Implications of Global Warming - Report Example

Name Instructor Course Date Implications of Global Warming Global warming is a gradual increase of the Earth's atmospheric and oceanic temperature in a manner that is believed to change its climate permanently. As a result, global warming has got devastating, long-lasting, and far-reaching consequences on the planet (Venkataramanan 226). Global warming has attracted several debates among the scientists over the years. However, today there is a consensus in the scientific community that the surface of the Earth has been experiencing a gradual increase in the atmospheric and oceanic temperatures. In explanation, most of the scientists have agreed that global warming is taking place. Furthermore, they have considered the causes of global warming to be majorly caused by anthropogenic activities. For instance, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's report indicates that most scientists are in consensus that there is a link between global warming and human activities (Bradford). Approximately 197 scientific organizations at the international level agree that global warming is taking place, and human actions are the great contributor. The most common anthropogenic activity blamed for global warming has been the combustion of fossil fuel that releases methane, carbon dioxide, among other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. As per today, the impacts of global warming can be witnessed and physically measured in multiple ways. An example of the consequences of climate change includes the melting of the mountain glaciers and ice caps at the polar region. Some of the lakes in the world, including Lake Superior, have been experiencing a rapid increase in temperature. Animals and plants have, therefore, been forced to seek adaptation mechanisms. For instance, some of the animal species have been forced to migrate while plants have changed their routine activities such as leaf shade. Global warming has led to extreme temperature and an increase in the mean temperature. The most common, obvious, and immediate global warming effects have been the increase in the global temperature (Venkataramanan 228). It is approximated that the average temperature of the world has experienced approximately 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit or 0.8 degrees Celsius in the past a hundred years as per the data of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Bradford). Record keeping of the Earth's temperature started in 1895 with the hottest year being 2012. 2012 was also defined to be the tenth warmest year ever recorded. The year 2000 was the ninth hottest month while the fourth place was tied between 2003 and 2013. According to Scientific American, the 2014 statistics show some of the United States cities to be the warmest during summer. Furthermore, a 2014 World Meteorological Organization argues that the increase of deaths relating to heat has increased by more than 2,000 percent over the last ten years. Global warming has also led to extreme weather events. The extreme weather includes extreme winter and summer. In explanation, several countries have been experiencing hottest summer while other has been having colder winters. Climate change is associated with the temperature that affects the atmospheric pressure on the Earth's surface (Venkataramanan 226). The changes in temperature can lead to jet stream migration to the south thus making the Arctic air cold. As a result, some states in the United States have hard colder winters (Bradford). When the changes become common and regular, it is no longer called weather but climate change. Global warming can also lead to other extreme weathers in different forms. For instance, global warming can increase the intensity hurricanes, tsunamis, El Nino and La Nina. Though not fully confirmed; studies show that global warming might reduce the occurrences of the hurricanes but increase their intensity. Even though the frequency of the hurricanes might be reduced at the global scale, it might increase in some particular parts of the world. The increase in the intensity of the hurricanes is due to the impacts that climate change cause to the upper atmosphere and tropical oceans. In explanation, Hurricanes get their strength from the difference in temperature between the cold atmosphere and the warm tropical ocean. Global warming increases the difference in temperature thus increasing the intensity of the hurricane. Most damages come from the extreme hurricanes such as the typhoon Haiyan experienced in 2013 in the Philippines. It, therefore, means that increase in the intensity of hurricanes will make it more destructive. Global warming will also affect the lightening. A study conducted in 2014 shows that the lightning strikes in the United States are predicted to increase by 50 percent come 2100 if the global temperature continues to rise (Bradford). The researchers projected that lightning will increase by 12 percent for every increase in of temperature by 1 degree Celsius and 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit. As a result, United States developed the Climate Extremes Index in 1996 to enable the tracking of the weather events. According to the Climate Extreme Index, the extreme weather events have been fluctuating unusually in the past years. The extreme events have been increasing significantly. Climate Central report argues that the extreme weather events including rainstorms, blizzards, droughts, and heat waves will increase in intensity and frequency courtesy of global warming (Bradford). Statistics projections show that global warming will lead to significant change in the climate patterns. The changes will include the shift in the wind patterns, a variation of the seasonal temperatures, and annual precipitation. Furthermore, Environmental Protection Agency argues that the extreme weather events will be experienced for a long time due to the high amount of the atmospheric greenhouse gasses. For instance, in the northeastern parts of the United States, it is projected that climate change will lead to increase in the annual rainfall while it is expected to fall in the Pacific Northwest during the summer. The Figure 1 below shows the Thomsen Land’s glacier receding thus shrinking. The rock piles are left behind during the process thus forming the dark shaped piles. Source: Bradford Figure 1: Thomsen Land, northeast Greenland experiencing glacier recession Global warming can also lead to ice melt. According to the Environmental Protection Agency indicates that the snow cover in the United States has been decreasing steadily in since 1970 (Bradford). Furthermore, the Agency also argue that the permafrost’s temperature have been increasing over years. The most common dramatic global warming effects have been the reduction of the ice in the Arctic sea (Venkataramanan 226). The smallest amount of ice cover in the Sea was recorded in 2012. Studies indicate that the Arctic Sea might be without ice during the months that fall in the summer. Global warming has also led to glacier retreat. The world has only twenty-five glaciers that are bigger than twenty-five are today found only in the Montana’s Glacier National Park. Previously, there were approximately a hundred and fifty glaciers as pet the United States Geological Survey. Global warming has also