Future of the Planet with Global Warming

FUTURE OF THE PLANET WITH GLOBAL WARMING

Almost all scientists believe that global warming has a great impact on the earth itself as well as on the human race. It is largely caused by an increase in greenhouse gases because of human activity. While global warming can occur for other reasons, most believe that climate change is happening from the activities of humans. Things that have already occurred are changes in season timing, glacial retreat, rising seawater, and extreme weather events.

Climate change can occur because of sunspot activity, changes in the sun s output, or human activities. The temperature has clearly begun to rise as part of human activity in the last 100 years. This is largely due to an increase in greenhouse gases. Temperatures may rise in the 21st century to the same levels as existed 3 million years ago, in the Pliocene era.

There are several indicators that change in a world that is warming. Increasing parameters are air surface temperature, humidity, ocean air temperature, sea surface temperature, sea level, land temperature, and ocean heat contact. Decreasing parameters are sea ice levels, snow cover, and glacier size. Biological systems have also changed, including the migration of flora and fauna to areas near the poles. The main greenhouse gases are methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide, which are increasing in concentration.

With global warming, there is an increase in extreme weather events, particularly increases in heavy precipitation events. There will be a reduction in subtropical rainfall with increases in equatorial and subpolar precipitation. Dry regions will be drier and wet regions will be wetter. It isn t yet clear if tropical cyclones and flooding has been on the rise since global warming has started. Warm weather records are twice as likely to be broken as cold ones. In the far future, there will be more very hot days and fewer very cold days. The frequency of cyclones will stay unchanged but their severity will increase.

The cryosphere or areas covered by snow and ice has diminished and will continue to diminish. Arctic sea ice may be lost altogether by 2100 CE. Snowpack in North America will decline and the loss of glaciers and snow in Greenland and Antarctica will cause sea level rise. Seasonal activities in winter and water supply from glaciers and snowpack will decrease.

Oceans are a sink for carbon dioxide. Increases in carbon dioxide level will acidify the oceans so they cannot absorb any more. Oceans will not be able to absorb any more heat from the atmosphere, which can deplete oxygen from the ocean, affecting ocean life. Sea level rises will threaten coastal areas. The rise in sea level is from global expansion and the melting of glaciers and ice sheets. Thermal expansion takes on the greatest role in sea level rise so far.

Climate change will impact the food chain and agriculture. Certain cereals will be produced to a lesser degree and food security will decrease so more people will go hungry. Droughts are more frequent in parts of the world and there will be affects on human health, such as an increase in tropical diseases. There will be fewer deaths from exposure to cold. The water cycle is affected by temperature, which can affect human water supplies. There will be less fresh water for livestock and irrigation, as well as for mining and industrial use.

Migration and conflict will increase as coastal areas become uninhabitable. There could be an increase in political and military conflict should this occur. Larger increases in global temperature will decrease the world s gross domestic product.

There will be large impacts on biological systems. Higher carbon dioxide levels will cause increased drought, fire, species invasion, pest infestation, coral bleaching, and storms. Many endangered species will become extinct and there will be a decline in biodiversity. There could be abrupt changes that cause irreversible changes in the ecosystems and in biological systems. Thermohaline circulation in the Atlantic Ocean could shut down but this has about a 10 percent probability of happening this century.

Humans themselves could be impacted by heat waves, weather disasters, infectious diseases, low crop yields, changes in mosquito ecology, and marine productivity changes. Mental health issues could impact humans after these disasters happen. Poorer parts of the world will be more affected. Mosquitos could pass on more tropical diseases to both animals and humans. Extreme weather events could affect humans to a much greater degree.

The most common diseases that could increase with global warming include malaria and dengue fever. Malaria currently kills 300,000 children per year who are under five years of age. The rate of malaria is believed to increase by about 10 percent in the next 100 years. Dengue fever is also mosquito-borne, affecting up to 100 million people per year. It is an endemic disease in places like Bangladesh.

Temperature increases can cause loss of certain habitats and an increase in deaths from high temperatures. Cold snaps can occur due to disruptions in the polar vortex, which is caused by declines in Arctic sea ice levels. This will affect primarily the Northern Hemisphere countries but is expected to be short-term in nature. Water pollution will increase in warmer temperatures and freshwater sources, such as from glaciers and snowpack will decrease.

There will be increases in environmental migrants, particularly from island nations and coastal areas. Interpersonal conflict increases with increased temperatures. Wars and conflicts increase

when there are environmental factors, such as drought and higher temperatures. Electricity may be cut off in areas where electrical lines contribute to hot and dry areas.