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Do you still talk to people who deny climate change? Do you know that it exists but you don't have the necessary arguments to hold a debate? There are numerous scientific evidences that are already available worldwide on the consequences of climate change and possible future effects. The truth is that, although today it is a subject with which we are beginning to be familiar, the scientific community began to warn about this phenomenon a few decades ago.
In this Green Ecologist article we will tell you about some of these consequences, so we hope you can clear up all your doubts and acquire the necessary information about the effects of climate change.
What is climate change
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (known in English as IPCC) it is a measurable alteration of the state of the climate and it stays throughout prolonged periods of time.
Currently, the planet Earth is undergoing a climate change, but it is not a new fact, since there have been other moments in the history of this planet in which changes have occurred in it due to natural factors; from periods of glaciation to periods of warming. According to experts in palaeoecology, currently we find ourselves leaving an interglacial period, which means, between two glacial phases. The truth, and this time it is novel, is that in this climate change there is only one culprit in history and it has led to a change in the climate system at a very accelerated rate on the geological scale. This culprit is the human being, who has been voraciously consuming fossil fuels to supply many of the activities carried out since the second half of the 18th century, a period that coincides with the first industrial revolution. It is from then on, when CO2 levels on our planet begin to increase dramatically and this fact has not stopped happening to this day. The future effects of climate change They will affect all corners of the planet and all regions will suffer these consequences to a greater or lesser extent.
The deniers will not believe it, but the truth is that we are already witnessing alterations in the environment and, so that you can debate about it, here are some data on the effects of climate change.
Increase in global temperatures of the planet
Today it is fashionable to talk about how devastating it would be to increase the temperature of the planet to 2ºC if we do not act immediately. But why? There is a correlation between increased CO2 and increased temperature And, according to the IPCC experts, in order not to reach that temperature limit, we should keep greenhouse gas concentration levels below 420 ppm (parts per million). Exceeding that limit would mean irreversible changes in ecosystems, such as, for example, an increase in large forest fires or loss of biodiversity, since there are animals that cannot support the rapid change of these temperature conditions, and in fact it is already happening.
We recommend reading these other articles on this topic to expand your knowledge:
- Solutions for global warming.
- Consequences of global warming.
- Difference between climate change and global warming.
Changes in precipitation patterns
Under the climate change scenario in some areas rainfall is increasingly concentrated in a wintry season and they occur in the form of more intense events, causing processes of soil erosion and loss of vegetation among others. However, this phenomenon occurs unevenly depending on the region of the map we are talking about.
In a publication of the Ministry for Ecological Transition (MITECO) they state that in the Mediterranean basin precipitation has decreased an average of 20% during the 20th century and it is expected that in the 21st century in the Iberian Peninsula conditions will be drier.
Here you can learn about the various types of precipitation.
More droughts, desertification and heat waves
Climate change increases heat waves, produces more droughts and also, consequently, more desertification of soils.
Since the 20th century, semi-arid climates have increased around 6% of the surface of the Spanish territory and, according to projections, it is expected that up to 75% of this territory will suffer desertification. In fact, according to some studies, it is currently known that a third of the planet's land surface suffers from this phenomenon and that a large part of it is found on the African continent. In addition, according to the WHO (World Health Organization) in the period between 2000 and 2016, the average number of heat waves increased by 0.37 days compared to the 1986-2008 period. The consequences derived from these predictions would be very problematic because, as we already know, water is essential for the life of living beings and its scarcity could lead to large migrations of the human population towards more humid regions, as well as the loss of endemic species of the Mediterranean region.
We recommend you watch this video from our YouTube channel about the Causes and consequences of droughts.
Increase in more severe hurricanes
Hurricanes or tropical storms are formed in areas of temperate water that, due to pressure changes with the air in the atmosphere, generate strong rotating winds. Although the scientific community still does not dare to confirm that due to the climate change increases the number of hurricanesYes, there are studies that correlate the rise in water temperatures with a change in their behavior, becoming more severe. There are areas of the planet, such as the United States, where the hurricanes that have caused the most economic losses have been registered in recent years, such as Katrina in 2005.
We encourage you to learn more about these phenomena with these other articles on What is a hurricane and how it forms and What is the difference between a hurricane and a tornado.
Melting of the poles and glaciers and rising sea levels
Because of global temperature rise of the planet due to the increase in the levels of greenhouse gases (GHG), there is a accelerated melting of glaciers and poles of planet Earth. In addition to the above, it also influences that, as the planet's temperature increases, the water in the oceans tends to expand and occupy more space.
Therefore, sea level rises and, according to National Geographic, in the last 20 years the increase has been more or less twice the average speed compared to the previous 80 years. But how much is that? This translates into an increase of between 10 and 20 centimeters in mean sea level, which implies the deterioration of coastal ecosystems in addition to large human migrations and significant economic losses if it is not allowed. we provide solutions to climate change urgently.
In these other posts we talk about Consequences of the melting of the poles, Causes and consequences of the melting of Greenland and The rise in sea level: causes and consequences
Other effects of climate change
To finish talking about the effects of climate change on the environment and on Earth's inhabitants, we indicate some more in this list:
- Loss of biodiversity and extinction of species. We advise you to read these other articles to learn about the extinction of species: what it is, causes and consequences and mass extinctions: what they are, causes and what they are.
- Appearance of new diseases and more spread of others that were reduced or located in a more specific area of the planet.
- Destruction of the habitat of many species and ecosystems.
- Economic instability due to, among other causes related to climate change, the damage caused by many of these changes caused by climate change, such as increased natural phenomena or that have spread to more areas of the planet and cause serious economic damage.
- Wars caused by economic instability that, among many other factors, is also due to climate change and the displacement of the availability of the resources that the planet offers us, from access to water to oil.
If you want to read more articles similar to Effects of climate changeWe recommend that you enter our Climate Change category.
Bibliography- IPCC: https://www.ipcc.ch/
- National Geographic staff. (November 9, 2022). National Geographic. Climate Change in Spain: impact and consequences: https://www.nationalgeographic.es/medio-ambiente/2017/10/el-cambio-climatico-en-espana-impacto-y-consequences
- Drafting of La Vanguardia. (December 9, 2022). The vanguard. Paleoecologist recalls that the Earth has undergone many climatic changes: https://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20191209/472142572041/paleoecologo-recuerda-que-la-tierra-ha-sufrido-muchos-cambios-climaticos.html
- Carballo, C. (October 1, 2022). Greenpeace. Lorenzo arrives: how climate change influences hurricanes: https://es.greenpeace.org/es/noticias/llega-lorenzo-como-influye-el-cambio-climatico-en-los-huracanes/
- NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/
- MITECO: https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/
- AEMET: http://www.aemet.es/en/portada
- WHO: https://www.who.int/es
