Effects of human-made climate change

Our current human activities, from air pollution to deforestation, have had devastating effects on the planet’s ecosystem and this has been most rampant since the industrial revolution.

We have produced greenhouse gasses which have warmed up the planet at an alarming rate, resulting in climate change, which means there are dangers ahead for our oceans, food supplies, weather and our general health.

As the ice at the polar caps melts due to warmer temperatures, the coastal regions that are currently occupied can eventually be submerged because the extra water held in glaciers causes sea levels to rise, flooding these coastal regions.

The warmer temperatures make the weather extreme, too, as we face severe storms and floods, with the worst being longer and frequent droughts.

This will make the growing of crops very difficult and animals that feed in specific areas could move away over time as there will hardly be an ecosystem for them to thrive in.

Currently, the earth uses both aqua and plant systems to recycle carbon dipxice and return oxygen.

A recent study by climate scientists has shown the oceans are more stable, meaning the deep waters that carry oxygen and nutrients are not being carried up, while the water currently at the surface absorbs less atmospheric carbon dioxide to bury at depth.

Last year, the US Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealed that climate change could “empty the oceans of nearly a fifth of all living creatures” by the end of this century.

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