Introduction
Climate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns when that change lasts for an extended period of time (i.e., decades to millions of years). Climate change may refer to a change in average weather conditions, or in the time variation of weather within the context of longer-term average conditions. Climate change is caused by factors such as biotic processes, variations in solar radiation received by Earth, plate tectonics, and volcanic eruptions. Certain human activities have also been identified as significant causes of recent climate change, often referred to as “global warming.”
Global warming definition
Global warming is the gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation.
It is believed to be caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide and other gases resulting from human activities such as fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, industrial farming, and animal agriculture.
Main causes of global warming
The main causes of global warming are greenhouse gases. These gases are released into the atmosphere by human activity and they absorb heat, thus raising the temperature on Earth.
All greenhouse gases contribute to global warming in some way, but some are more potent than others. The following is a list of these greenhouse gases:
- carbon dioxide (CO2)
- methane (CH4)
- nitrous oxide (N2O)
- ozone — another form of oxygen that absorbs radiation from Earth’s surface and prevents it from escaping back into space
Effects of global warming
Global warming has already begun to have a significant impact on the earth’s climate. These effects will become more severe as time goes on and global warming continues to escalate.
The most obvious effect of global warming is an increase in temperature. The average global temperature has risen by about 1 degree Celsius since 1880, with most of this increase occurring over the last 50 years. Melting polar ice caps are also contributing to rising sea levels, which threaten coastal cities and low-lying countries around the world. Droughts are becoming more frequent in some areas, while floods occur with greater frequency in others. Wildfires have increased dramatically due to dry conditions caused by higher temperatures and less rainfall during summer months (when most wildfires occur). Diseases such as malaria or yellow fever spread faster when temperatures rise above normal levels; scientists expect these diseases will kill many more people if current trends continue.*Food shortages*are also likely: food crops may not grow at all at certain latitudes if temperatures get too high for them; crops that do grow may produce smaller yields than normal because they require longer periods of warmth after germination; pests will thrive under these same conditions; animals may die off from lack of food sources if their migration patterns change significantly enough due to rapid climate shifts.*Diseases like malaria could spread further into higher latitudes where they normally don’t exist (and therefore affect populations who haven’t been exposed before); while places where malaria was once common might see lower rates because warmer weather means mosquitoes no longer survive long enough
Global warming facts and figures
The average global temperature is expected to rise by 4-6 degrees Celsius by the end of this century.
. By 2100, there will be a large increase in rainfall across Europe and North America, while Africa could see 50-100 per cent less rain.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that sea levels will rise by up to 1 metre by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current rate; this could spell disaster for low-lying islands and coastal areas.
What we can do about it?
You can help the environment, if you want to.
- Reduce carbon emissions: This may be a no-brainer, but the first and most important step is to reduce carbon emissions. In order to do this, we need to look at our habits and how they affect our environment. We all know that driving an electric car or walking instead of taking a taxi helps lower greenhouse gases in the air (reducing them). But did you know that eating less meat also reduces it? It’s true! A pound of beef produces more greenhouse gases than a gallon of gasoline! The best way to reduce greenhouse gases is by reducing consumption altogether because that will put less strain on our resources (soil/water/air etc) as well as lower pollution levels in general.
- Use renewable energy sources: If reducing consumption is too hard for some people who still want their coffee every morning before work, then using renewable energy sources should be an easier alternative for them (and everyone else). Solar panels are becoming cheaper every day so there’s really no excuse not owning one these days if you live in an area where sunlight isn’t limited during winter months like northern Canada or Siberia for example! Electricity produced by solar panels doesn’t pollute much either so this would result in cleaner air which means fewer harmful chemicals floating around inside your house which could cause health problems down the road when breathed into lungs regularly over time.”
What is waiting us in future?
- Sea level rise.
As the sea levels rise, it will put more pressure on coastal areas and cities, which will result in millions of people losing their homes.
- Drought:
Drought is an important factor that can lead to famine, especially when it lasts for several years. It is also one of the most significant effects of climate change because it affects agriculture production directly by decreasing crop yields and indirectly by increasing food prices (which may be too high for some consumers). This has been happening recently in some regions such as Africa where droughts have led to famine conditions in some countries such as Somalia or Kenya for example.* Increased risk of wildfires:Climate change causes drought which leads to a higher risk of wildfires because dry fuels are more likely to ignite quickly.* Extreme weather events:These include heavy rainstorms with flash floods or cyclones; heat waves; storms like tornadoes; hurricanes etc.* Increased risk of disease:Climate change-related diseases include malaria mosquitoes spreading faster due to warmer temperatures causing them hatch earlier than usual; ticks carrying Lyme disease migrating northward from their current range into Canada because winters become shorter so they spend less time dormant under snow cover during hibernation periods etc.* Food shortages caused by droughts lead to food insecurity – inadequate access at all times
Conclusion
In this article, we looked at global warming from many different aspects and hopefully, you now have a better understanding of how important it is for us to reduce our carbon footprint. We already see the effects of global warming all over the world. The problem is that most people are not taking this issue seriously enough because they cannot see any immediate consequences in their own life. If you want to help prevent climate change then start with yourself by reducing your energy consumption, using public transportation when possible or purchasing an electric car. Also, let’s not forget that these problems will continue until fossil fuels have been completely depleted or replaced with clean renewable alternatives like wind turbines and solar panels!
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