As we know or should know from the news, global warming and climate change are already a problem of the future, if not of the present. It is a situation that should be stopped immediately or the destruction of the planet may be something imminent and irreversible. There are dire consequences of increased global warming that will spread throughout the world. It is up to us to actively participate to be able to stop its effects if we want that both we and the following generations can inherit the world we know today.
In this article we are going to tell you what the consequences of global warming.
Consequences of global warming
Warmer temperatures
Due to the activity of human beings and their emissions of polluting gases, we are increasing average temperatures globally. This happens because the gases we emit into the atmosphere, known as greenhouse gases, have the ability to retain heat. Rising temperatures globally destabilize the atmosphere and all its capabilities. This can reach cause droughts, increased rainfall to the point of generating more floods, increased hurricanes and tornadoes, etc.
This rise in temperatures can also create an increased risk of fires leading to deforestation. Deforestation is one of the most serious environmental problems globally. This desertification that causes deforestation can lead to a loss of biodiversity and natural resources.
An example of this is that the Sahel suffered a food crisis that affected some 18 million people due to escaping rains. The global drought emergency is affecting many people who may die from extreme hunger due to lack of crops in agriculture.
An increase in storms
As we have mentioned before, the fact that the average temperatures at the planetary level are higher causes the rains to be more frequent since there is atmospheric instability. The level of flooding and its severity will increase over the years, as long as temperatures maintain this rate of increase.
Increased spread of disease
When we talk about climate change and the consequences of global warming, we are not only referring to abiotic agents. These temperature changes of several degrees can make temperate areas more welcoming to some serious disease-spreading insects. There can be cases from chagas, dengue or other diseases that are forgotten in developed countries and that have traditionally been colder.
If the temperatures are higher we will be allowing insects to increase their range. This is how they can reach our most temperate zones and spread diseases among us.
There are studies that show that just a single degree increase in ambient temperature can lead to the development of 3 million more cases of malaria in Ethiopia in patients under XNUMX years of age.
Heat waves
The heat waves produced by the consequences of global warming are increasing in frequency due to the accelerated burning of fossil fuels. In the North Pole we have had fossil fuel burning intensely and This makes this much hotter than 50 years ago. The health and even the lives of thousands of people can be put at risk due to increased heat waves. These heat waves will be more frequent and more intense.
Melting of glaciers and polar ice caps
All oceans are increasing in temperature as a result of global warming. This causes the ice and the polar caps of mountain glaciers to melt in the oceans as well. An error that people often make when evaluating sea level rise is that they do not take into account that the glacier must be on the earth's surface. If the north pole were to melt completely, it will not cause a rise in sea level. However, on the other hand, if the polar ice caps of Antarctica melt, that is when we are going to increase the sea level.
This is because mountain glaciers are already occupying a volume within a land surface. The glaciers that are on the sea will simply join the liquid water since the ice occupies more volume of the liquid water they contain. The global scope of rising ocean temperatures includes substantial changes in the availability of water for both drinking and irrigation. Also provoke sea level rises, changes in water circulation patterns in the oceans and threatens the survival of thousands of species of flora and fauna that survive in these frozen ecosystems.
More violent hurricanes
The atmospheric instability that continues to increase is given by the increase in sea temperatures. This rise in temperatures makes hurricanes more violent. And this is because the hurricane uses the ocean as a medium to be able to expand and increase its distribution. A hurricane is a tool that our planet has to be able to distribute excess heat from warmer areas to colder areas. The warmer the oceans are, the more hurricanes there will be and the more intensity you eat.
This will entail destruction of cities, crops, shelf lament of all systems, increased disease and poverty, among others.
Changes in ecosystems
Natural ecosystems will have a higher temperature and less rainfall. This will trigger droughts and floods and makes the climate have to provoke new adaptations of both flora and fauna. This results in changes in the length of the seasons, the appearance of new monsoon weather patterns, etc.
Disappearance of animal species
Many animal species have to adapt to new climates since the current one is disappearing. Not all animals have the same adaptability. For example, Polar bears are dying by drowning since they cannot reach the floating ice and migratory birds have the capacity to migrate since they cannot continue with the temperature flows that they are used to.
More expensive food
Climate change threatens the supply and production of staple foods such as wheat. If crops are scarce, prices skyrocket. This affects all people in all countries. Among the consequences of global warming we have this lack of food or in the daily life of people and that can lead to wars and migrations of entire peoples who have to move to find a different destination to find food.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the consequences of global warming.