The increased and unrestricted influence of humans’ activity on the environment has caused drastic climate change, which, in turn, has been gradually changing the environment. Although climate-related alterations occur at a very slow pace, their long-term effects are massive, leading to the destruction of multiple ecosystems and the extinction of numerous species. Since every minor change in the climate immediately sends ripples across the world, causing changes in habitats, animal migrations, and, eventually, species extinction, it needs to be taken into account as major and quite deleterious.
Climate change, particularly, the rise in the global temperature levels, is likely to cause major environmental issues and even disasters. First and most obvious, with the increase in temperature rates, the melting of ice caps will ensue, causing a gradual yet tremendous rise in global sea levels (Nerem et al. 2023). The described effects will cause the flooding of the areas that are located at sea level (Nerem et al. 2025). In turn, the effects of the flooding will involve the destruction of multiple soil types, which will be washed away. As a result, a range of plants will cease to grow in respective areas, particularly, at the coastal shell level. The specified effect will suggest that the wildlife consuming the said type of plants will also have to either find new types of food or go extinct.
Moreover, the increase in the intensity of heatwaves is expected to be observed, being the direct effect of the absence of ice caps, which currently contain the levels of sun radiation. In turn, the rise in radiation rates will inhibit the development and growth of a vast variety of plants, leading to a loss of a range of plants and trees. In turn, given the fact that trees and plants as the main source of oxygen are also essential for keeping most of the organisms, except anaerobic bacteria, alive, the described change will have a massively adverse impact on the environment.
In addition, the change in the global temperature will cause alterations across various ecosystems. Specifically, the plants that require lower temperatures will most likely become extinct and will be substituted by those that can survive a much warmer and damper climate. In turn, the animals that use the specified plants as food will also be on the brink of extinction as a result of the loss of the main source of nutrition (Mallory and Boyce 16). Therefore, the drop in the number of species that currently inhabit the Earth can also be regarded as a major adverse effect of climate change on the environment. Although the process of climate change is not immediate, and the time for animals and plants to adjust to the specified alterations might seem enough for adjusting to the new setting, most species are unlikely to survive the shock of the specified change.
In the androcentric perspective, the negative aspects of climate change include a decline in the amount and quality of crops, as well as a reduced amount of drinking water. In addition, health issues caused by the inability to adjust to changes in the temperature, humidity, and other characteristics of the environment will affect the entirety of humankind (Fitzer et al. 8978). Therefore, the global effects of climate change on humankind are going to be quite unfortunate as well. Moreover, given the expected drop in the variability and number of animal species due to the loss of natural habitats and plants, famine or, at the very least, a massive drop in the availability of food, not only for people but also for animals, is to be expected.
Finally, due to the rise in sea levels, the erosion of the coastal shell will be observed. Being another factor that shapes the ecosystem, As a result, a significant area of land that is currently used for agricultural purposes will no longer be suitable for growing crops (Fitzer et al. 8976). Thus, the availability of food will be reduced to a large extent, which will affect the quality of life for numerous people. Moreover, the described effects will affect multiple specifies that survive by consuming food that grows in the coastal area settings. Overall, the impact of climate change on the environment is going to be most destructive.
Due to the alterations in habitats, including temperature, humidity, and other relevant characteristics, and the resulting migrations, deterioration, and eventual extinction of species, including both flora and fauna, climate change has detrimental effects on the environment on a global scale. Moreover, as a result of the shifts in the global temperature levels, the melting of ice caps and the following increase in the sea levels will lead to multiple areas being flooded, which, in turn, will also affect their ecosystems, including the species that inhabit it. Overall, climate change is likely to affect the environment in a most negative way, which is why further efforts geared toward the conservation of wildlife and the reduction in the pace of climate change must be made.
Works Cited
Fitzer, Susan C., et al. “Coastal Acidification Impacts on Shell Mineral Structure of Bivalve Mollusks.” Ecology and Evolution, vol. 8, no. 17, 2018, pp. 8973-8984.
Mallory, Conor D., and Mark S. Boyce. “Observed and Predicted Effects of Climate Change on Arctic Caribou and Reindeer.” Environmental Reviews, vol. 26, no. 1, 2018, pp. 13-25.
Nerem, Robert Steven, et al. “Climate-change–driven accelerated sea-level rise detected in the altimeter era.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 115, no. 9, 2018, pp. 2022-2025.