impacted ion the ocean acidification and sea levels. The melting of the ice has led to the rise of the sea level. The World Meteorological Organization in 2014 reported that the rise in sea level has increased to 0.12 inches per annum as compared to the twentieth century mean annual rise that was estimated to be 0.07 inches. The melting of the polar ice at the Antarctic and Arctic region added to the melting of glaciers and ice sheets in Asia, Europe, South America, North America, and Greenland are projected to raise the sea levels significantly. The melting of the ice is greatly blamed on the anthropogenic activities. For instance, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's report that was released on 27 September 2013 indicated that there was a consensus among the climate scientists that humans are the once causing oceanic warming, rapid melting of ice, and rising in the sea levels. The changes have been recorded since the 1950s. The sea levels rose with about 8 inches in 1870 according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The increase rate is expected to increase in the future. If the trend continues, many of the people leaving in the coastal regions will be displaced. Studies indicate that the approximate sea level will be 2.3 feet higher in the New York City come 2100 (Bradford). During the same year, the sea level in Hampton Roads and Galveston will be 2.9 feet and 3.5 feet respectively. Failure to check the greenhouse gas emissions would see the sea levels rise to about 3 feet by 2100. The increase in the sea level is not the only aquatic ecosystem impact of the global warming. The increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide sees to it that it is absorbed. As a result, the sea water becomes more acidic. In explanation, when the carbon dioxide is absorbed in water, it forms carbonic acid that could corrode the shells and other skeletons of the aquatic animals despite making the environment not conducive. Acid solution dissolves the shells of the marine organisms that have shells. These shells are made of calcium carbonate thus corroded by the acidic solution. The increase in the carbon dioxide enhances the acidity of the sea water thus dissolving more of the shells. It is estimated that the increase in carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere will see a decline in the population of coral reefs and can even lead to the extinction of the species. Effects of global warming on the ecosystem is expected to be widespread and profound thus impacting both plants and animals. The warming temperature has already seen the animals and plants move to the higher altitudes or northwards as per the report of National Academy of Sciences. The animal and plant species are moving from the equator towards the pole (Venkataramanan 227). The movement is due to the search for optimum temperatures that they can survive in since the equator is unbearable. However, the rate of the climatic changes is higher than the rate of migration of the organisms. As a result, many of the animal species will become extinct as they cannot compete with the climatic changes or migrate faster to safer areas. Furthermore, the migratory insects and birds are of late arriving at their summer nesting and feeding grounds earlier compared to the twentieth century as per the report of the Environmental Protection Agency (Bradford). Warmer temperature will also increase the diseases affecting the plants and animals. In explanation, warmer temperatures will increase the number of disease-causing pathogens that were formerly found only in the subtropical and tropical areas. The animal and plant species that were previously naturally protected against such diseases are now becoming more vulnerable. If the effects of global warming are not checked, the world risks losing a half of its plant species and a third of the animal species by 2080 as per the Nature Climate Change report of 2013. Climate change also has got social effects. The effects of global warming will impact the natural world substantially thus affecting the human society both directly and indirectly. For instance, the agricultural sector is facing significant challenges. The seasons in some areas have expanded making it difficult for the prediction of the farming calendar. Furthermore, integrated impacts of various and several pests, lack of melting snow, severe weather, and drought will make the agricultural sector in some parts of the world struggle. Additional challenges in the agricultural sector will be caused by the decline of the underground water tables and the significant loss of the arable land. Global warming can also lead to livestock shortages and crop failures in the world. A study by North Carolina State University also indicates that the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide affects the growth of plants (Bradford). Even though the increase of carbon dioxide enhances the rate of plant growth, it has made them less nutritious. As a result, global warming will indirectly affect the health of humans seriously. For instance, studies by the American Medical Association have shown an increase in mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever and malaria. There has also been a rise in the number of chronic condition cases such as asthma. Even though studies have not yet managed to link global change to the chronic diseases directly, there is the likelihood that they integrate. Global warming has indirectly led to insecurity in some of the Earth areas (Venkataramanan 228). For instance, food and water insecurity in some areas such as Somalia in has created havoc. The international food markets have, therefore, experienced a strain as they struggle to sustain livelihood through food distribution. Global warming has also led to food riots, famines, and civil unrest in some parts of the world according to studies conducted by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the United States Department of Defense. Most of the projected effects are based on the climate models and scientific research. Some of the projected effects are already witnessed thus making the process credible. In conclusion, global warming has been having a great effect on the world ecosystems and the organisms that live in them. The effects of global warming have been so great and experienced in different ways depending on the organisms' location on the earth. For instance, the Globe has experienced an increase in extreme temperatures and also the mean temperature. Furthermore, it has led to increasing extreme weather events such as hurricanes and tsunamis besides the hottest summers and colder winters. It has also resulted in ice melt of the mountain ice caps and the Antarctica and Arctic regions thus increasing the sea levels. Global warming has also led to the acidification of the oceans. As a result, both plants and animals have been significantly impacted. Some of the social effects associated with global warming include disease outbreak and conflicts as people struggle for the limited resources. Work Cited Bradford, Alina. Effects of Global Warming. Live Science, 17 December 2014. Web. 15 May 2016. < http://www.livescience.com/37057-global-warming-effects.html > Venkataramanan, M. "Causes and effects of global warming." Indian Journal of Science and Technology 4.3 (2011): 226-229. Read More