Consequences of Climate Change
There are many consequences of climate change. Of course, the most important is that life itself may not be possible in the future. Here are some of the consequences that are most obvious and visible for us humans; summarize it and add to your worksheet, then colour it to make it into a brochure:
Melting ice caps: Rising temperatures have accelerated the melting of polar ice, including glaciers. This in turn has caused the volume of the oceans to rise, threatening many coastal cities and towns. Some islands in the pacific are particularly endangered, as they have no higher land to run towards.
Melting ice caps: Rising temperatures have accelerated the melting of polar ice, including glaciers. This in turn has caused the volume of the oceans to rise, threatening many coastal cities and towns. Some islands in the pacific are particularly endangered, as they have no higher land to run towards.
|
|
Islands of Kiribati Republic
|
Heat waves: Heat waves are happening more and more, particularly in countries or areas which are further away from oceans or large bodies of water. When a heat wave happens, temperatures stay high for a long period of time -- days or even weeks. In places like India, this has been particularly harmful, with hundreds of people dying every year.
|
|
|
Drought: Climate change is rising temperatures, causing excessive water evaporation and droughts across the world. If snowcaps don't build on mountains during winter time, then there is no ice and snow to melt when warmer seasons come, and no water forms in reservoirs.
|
|
Check out this newspaper article -- this is starting to affect us up here in Canada too.
Sea levels rises and flooding: As ice melts, sea levels tend to rise, causing modified coast lines and people and animals being displaced. It also affects animals who rely on frozen environments to survive.
|
|
|
Extinction: As habitats decrease, climate changes and food availability becomes reduced, many species of animals are currently disappearing every day. It is estimated that the extinction rate is between 100 and 1000 times higher than usual.
|
|
|
Invasive species: As climate changes, some species will be able to move to areas where they are not native from, encroaching on habitats and resources that belong to native species and making it harder for them to survive; also, if there are no predators to these invasive species, there is a disruption to the local food web.
Flood and water shortages: Rising temperatures and changes in drinkable water supplies are causing water shortages in several areas.
|
|
Severe weather: Higher temperatures lead to more ocean evaporation causing heavier rainfalls and snowfalls.
Forest fires: More hot, dry climates increases the likelihood of more intense forest fires, such as the ones we have been experiencing in B.C. The forest are simply not getting enough moisture over winter to recover, and many trees are dying from lack of water, becoming even more likely to catch on fire.
|
|
Bleached coral reefs: Increased ocean temperatures affect coral's food source; corals expel all the algae living in its tissues, causing them to turn white. The emissions of CO2 cause the waters in the ocean to become acidic; CO2 dissolves into the water, preventing a build-up of calcium carbonate, which helps corals grow. With so many changes, it's no wonder we have been seeing corals around the world dying at an alarming rate. Currently, 25% of all fish in the oceans rely on corals during one or more stages in their lives; without corals, fish population is getting severely affected.
|
|
|
| consequences.pdf |
