GLOBAL WARMING - CAUSE AND EFFECTS

“Global warming” is a phenomenon described by scientists as large scale shifts in the

weather patterns as a result of the gradual warming of Earth’s atmosphere.

Many scientists agree that this warming is caused by runaway greenhouse effect as a
result of the accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) in the
atmosphere from activities such as relying on coal power plants, fossil fuel, cattle
farming, and other activities.

These gasses form a layer in the upper atmosphere which traps heat coming from the
sun while blocking the ones from escaping from Earth’s surface through radiation,
causing the atmosphere to “warm”.

What are the effects of Global Warming?

● Extreme weather
As the atmosphere’s gas composition changes, so too does the ocean. The
accumulation of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere causes not only a
warmer ocean, but also a saltier one. Temperature and salinity plays a major role in
ocean circulation, which plays a major role in the weather patterns, as it is directly
linked to the water cycle. Increase in the ocean’s temperature and salinity can result
in more powerful tropical cyclones and more extreme droughts.
● Sea level increase
As the temperatures rise, ice in the polar regions begin to melt into the ocean in the
form of freshwater. This melting causes the global sea level to increase. Sea level
rise leads to coastal erosion, inundations, storm floods, as well as posing a
significant risk to coastal regions and communities. Almost two-thirds of the world'
major cities (cities with populations over 5 million) are located in these so-called
“danger zones”. Even a rise of just 3 meters, as projected by NASA by the year 2100,
would displace hundreds of millions of people.
● Destruction of natural biodiversity
The most widespread and devastating effects of global warming can be seen in its
impact on the natural biodiversity of Earth. Many of the world’s most exotic species
of plants and animals have gone completely extinct in the wild as a result of forest
fires, mass deforestation, pollution, and overexploitation of natural resources.
● Coral reef bleaching
Warmer water temperatures can result in coral bleaching. When the water is too
warm, corals expel the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues, causing the coral
to turn completely white. This is called “coral bleaching”, and it can turn an entire
colorful reef into a gray, lifeless wasteland. When a coral bleaches, it is not dead, and
they can survive bleaching events when given enough time, but they are under more
stress and are subject to mortality.
● Coastal erosion
The ocean's warming not only has negative impacts for those in the ocean, but also
for those on land. As sea level continues to rise and extreme weather events
become much more prevalent, coastal erosion becomes a major threat. Strong tidal
waves from tropical cyclones can erode coastlines over time, sometimes leading to
entire islands sinking under the waves as a result, which is already happening to
small islands in the Indian and Pacific oceans.
● Heat waves
Heat waves are periods of excessively hot weather which is usually accompanied by
unusually high humidity. They are caused by high pressure areas stalling over a
region for several weeks. Heat waves are normal atmospheric events, but thanks to
global warming's effects on the atmosphere, expect them to become a lot more
extreme and last much longer, causing bushfires, crop failures, and food shortages.