Climate change and impacts of climate change

Melting ice phenomenon due to global warming (illustration)
What is climate change?

Climate change is a term used to refer to changes in climate due mainly to human impacts that change the components of the earth's atmosphere. This change combined with natural fluctuating factors leads to changes in climate over time. To put it simply, climate change is a change in the climate system from the biosphere, atmosphere, hydropower to lithosphere in the present and the future.

Causes of climate change

Global climate change comes from two groups: objective causes and subjective causes.

According to research by scientists, human impacts on the natural environment are the cause of climate change. Accordingly, the increase in CO2 due to industrial production, deforestation, water use as well as other toxic gases are the cause of the above situation.

In addition, objective factors including changes in nature itself, including changes in solar activity, the earth's orbit, the movement of continents... also have an impact. no small cause of this situation.

Some impacts of climate change

Sea levels are rising

Temperatures are getting higher and higher on earth, causing sea levels to gradually rise. Rising temperatures cause glaciers, sea ice or ice continents on Earth to melt and increase the amount of water flowing into the seas and oceans.

Icebergs and glaciers are shrinking. Vast tundras that were once covered with a very thick layer of permafrost are now covered with trees. As an example, the Himalayan glaciers that supply fresh water to the Ganges River – the source of drinking and farming water for about 500 million people – are shrinking about 37 meters per year.

Coastlines are disappearing. Miami's beaches are among many other areas around the world threatened by rising sea levels.

Scientists have conducted observations, measurements and found that the ice on the Greenland ice island has lost a large amount of ice, directly affecting island nations or coastal countries. According to estimates, if the ice continues to melt, sea levels will rise by at least 6 meters by 2100. At this level, most of Indonesia's islands, and many other coastal cities, will completely disappear.

Ecosystems are destroyed

Changes in climate conditions and rapid increases in carbon dioxide levels have seriously affected ecosystems, fresh water supplies, air, fuels, clean energy, food and health.

Under the influence of temperature, air and melting ice, the number of coral reefs tends to decrease. This shows that both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are suffering from impacts from floods, droughts, forest fires, as well as ocean acidification.

Loss of biodiversity

Current global temperatures are causing species to disappear or be at risk of extinction. About 50% of plant and animal species will face the risk of extinction by 2050 if the earth's temperature increases another 1.1 to 6.4 degrees Celsius. This loss is due to loss of habitat due to fallow land, deforestation and warming ocean waters. Biologists have found that some animal species have migrated to the polar regions to find habitats with suitable temperatures. For example, red foxes used to live in North America but have now moved to the Arctic region.

Humans are also not outside the scope of influence. Falling land and rising sea levels also threaten our habitat. And when plants and animals are lost, our sources of food, fuel and income are also lost.

War and conflict

Food and fresh water are increasingly scarce, land is gradually disappearing but the population continues to increase; These are the factors that cause conflicts and wars between countries and territories.

Due to global warming and climate change, natural resources are gradually depleted. A typical conflict driven by climate change is in Darfur. The conflict here broke out during a long drought, for 20 years this area had only a trickle of rain and even many years without rain, causing temperatures to rise even more.

According to analysis by experts, countries that often suffer from water scarcity and crop failures are often very unstable in terms of security.

The conflict in Darfur (Sudan) occurred partly due to the stresses of climate change.

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