What are the long term effects of climate change?

The change in the global climate is already starting to have observable effects on the atmosphere and environment. Glaciers are shrinking due to melting down; the ocean levels are on the rise, the ice on rivers and oceans breakdown earlier than expected, endangering certain plant and animal species are amongst a few of the impacts of the global increase in the temperature. Not to mention, the apparent increase in frequencies of the occurrence of natural calamities like tsunami, tornado storms, and earthquakes. The predictions made by scientists regarding the impacts of Global Warming is happening today, and the condition is going to get much worse than it is today. Since this is a trending topic you might be asked to do custom essay writing on it.

The scientists are confident about the rise in the global temperature even more in the decades to come, primarily because of the increase in the production of greenhouse gases due to human activities. More than 1300 scientists from the United States and various countries of the world from The Intergovernmental Panel on Climatic Changes (IPCC) predicts that the increase in temperature will gradually vary from 2.5 to 10 degree Fahrenheit over the next few decades.

The change due to global warming is inevitable and it will continue beyond the century.

A rise in the average temperature and temperature extremities

- One of the most apparent and instantaneous effects of Global Warming is the rise in the average temperature all over the planet. The average temperature is already on the rise and is already about 1.4-degree Fahrenheit above the average temperature of the past century. The intensity of the change in climate over the next few decades depends mainly on the amount of the emission of greenhouse gases and trapping of the heat in the atmosphere due to the greenhouse gases. The sensitivity of the Earth towards the discharge of greenhouse gases also adds to the situation.

The lengthening of the frost-free season and the growing season

- Since the 1980s, there is an increase in the length of the frost-free season and the corresponding growing season. The most substantial occurrences increasing recorded in the Western United States, which in turn is affecting the agriculture and the ecosystem. Scientists predict that the increase in the frost-free season and the corresponding growing season will continue to lengthen to almost a month or more, as the heat-trapping emissions continue growing.

Changing in the precipitation patterns

- Since 1900, there is a considerable rise in the average U.S precipitation levels. The increase in the levels of precipitation is not uniform; some areas have higher levels of growth than the national average while there is also a decrease in the precipitation levels in some areas. The intensity and the frequency of higher precipitation like rainfall or snowfall are on the rise. Northwest and Midwest in the United States observe the changes in the precipitation pattern at the most considerable rate.

Increase in droughts and heatwaves

- Since the 1960s, heatwaves are more rapidly occurring in the United States, although, the frequency of cold waves and frigid temperatures are decreasing. According to the collection of new data and analysis of the same, scientists forecast that the years will gradually become hotter due to the rise in the average global temperature.

- Droughts are directly associated with heatwaves, and the recent studies show that some regions in the United States show the highest record of the dryness. The records further state that, at the current moment, analysing the effects of humankind on the most current Droughts is complex. However, there is very little evidence of the precipitation deficits when it comes to influencing the humans, when in comparison to the compelling evidence on influencing the human on the deficiencies of the surface soil content of moisture because of the increase in evapotranspiration due to the rise in the average global temperature. The annual weather changes trends towards early springs and melting of snow, along with a reduction in the snowpack, which already has an intense effect on the water resources in the western part of the United States. The impact on water resources is having an unfavourable impact on the generation of electricity and fisheries. According to the predictions of the scientist based on the analysis of the collection of the recorded data, the trends will continue and are irreversible. By the end of the century, with a scenario where there is a rise in the emission of greenhouse gases and predicting no change in the management of current water resources, recurring, prolonged durational hydrological droughts are highly possible.

The long-term effects due to global warming as observed in various parts of the world

- Asia: There is a decrease in the availability of freshwater projecting in Southeast, Central, South and East Asia by the 2050s, the impending risks on the coastal areas leading to the shrinking of the coastal pain due to frequent flooding; increase in the death rates due to diseases directly linked with droughts and floods, expected to increase in certain regions.

- Europe: There is an impending risk of rapidly increasing occurrence of coastal flooding along with the increase in the erosional rate of the topsoil due to frequent storms and rise of the sea level, inland flash floods, reduction in snow cover and winter tourism, a rapid decrease in the production of crops in Southern Europe.

- Africa: 75 to 250 million people are likely to face scarcity of water, reduction in the yields from the rain-fed agricultural fields up to 50%, increased number of famine due to decrease in agrarian productions, which leads to greater difficulty in accessing food is highly predictable.

Apart from the above, there are frequent coastal flooding, an increase in the occurrence of forest fires due to droughts and heatwaves, and tornado storms. The increase in the rate of evaporation acts as a fuel for the developing of intended hurricanes, tornadoes, cyclones and thunderstorms. The choices we make in the current times will dictate the intensity of the risks due to the global rise in temperature, over the next few decades.

Author: Frank Taylor