Cause and Effect Global warming
What is global warming?
What is global warming? - Globally, annual temperatures have increased by just over 1 degree Celsius, or about 2 degrees Fahrenheit, since the Industrial Revolution. From 1880, when accurate records began, to 1980, temperatures rose an average of 0.07 degrees Celsius (0.13 degrees Fahrenheit) every decade.
result? Cause and Effect Global warming
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The hottest planet ever. Climate change deniers claim there has been a 'pause' or 'slowdown' in global temperature rise, but in many cases, studies including a 2018 paper published in the journal Environment Research Letters disproved this claim. The effects of global warming are already affecting people around the world.
Climate scientists now conclude that global warming must be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2040 to avoid a future in which everyday life around the world faces the worst and most devastating impacts. increase.
These impacts are being felt by all people in some way, but most notably the disadvantaged and economically marginalized, for whom climate change is a major cause of poverty, displacement, hunger and social unrest. people of color, people of color.
What causes global warming? Cause and Effect Global warming
What causes global warming? Normally this radiation escapes into space, but these pollutants can persist in the atmosphere for years or even centuries, trapping heat and making the Earth even hotter. These thermal contaminants, especially carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, and synthetic fluorinated gases, are known as greenhouse gases, and their effects are known as the greenhouse effect.
Natural cycles and variability have changed the Earth's climate many times over the past 800,000 years, but the current era of global warming is the result of human activity, particularly fossil fuels such as coal, oil, gasoline and natural gas. It is a direct result of fuel combustion. lead to the greenhouse effect. In the US, transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gases (29%), followed closely by power generation (28%) and industry (22%). Learn about the natural and man-made causes of climate change.
Curbing dangerous climate change will require very strong emissions reductions and the use of alternative fuels to fossil fuels around the world. The good news is that as part of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, countries around the world set new standards and formally committed to reducing emissions by developing new policies that meet or exceed those standards. It's what we promised. The not-so-good news is that we aren't working fast enough. Scientists say global carbon emissions will need to be cut by up to 40 percent by 2030 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. To make this happen, the international community needs to take immediate and concrete steps.
Decarbonize electricity generation through a just transition from fossil fuel-based production to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. Electrifying cars and trucks. Maximize energy efficiency in buildings, appliances and industry.
How is global warming linked to extreme weather?
How is global warming linked to extreme weather? - In 2015, for example, scientists concluded that California's prolonged drought, the state's worst water shortage in 1,200 years, was exacerbated by global warming by 15 to 20 percent. They also said that the probability of future similar droughts has roughly doubled over the past century. And in 2016, the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced that some extreme weather events, such as heat waves, droughts, and torrential rains, can now safely be considered a direct cause of climate change.
The temperature of the Earth's oceans is also increasing. This means that tropical cyclones can absorb more energy. In other words, global warming could turn Category 3 storms into more dangerous Category 4 storms. The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season produced a record 30 tropical cyclones, 6 major hurricanes, and a total of 13 hurricanes. Damage and mortality increase as intensity increases. The United States experienced an unprecedented 22 weather disasters in its 2020 that caused at least $1 billion in damage, while 2017 was the deadliest and deadliest year on record. was one
Everywhere, the effects of global warming are being felt. In recent years, extreme heat waves have been responsible for tens of thousands of fatalities worldwide. Additionally, Antarctica has lost nearly four trillion metric tonnes of ice since the 1990s, which is a worrying portent of future occurrences. According to some experts, if we continue to burn fossil fuels at our current rate, the rate of loss might increase, raising sea levels several metres within the next 50 to 150 years and wreaking havoc on coastal cities around the world.
What are the other effects of global warming?
Every year, scientists discover new information about the effects of global warming and evidence of its catastrophic effects on both humans and the environment. Communities suffer and mortality increases as a result of the frequent and strong heat waves, droughts and floods caused by climate change. Scientists predict that if we don't reduce our emissions, climate change would kill more than 250,000 people a year and enslave 100 million people by 2030.
The effects of global warming are already being felt in the United States. Here is just a sample of what we might expect if we are unable to control our emissions:
Shrinking glaciers, early snowmelt, and severe drought will create even more dramatic water shortages, further increasing the risk of wildfires in the western United States.
Sea level rise will cause more coastal flooding on the East Coast, especially in areas like Florida and the Gulf of Mexico.
Forests, farms, and cities will face new pests, heat waves, heavy rains, and increased flooding. All of these can harm or destroy agriculture and fisheries.
The destruction of habitats such as coral reefs and alpine meadows can lead to the extinction of many species of plants and animals. Increased growth of pollen-producing ragweed, rising air pollution levels, prevalence of pathogens, and favorable conditions for mosquitoes will make outbreaks of allergies, asthma, and infectious diseases more common.
Everyone will be affected by climate change, but not everyone will be affected in the same way. Indigenous peoples, people of color, and the economically disadvantaged tend to be the most affected. Ingrained inequalities in our housing, health care, and employment systems make these communities more vulnerable to the worst impacts of climate change, even if the communities themselves contribute little to climate change. increase.