Environmental Problems Part 6-Effects of Climate Change

Environmental Problems (Mooney, Linda, Knox, David, and Schacht)

Effects of Global Warming and Climate Change

Climate Change kills an estimated 30,000 people per year, mostly in the developing world (Global Humanitarian Forum 2009). The majority of these deaths are attributed to crop failure leading to malnutrition and water problems such as flooding and drought. The effects of global warming and climate change also include the following:

Melting Ice and Sea-Level Rise. Between 1901 and 2010, average global sea level rose by about 7.5 inches (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2013). Some forecasts predict that sea-level rise could reach 3 to 6.5 feet over the 21^st century (Muldrow & Ochs 2011). The two major factors that are causing a rise in the sea level are (1) thermal expansion caused by the warming of the oceans (water expands as it warms), and (2) the melting of glaciers and the Greenland and polar ice sheets. In 2012, sea ice extent (ocean area covered by ice) was at a record low, and in mid-summer, 97 percent of the Greenland ice sheet was melting (UNEP 2013). Scientists say the Arctic Ocean in summer could be ice-free by the end of the century (Leitzell 2011). Rising sea levels pose a threat to 10 percent of the world’s population that live in coastal areas, and 13 of the world’s 20 largest cities that are located in coastal areas (Muldrow & Ochs 2011). As sea levels rise, some island countries, as well as some barrier islands off the U.S. coast, are likely to disappear, and low-lying coastal areas will become increasingly vulnerable to storm surges and flooding.

Flooding and Spread of Disease. Increased heavy rains and flooding caused by global warming contribute to increases in drownings and increases in the number of people exposed to insect-and-water-related diseases, such as malaria and cholera. Flooding, for example, provides fertile breeding grounds for mosquitoes that carry a variety of diseases including encephalitis, dengue fever, yellow fever, West Nile virus, and malaria (Knoell 2007). With the warming of the planet, mosquitoes are now living in areas in which they previously were not found, placing more people at risk of acquiring one of the diseases carried by the insect.

Threat of Species Extinction. At least 19 species extinctions have been attributed to climate change (Staudinger et al. 2012). Scientists have predicted that, in certain areas of the world, global warming will lead to the extinction of up to 43 percent of plant and animal species, representing the potential loss of 56,000 plant species and 3,700 vertebrate species (Malcolm et al. 2006). The U.S. Geological Survey (2007) predicts that, due to the effects of climate change, the entire polar bear population of Alaska may be extinct in the next 43 years.

Extreme Weather: Hurricanes, Droughts, and Heat Waves. Rising temperatures are causing drought in some parts of the world and too much rain in other parts. Warmer tropical ocean temperatures can cause more intense hurricanes (Chafe 2006). With rising temperatures, an increase in the number, intensity, and duration of heat waves is expected, with the accompanying adverse health effects (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2007). Droughts, as well as floods, can be devastating to crops and food supplies.

Forest Fires. Another effect of global warming is an increase in the number and size of forest fires (Westerling et al. 2006). For every degree Celsius warming in the Western states, scientists project a two-to-sixfold increase in area burned by wildfire (Staudinger et al. 2012). Warmer temperatures dry out trash brush and trees, creating ideal conditions for fires to spread. Warmer temperatures dry out brush and trees, creating ideal conditions for fires to spread. Warmer weather also allows bark beetles to breed more frequently, which leads to more trees dying from beetle infestation (Staudinger et al. 2012). Dead trees become dry and increase risk of fire. Global warming also means that spring comes earlier, making the fire season longer.

Effects on Recreation. Winter sports and recreation, such as skiing and snowboarding, are threatened by decreased and unreliable snowfall, causing high economic losses for winter recreation businesses, not to speak of frustration for winter sports enthusiasts. In coastal areas, beach recreation is also projected to suffer due to coastal erosion caused by sea level rise and increased storms association with climate change (Staudinger et al. 2012).

Sources

Mooney, Linda, Knox, David, and Schacht, Caroline 2015. Understanding Social Problems. Cengage Learning: Boston, MA.

Global Humanitarian Forum. 2009. Human Impact Report: Climate Change-The Anatomy of a Silent Crisis. Genova: Global Humanitarian Forum.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2013. Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. United Nations Environmental Programme and the World Meteorological Organization. Available at www.climatechange2013.org

Muldrow, John, and Alexander Ochs (with Shakuntala Makhijani). 2011. “Glacial Melt and Ocean Warming Drive Sea Level Upward.” In Vital Signs, Linda Starke, ed. (pp. 43-46). Washington DC: Worldwatch Institute.

UNEP. 2013. UNEP Yearbook 2013: Emerging Issues in Our Global Environment. Available at www.unep.org

Leitzell, Katherine. 2011 (May 3). “When Will the Artic Lose its Sea Ice?” National Snow and Ice Data Center. Available at www.nsidc.org

Knoell, Carly. 2007 (August 9). “Malaria: Climbing in Elevation as Temperature Rises.” Population Connection. Available at www.populationconnection.org

Staudinger, Michelle D., Nancy B. Grimm, Amanda Staudt, Shawn L. Carter, F Stuart Chapin III, Peter Kareiva, Mary Ruckelshaus, Bruce A. Stein. 2012. Impacts of Climate Change on Biodiversity, Ecosystems, and Ecosystem Services: Technical Input to the 2013 National Climate Assessment. Available at assessment.globalchange.gov

Malcolm, Jay R., Canran Liu, Ronald P. Neilson, Lara Hansen, and Lee Hannah. 2006. “Global Warming and Extinctions of Epidemic Species from Biodiversity Hotspots.” Conservation Biology 20(2):538-548

U.S. Geological Survey. 2007 (September 7). “Future Retreat of Arctic Ice Will Lower Polar Bear Populations and Limit Their Distribution.” USGS Newsroom. Available at www.usgs.gov

Chafe, Zoe. 2006. “Weather-Related Disasters Affect Millions.” In Vital Signs. L. Starke ed. (pp. 44-45). New York: W.W. Norton & Co.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2007. Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability: United Nations Environmental Programme and the World Meteorological Organization. Available at www.ipcc.ch

Westerling, A.L., H.G. Hidalgo, D.R. Cayan, and T.W. Swetnam. 2006. “Warming and Earlier Spring Increase Western U.S. Forest Wildfire Activity.” Science 313 (5789):940-943