The term “global warming” refers to a steady rise in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere. However, climate experts who examine the evidence and facts agree that the world is warming. Some people believe that the impacts of global warming are more severe and occurring more quickly than others. Scientists agree that the average temperature of the Earth has risen between 0.4 and 0.8 degrees Celsius during the last 100 years.
Over last 50 years, increased carbon dioxide and emission of green house gases are the causes of global warming. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have forecasted that average global temperatures might rise between 1.4 and 5.8 degrees Celsius by 2100. Rising sea levels, melting of the polar ice caps, as well as a rise in the frequency and intensity of storms, are all possible effects of global warming.
From the North Pole to the South Pole, the Earth is warming. The worldwide average surface temperature has risen by more than 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit (0.9 degrees Celsius) since 1906. This increase is significantly greater in the most vulnerable polar areas. The consequences of rising temperatures aren’t something that will happen in the distant future. The world can feel the consequence of global warming. The heat is melting glaciers and sea ice, causing weather patterns to alter, and forcing species to migrate.
Many people confuse the terms “global warming” and “climate change.” But scientists prefer to use the term “climate change” to describe the complex changes that are now influencing our planet’s weather and climate systems. Climate change consequences does not include just in rising average temperatures. It is extreme weather events, shifting wildlife populations and habitats, rising sea levels, and a variety of other factors. As humans continue to emit heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, all of these effects are becoming obvious.
Scientists already have documented these impacts of climate change:
- Ice is melting all around the earth, especially at the poles. Mountain glaciers, ice sheets covering West Antarctica and Greenland, and Arctic sea ice are all part of this. The number of glaciers in Montana’s Glacier National Park has decreased from more than 150 in 1910 to less than 30 now.
- Sea-level rise is due to much of this melting ice. Sea levels are increasing at a rate of 0.13 inch (3.2 millimeters) per year over the world. In recent years, the flow has accelerated. And it is expected to continue in the future decades.
- Climate change is having an impact on species and their habitats. The disappearance of ice has posed a threat to species like the Adélie penguin in Antarctica. Some populations on the western peninsula have declined by 90% or more.
- On average, precipitation has increased over the world. Other areas are suffering from more severe drought, raising the danger of wildfires, agricultural loss, and drinking water shortages.
Mosquitoes, ticks, jellyfish, and crop pests, for example, are increasing. Bark beetles that feed on spruce and pine trees have decimated millions of acres of forest in the United States.
