Climate Change Across The Globe: Causes And Effects

 

The year 2020 is one year that will remain bookmarked in the chapters of History for years. It has been a roller coaster or a journey for every one of us in this very particular year. From virus being the topic of the town to quarantine being a new addition to the dictionaries, this year has made us witness everything which we never had seen before. But one thing amidst all the hustle-bustle which caught everyone's attention was Climate Change!

The year kickstarted with Australian Bush Fires followed by the critical Brazilian Rainforest Fires. And just when everyone thought it could not get worse, the earth witnessed another climate shock with the Taal Volcano eruption. But this is not just this one year that is facing tremendous climatic changes. The climate change journey commenced hundreds of years ago.

In the name of development, we humans, have caused enormous destruction to our planet. Not realizing the fact that the Earth is the only planet currently that supports human life, we are on a rampage to destruct it from the core.

From glaciers melting to an increase in toxic gases in the air, from snow turning green in Antarctica to numerous occurrences of floods and earthquakes all over the world, our only planet of survival is getting damaged rapidly and rigorously. Considering all these, even a climate clock has been installed at Metronome, New York that is counting the days left for us to live on earth! It is probably one of the biggest signs that urge us to get conscious of the ongoing climatic conditions now or otherwise it will be too late!

Factors Involved In Climate Change

There are mainly 5 factors involved in climate change. They are:-

• Atmosphere i.e. air
• Hydrosphere i.e. water
• Biosphere i.e. living things
• Lithosphere i.e. earth’s crust
• Cryosphere i.e. ice and permafrost

Whenever there is an imbalance in all these 5 five factors, their repercussions reflect on nature in the form of calamities.

Causes Of Climate Changes

The following are the prominent causes that are the root causes of climate changes all across the globe:-

• Deforestation: Deforestation and climate change go hand in hand. They are interdependent on one another. On the one hand, where sudden climate change aggravates deforestation by wildfires and harsh weather, deforestation on the other hand leads to global warming. In order to save the earth from harsh climate changes, the matter of deforestation should not be overlooked.

• Agriculture: Another major contributor to climate change is, agriculture. Several agricultural activities and efforts are leading to an increase in the emission of greenhouse gases that are maligning the earth and its environment adversely.

• Greenhouse Gases: Greenhouse gases play a vital role in the climate cycles of the earth. A rise in such gases contributes to climate changes that hamper the environment to a large extent in return. An increase in CO2, CFCs, and other toxic vapors lead to the noxious environment which unless and until gets absorbed by oceans, land, trees, or other sources, keep existing in the air resulting in climate changes.

• Human Activities: As we mentioned above, we humans are one of the major contributors to climatic changes. Our activities including transportation, manufacturing, burning of fossil fuels, etc. cause CO2 to increase rapidly leading to global warming.

Effects And Impacts of Climate Changes

There are numerous effects and impacts that occur as a result of climatic changes. Some are visible and some go unnoticed but still prevail to make the environment face adversity. The significant ones are:-

Weather Changes

The immediate effects of climate changes are of course reflected on the environment. Some major effects include a rise in temperature, heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, floods, earthquakes, etc.

Health Problems

Climate changes often impact health in a long term. From people facing respiratory issues to suffering various cardiovascular ailments, climate changes can have long term effects on health.

Effect On Food And Water

With a surge in climate changes, the productivity of food resources gets hampered. It commences diminishing which results in an increase in its demand. This causes an imbalance in the entire system.

Rise In Sea Levels And Ice Shrinkage

With an increase in the high emission of greenhouse gases and an acceleration in global warming, the sea levels are rising enormously. The increase in ocean temperature is causing the ice sheets and glaciers to melt rapidly.

What Should Be Done?

If you want to save your planet, you must take effective measures to restrain climate changes. You must go for renewable energy equipment, promote recycling, reduce wastage of resources, find alternatives for fossil fuels, use carbon offsets, etc. These small steps can contribute a lot to save our planet from the harsh consequences of climate changes. As a one-step forward to save our planet, Ogmios Foundation has been contributing and working hard towards the sole goal of safeguarding the beautiful planet. Visit https://ogmios.nl/en/to know more about the awareness programs run by the foundation and how you can become a part of their noble campaign.