effect of humani activities in environment

Climate change, is the seasonal changes for a long period of time in the world. These climate patterns play an important role in shaping natural ecosystems, and the human economies and cultures that depend on them. For example, the changes in climate can affect how people, plants and animal live, such as food production and health risks. As the earth’s climate is dynamic and always changing through a natural cycle, the world is now worried about the changes that occurring today have been speeding up and seriously affecting human’s lives. All across the world, people are taking action to prevent climate change. For example, in 2007, scientists from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicted that warming oceans and melting glaciers due to global warming and climate change could cause sea levels to rise 7-23 inches by the year 2100. So, some islands and some small countries will be flooded by the sea water and even disappeared very soon caused by the global increase in temperatures triggers multiple negative effects on the planet. These effects interrelate with each other and increase their violence, putting at risk the species that inhabit the Earth, including the humans. In this info graphic you can see how the rise in temperatures caused mainly by greenhouse gas emissions affects multiple scenarios (United States Global Change Research Program, 2009).

The evidence that show the global climate changes (Naomi, 2004).

·         Eleven of the twelve warmest years since 1850 occurred between 1996 and 2006. Average global temperatures have risen by about 0.74°C between 1906 and 2005. The temperature increase is widespread over the globe but is greater at higher northern latitudes.

·         Sea levels have also increased in this period. Since 1961 the average rate has been 1.8 mm per year but since 1993 this has increased to 3.1 mm per year. The total rise for the 20th century is estimated to be about 0.17 m.

·         The average amount of water vapour in the atmosphere has increased since the 1980s over land and the ocean and this is consistent with the fact that warmer air can hold more water than colder air.

·         Mountain glaciers and snow cover have declined on average in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Widespread decreases in glaciers and ice caps have contributed to sea level rise. Satellite data since 1978 show that annual average arctic sea extent has shrunk by 2.7% per decade although larger decreases in the summer have occurred (average of 7.4 per cent).

The reason as to why global warming is such an issue today is because of the problem that humans are creating with anthropogenic contributions to greenhouse gasses. Many of the practices that humans employ create enormous amounts of greenhouse gasses to be released and this has been well documented to be significantly harming the earth. Modernity, modern technology and new lifestyles have resulted in human activities that produce a lot of greenhouse gasses such as deforestation, the combustion of fossil fuels, industrial action and farming animals Mike (Lockwood, 2009). 

The growing rise of industry (industrial activities) around the world and the rise of consumerism have resulted in the production of many goods, all using fossil fuels either directly or indirectly. Consider the example of something trivial a mobile phone creating something like this will lead to a large amount of components that need to be made using fossil fuels. Even if we want goods that have been grown on trees in our homes, they will need to be transported somewhere by transport that uses fossil fuels. There’s no real escape from it fossil fuels are in the fabric of modern life.

Mining activities causes methane and natural gas to escape from where it is trapped below the earth. Shockingly, many energy companies around the world that drill for new fossil fuels such as oil can actually end up burning all the natural gas off in the process rather than storing it because it is not economically viable to do so. This creates huge problems as there is a limited supply of natural gas and fossil fuels around the world.

Burning fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. It is called a greenhouse gas because it produces a “greenhouse effect”. The greenhouse effect makes the earth warmer, just as a greenhouse is warmer than its surroundings. Carbon dioxide is the main cause of human-induced climate change.

Deforestation is one of the biggest causes of global warming. Not only are trees cut down to make goods that need to be transported using fossil fuels, the removal of trees leads to a net loss of photosynthesis which is carried out by plants to make food. In this process, carbon dioxide can be absorbed and turned into oxygen, making food for the plants and cleaning the atmosphere as a result. The wide scale removal of trees and biodiversity life results in a large amount of carbon dioxide that can’t be converted to oxygen and so a huge problem for global warming.

Effect of global climate change cause by anthropogenic activities (USGCRP, 2014). 

The increasing concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere as the result of the burning of fossil fuels. Over the last two centuries, the growth of fossil fuel combustion has been closely coupled to global growth in energy use and economic activity. Fossil fuel emissions grew by 3.2% per year from 2000 to 2010, a rapid growth that is dominated by growth in Asian emissions and has exceeded all but the highest recent long-range scenarios for future emissions.

Global warming and greenhouse gasses are problematic as they raise the earth’s temperature, but exact effects of global warming exist and what effect will global warming have for our planet and our society in the future. Polar ice caps can melt, there will be widespread flooding all over the world, there will be an increase in the frequency and intensity of harmful natural disasters and the consequences to the economy will be detrimental to societal progress.

The melting of polar ice caps poses one of the biggest problems for human society. As the earth’s temperature increases, these large masses of ice and snow will melt and create the sea level to rise all over the world. In the same way, glaciers will also melt and create problems on land. According to scientific research, if all the snow and ice were to melt today, this would result in a raised sea level of over 200 feet worldwide and would be instantly detrimental to many low lying areas such as the Netherlands and other low lying islands around the world. It is the tragic case that most of the countries and areas that will be affected directly are often the ones that contribute the least to global warming.

Global warming occurs; biodiversity all over the world will suffer. Species will die off as they won’t be able to adapt to their changing environments and the migratory patterns of many species will be ruined, e.g. birds will get lost migrating to get food. Food sources will be compromised, e.g. most primates are at significant risk as global warming results in less nutritious plant content to eat and a reduction in animal niches.

Natural disasters such as hurricanes will be of greater occurrence and this will cause an increase in the economic effects. Hurricane damage alone will result in billions of dollars worldwide needing to be spent to rebuild societies and provide relief. It will be difficult for people and societies to keep up and offer enough support if global warming is too big of a problem. All natural disasters from tornadoes to droughts will all increase in intensity one can only imagine what a hurricane twice as strong would do.

Generally, to avoid the worst effects of climate change, we need to dramatically reduce global carbon emissions. But we must also prepare for the significant and unavoidable consequences of carbon emissions such as increasing temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, ocean acidification, sea level rise and the increasing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events. WWF works with local communities, governments and others around the world to help nature and people prepare for the many impacts of a changing climate. Also should protecting forests, forests are home to many of the world’s most endangered wildlife. They also protect the planet by absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2), a major source of pollution that causes climate change. Engaging business (industrial activities) Businesses have a responsibility to reduce their contribution to climate change, to set and meet goals to reduce carbon emissions, advance projects to protect their resources from climate impacts, and ensure the sustainability of their core business.

REFERENCES

Judith Lean (2010), “Cycles and trends in solar irradiance and climate,” Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change.

Mike Lockwood, (2009) “Solar Change and Climate: an update in the light of the current exceptional solar minimum,” Proceedings of the Royal Society A, 2 December.

Naomi Oreskes,( 2004) “The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change,” Science 3.

United States Global Change Research Program, (2009) “Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, “Cambridge University Press,

USGCRP (2014). Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment.U.S. Global Change Research Program. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, USA.