Environmental, Social And Social Impact Of Global Warming

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STAGE 1 GEOGRAPHY:
Global Warming Investigation Word Count:1568

Investigate and outline the environmental, social and economic impacts of global warming.
Global Warming is a serious issue that the world today faces, with the overall temperature of the earths atmosphere consistently rising for a number of decades from approximately the 1980’s (as shown in figure 1). If the temperature continues to climb, even by as little as two degrees, scientists warn that serious repercussions will occur in the future. The wider repercussions will be felt in environment which in turn will impact on all life forms on earth. The result of global warming include a rise in heatwaves across the globe, increase in sea levels, increase in drought and natural disasters and hazards. Some social impacts of global warming include the production of crops and food sources, increasing number of refugees and migrants due to natural disasters and hazards and impacts on the overall health of humans (injury, disease and death). Some economic impacts include damage from natural disasters to infrastructure such as railway lines, roads, bridges and powerlines etc, damage to housing possibly creating future housing shortages. In addition, global warming will have an impact on the tourism industry and associated industries.
An outline of the effects of global warming and climate related processes.
At this point in time it can be said that the whole of the earth is in some way affected by global warming. For example, across the globe the temperature has already increased by 0.8 degrees celsius (National Geographic, 2014) but even more problematic is the sharper increase in both the north and the south poles causing rapid ice melting and the risi...

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...he Kyoto Protocol was created in Japan, it is an international agreement linked to the United Nations which sets “internationally binding emission reduction targets.” (United Nations Framework on Climate Change, 2014) At present there are 37 industrialized countries who have signed this agreement to reduce carbon and other damaging emissions to 18% below what it was in the 1990s in the 8 year period from 2013 to 2020. (United Nations Framework on Climate Change, 2014)

While experts don’t altogether agree on the effects of Climate Change, it appears decision makers of the world have recognised changes in our climate and how this is having an impact on populations and economies. This is proven by measures governments are taking as well as the coming together of the international community to address the problem. We can only hope we are doing enough - and in time.

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