Climate change is one of the major issues of the modern world, which poses a threat to the globe as a whole. Although there is a wide range of debates and arguments revolving around the given problem, it is evident that some alterations from normal, natural values are taking place. Human influence due to the activities might be the key catalyzer of the initiation of these processes.
In order to understand the source of climate change, one needs to distinguish it from global warming. It is stated: “global warming is one symptom of the much larger problem of human-caused climate change” (Kennedy and Lindsey par. 1). In other words, climate change had taken place before humans evolved, but the issue lies in the one, which is caused by direct human intervention (Kennedy and Lindsey par. 2). Therefore, such activities cause a rise in global temperature, which manifest in a wide range of undesirable consequences, such as droughts or floods. For example, the forest disturbances, such as abiotic or biotic imbalances, is mostly caused by sudden climatic variations (Seidl et al. 395). The fact of global climate change is confirmed by scientific observations and is not disputed by most scientists.
Moreover, climate change directly affects global water distributions through rains. It is stated: “lack of rain stresses vegetation and supplemental water reserves, and when their frequency increases, those reserves are less likely to recover before the next dry spell” (Gray par. 3). For example, in the United States alone, there were clear changes in occurrence and volume rate of heavy rainfall events, where northeastern states experienced a major increase (Gray par. 5). Therefore, it is essential to develop strong infrastructure for vulnerable communities in order to protect them from incidents of droughts and floods. The water distribution change also highly influences lakes and nearby groups of people (“Building Resilience in the Great Lakes” par. 1). The plausible solution can only be derived through the cooperation of all parties, including public officials, engineers, and the local population. It is stated: “active community participation ensures the evaluation and management of risk and monitoring and evaluation of adaptation options” (“Building Resilience in the Great Lakes” par. 2). In other words, the community itself is a key determinant of success in adapting to the climatic shifts.
Climate systems change both as a result of natural internal processes and in response to external influences, both anthropogenic and natural. Among the main external influences are changes in the Earth’s orbit, solar activity, the greenhouse effect and volcanic emissions. Climatologists agree that the temperature on Earth has increased recently, but the reason for this increase is debatable (Crate and Nuttall 61). Climate model estimates suggest that the average temperature of the Earth could rise by a significant amount. It is highly likely that this will lead to other climatic changes, including rising sea levels and changes in the amount and distribution of precipitation. The result will be an increase in natural disasters, such as floods, droughts, hurricanes, possibly lower yields and the disappearance of many species. However, it is difficult to unambiguously link any specific event to global warming.
The concern is that in addition to the natural causes of climate change, which have always been, another factor is added – anthropogenic. This is the result of human activity, whose influence on climate change is becoming stronger every year. The sun is the main driving force behind the climate. For example, uneven heating of the earth’s surface is one of the main causes of winds and ocean currents (Crate and Nuttall 109). Periods of increased solar activity are accompanied by warming and magnetic storms. In addition, the climate is influenced by changes in the Earth’s orbit, its magnetic field, the size of continents and oceans, and volcanic eruptions. These are all natural causes of climate change because until recently, they determined climate change. This involves the beginning and end of long-term climatic cycles such as ice ages. Solar and volcanic activity can explain half of the temperature changes, where solar activity increases the temperature, and volcanic activity decreases it.
Recently, one more factor has been added to natural elements, which is anthropogenic or caused by human activity. The main anthropogenic impact is the intensification of the greenhouse effect, the effect of which on climate change is higher than the influence of changes in solar activity. The greenhouse effect is the delay by the Earth’s atmosphere of the planet’s thermal radiation. Solar energy, passing through the atmosphere, heats the surface of the Earth, but the thermal energy emitted by the Earth cannot escape back into space, since the Earth’s atmosphere traps it. It transmits short wavelengths of light from the Sun to the Earth and traps long heatwaves emitted from the Earth’s surface. The greenhouse effect arises from the presence in the Earth’s atmosphere of gases that have the ability to trap long waves, and they are called greenhouse gases.
Greenhouse gases have been present in small quantities in the atmosphere since its formation. For example, polar bears, seals and penguins will be forced to change their habitats as the polar ice disappears (Crate and Nuttall 54). Many species of animals and plants will also disappear, not having time to adapt to the rapidly changing habitat. In the 19th century, the reason for such cooling was the eruption of volcanoes, and, in the current century, the reason is the desalination of the world ocean as a result of the melting of glaciers (Crate and Nuttall 152). In the short term, there may be a shortage of drinking water, an increase in the number of infectious diseases, and problems in agriculture due to droughts. In addition, there may be an increase in deaths from floods, hurricanes, heatwaves and droughts. The poorest countries, which are least responsible for exacerbating the problem and least prepared for climate change, could be hit hardest (Crate and Nuttall 87). Warming and rising temperatures, in the end, can reverse everything that has been achieved by the work of previous generations. The destruction of established and habitual farming systems under the influence of droughts, irregular rainfall can put the population on the brink of starvation.
In conclusion, after a rapid breakthrough into space and amazing discoveries made there, humanity again turns its focus to its common planet Earth. Earth problems should occupy an important place among fundamental knowledge. The future of the civilization and the general outlook that determines the prospects for the further development of society largely depends on their solution. One should be aware that the international scientific community now bears a colossal responsibility. The correct determination of climate change trends in the future and the directions of the main consequences of this change will save humanity from immeasurable disasters.
Works Cited
“Building Resilience in the Great Lakes.” U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit, 2019, Web.
Crate, Susan A., and Mark Nuttall. Anthropology and Climate Change: From Encounters to Actions. Routledge, 2016.
Gray, Ellen. “Earth’s Freshwater Future: Extremes of Flood and Drought.” Global Climate Change, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2019, Web.
Kennedy, Caitlyn, and Rebecca Lindsey. “What’s The Difference Between Global Warming and Climate Change?” Climate.gov, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2015, Web.
Seidl, Rupert, et al. “Forest Disturbances Under Climate Change.” Nature Climate Change, vol. 7, 2017, pp. 395-402.