An Essay On Climate Change

Although climate change isn’t visible from one day to the next, year to year there are many visible signs of climate change, are there is strong evidence of this due to observations and measurements all over the world. Some of the most prominent visible signs are higher temperatures, more droughts, increased extreme weather events, changing rain and snow patterns, less snowpack, melting glaciers, shrinking sea ice, thawing permafrost, increased ocean acidity, warmer oceans and rising sea levels.

Higher average temperatures are being recorded worldwide, and this is caused by greenhouse gases trapping more heat in the earth’s atmosphere. 2000-2009 was the warmest decade ever recorded and It is predicted that the average temperature around the world could increase anywhere between1°C to 4.5°C by 2100, depending on whether humans keep adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere at the current rate, or reduce theses levels.

Many effects are occurring due to these temperature rises such as increased droughts which are expected to keep getting longer and more severe in the future. Extreme weather events, in particular storms are becoming stronger due to the upper layers of the ocean becoming warmer, higher air temperatures and higher evaporation rates. In the future is expected that heavier snowstorms and rainstorms will happen more often, and these storms could increase in intensity as the climate becomes warmer.

Changes are also being seen in snowpack, glaciers, sea ice and permafrost, and rain and snowfall rates, mostly in colder climates. Snowpack is decreasing due increasing temperatures causing snow to melt faster and earlier, and higher rainfall and less snow in high altitude cold areas, It is expected in the future that sno...

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...an others, and many species may become extinct. Pests, diseases and invasive species may also increase due to the climate change that occurs. Climate change may bring population growth to the area due to the warmer climate and more livable conditions, which may become problematic to maintain and these growing outside influences will also effect the culture of the people currently living in the area.

These two case studies along with the other information above provide examples of the vast impacts that climate change is currently having and further changes that are predicted to have on both the environment and human development in the future. Some of these impacts are positive however overall negative impacts are expected to occur. This will create many consequences and issues for future generations, some challenges which may be overcome, and some which may not.