine life is reduced.
Climate change is also contributing to ocean acidification, caused by excess carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere that accumulates within the oceans. Ocean acidification alters the pH balance, which makes it impossible for some animals, like oysters, crabs, and clams to adapt.
Higher temperatures can also alter natural habitats by changing their geographic locations or shrinking them together, thus becoming uninhabitable for certain species that depend on them. An increase in ocean pressure can cause a drastic imbalance between predators & prey and lead to the extinction of many species.
The impacts of climate change have rippled through entire ecosystems. They impact multiple species either directly or indirectly through evaporation, decreasing water volumes, or sharp temperature changes. This could jeopardize any sustainable development for fishing and other maritime activities. Global climate change continues to wipe out entire species of life on Earth, transforming our future lives not only on the land but also deep below the oceans' surface.
What is the climate change's impact on ecosystems and biodiversity?
Climate change has many effects on biodiversity and ecosystems. Rising temperatures, changes in extreme weather events and sea levels, as well as increased acidity in the ocean are just some of the issues affecting wildlife and ecosystems today.
These changes can result in shifts of habitat areas, disrupting food chains or affecting population numbers or distributions. With potentially devastating consequences for biodiversity, ecosystems and their functioning, these shifts in climate conditions could cause significant impacts. Changes in the hydrological cycles can also have an impact on water availability for species that live in aquatic environments.
Climate change can also lead to rising temperatures and more extremes, such as droughts or floods. This places more strain on already fragile systems like coral reefs, tropical rainforests, and other ecosystems. The climate change will lead to the extermination or decline of as many as 30% of animal species in 2050. This could cause further destruction of ecological communities.
Climate change poses a significant threat to biodiversity and human societies, as well as to ecosystems that provide food, water, timber, or other services. You can mitigate the effects of climate change at all levels by reducing global warming trends. Further, future damages can be prevented with good management practices.
Statistics
- This source accounts for about 10% of all the water that enters this highly productive farmland, including rivers and rain. (climate.nasa.gov)
- The 100 least-emitting countries generate 3 per cent of total emissions. (un.org)
- The 10 countries with the largest emissions contribute 68 percent. (un.org)
- According to the 2014 report on Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability (page 8) from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, governments at various levels are also getting better at adaptation. (climate.nasa.gov)
- Indigenous peoples and local communities receive less than 1% of all climate funding despite scoring wins for people and nature Africa's broken food markets must be fixed to tackle hunger (climatechangenews.com)
External Links
How To
How to Incorporate Sustainable Practices into Your Daily Life to Fight Climate Change
It is possible to integrate sustainable practices into every day life by reducing the amount of resources you consume, such as food and energy. Instead of buying new items every day or week, try shopping secondhand or borrowing items from friends and family members. Also, vegetarian meals can be a great way to cut down on methane from livestock production. Turn off lights whenever you are leaving a room in order to conserve energy.
A second way to combat climate change is to reduce emissions from transport sources such as cars and planes by carpooling or using public transit instead. Renewable power sources, such as solar panels, can be used to replace traditional fossil fuels. To make climate change action effective, it is important to support policies that promote clean air regulations. Also, engaging with other citizens on issues such plastic pollution reduction and deforestation will help to create more conscious citizens that will take action.