Introduction
Climate change is a global phenomenon that generally occurs due to natural causes. However, global warming is a relevant problem that is getting worse each day because of greenhouse gas emissions from human-made factories and industrial processes. The global temperature rises, causing food security issues, biodiversity loss, and changing the weather. If humanity does not change its perspective on climate change, the earth might become uninhabitable for people at some point, and the effects of global warming are already evident today. As a result, if people continue to have misconceptions about global warming, climate change will negatively impact weather, food security, and biodiversity.
Impact on Weather
Gradual climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions inevitably leads to more unexpected and extreme weather patterns. Besides the drastic increases in temperature, global warming makes it challenging to predict storms, heatwaves, and other disastrous events that might lead to thousands of human losses and economic burdens (Scher and Messori 2931). In turn, if people cannot forecast extreme weather, preventing it and evacuating citizens from the local epicenters is impossible. It is safe to assume that natural disasters will become even deadlier in the 21st century unless people clear their misconceptions about climate change and start actively mitigating it (Scher and Messori 2934). Moreover, the gradual weather change, such as excessive rains and snowfalls, might significantly impair the agricultural industry, causing hunger in many countries.
Food Security Issues
Food security problems are direct consequences of climate change, particularly noticeable in developing countries. According to CARE, the global production of cereal is expected to decrease by 1-7% by 2060 (“Climate Change” 1). Moreover, since the global population will only increase in the future, the world will require more food to feed everyone. It is one of the most relevant problems because climate change with extreme weather patterns will gradually make agriculture less effective (“Climate Change” 2). If this trend continues, governments around the world will quickly deplete their food supplies, making people starve and increasing the gap between the rich and the poor. Hence, climate change will lead to food insecurity and social and political outbursts when people begin to die of hunger.
Biodiversity Loss
Lastly, global warming has a substantial negative impact on biodiversity as thousands of species might go extinct due to temperature rise. At first, global warming will melt the ice in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, making the lives of polar bears and other iconic species highly challenging (Shah). Consequently, sea ice loss will inevitably increase ocean acidification, meaning there will be more carbon dioxide in the oceans (Shah). It will make the waters uninhabitable for thousands of species, including fish and other marine organisms. Moreover, this change will have a long-lasting negative impact on the whole ecosystem, resulting in more food insecurity and extreme weather.
Conclusion
Climate change and global warming are global problems that lead to extreme weather, food insecurity, and biodiversity loss. To mitigate these issues, it is essential that people realize the imminent threat and collaborate to lessen the climate change impact. If humanity can address global warming effectively, it will deter all of the examined negative impacts since extreme weather, food insecurity, and biodiversity loss are closely related problems. To achieve this goal, the public needs to understand the significance of global warming and persuade governments and large corporations to make a positive change. Ultimately, it is not an easy task, but if people gradually realize the importance of preserving the environment, it might be possible to prevent the disastrous consequences.
Works Cited
“Climate Change Will Increase Food Insecurity.” Food Insecurity, edited by Louise I. Gerdes, Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints.
Originally published as “Adaptation and Food Security,” CARE International Climate Change Brief, Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE), 2011, pp. 1-5.
Scher, Sebastian, and Gabriele Messori. “How Global Warming Changes the Difficulty of Synoptic Weather Forecasting.” Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 46, 2019, pp. 2931-2939.
Shah, Anup. “Climate Change Is Accelerating Biodiversity Loss.” Biodiversity, edited by Debra A. Miller, Greenhaven Press, 2013. Current Controversies. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints.
Originally published as “Climate Change Affects Biodiversity.” 2011.