Implications of climate change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changea group of experts who meet to provide policymakers with up-to-date scientific assessments on climate change is made up of over 1,300 scientists. They believe that a global temperature increase of 2°C is the critical level before irreversible damage and harm comes to many populations.
It is evident the effects of global climate change are very serious and it has already had noticeable effects on the environment.
Effects of climate change
Arctic sea ice melts
- Increased temperatures are causing ice caps to melt. As a result, habitatA place where plants, animals and microorganisms live. for animals including polar bears and emperor penguins are shrinking. This threatens the survival of these species.
- As ice caps and glaciers melt, sea levels rise. They have risen 24cm since 1880. Further increases will make many coastal areas uninhabitable, including the Shetland Islands in Scotland, and Japan
- global warmingThe rise in the average temperature of the Earth's surface. also affects weather patterns, leading to more intense heatwaves, and droughts, which causes crop failure
- Rising sea temperatures causes water to expand which increases flooding causing the extinction of species
- More extreme weather, such as HurricaneA large tropical storm system with high-powered circular winds impacts on human life
- Tourism problems are increasing, as there is less snow in some mountain resorts but more heat in other areas, eg the Mediterranean
- As temperatures rise, tropical diseases like malariaA potentially fatal disease spread by mosquitoes. are spreading to previously unaffected areas.
In the UK, climatologists understand our climate is changing with the highest temperature and rainfall levels recorded in recent years. These extremes have increased the risk of more floods, water shortages and extreme weather conditions.
