What are the effects of global warming_

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People view artist Luke Jerram's 'Floating Earth' at an urban lake in Wigan, England. The sculpture brought attention to global warming, the worldwide rise in temperature
that's causing major climatic changes.
PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTOPHER FURLONG, GETTY IMAGES
E N V I RO N M E N T
How global warming is disrupting life on Earth

The signs of global warming are everywhere, and are more complex than just climbing temperatures.
By Sarah Gibbens
February 15, 2024
Our planet is getting hotter. Since the Industrial Revolution—an event that spurred the use of fossil fuels in
everything from power plants to transportation—Earth has warmed by 1 degree Celsius, about 2 degrees
Fahrenheit.
That may sound insignificant, but 2023 was the hottest year on record, and all 10 of the hottest years on record
have occurred in the past decade.
Global warming and climate change are often used interchangeably as synonyms, but scientists prefer to use
“climate change” when describing the complex shifts now affecting our planet’s weather and climate systems.
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Climate change encompasses not only rising average temperatures but also natural disasters, shifting wildlife
habitats, rising seas, and a range of other impacts. All of these changes are emerging as humans continue to add
heat-trapping greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide and methane, to the atmosphere.
2: 49
What causes climate change (also known as global warming)? And what are the effects of climate change? Learn the human
C AU S E S A N D E F F E C T S O F C L I M AT E C H A N G E
impact and consequences of climate change for the environment, and our lives.
What causes global warming?

When fossil fuel emissions are pumped into the atmosphere, they change the chemistry of our atmosphere,
allowing sunlight to reach the Earth but preventing heat from being released into space. This keeps Earth warm,
like a greenhouse, and this warming is known as the greenhouse effect.
Carbon dioxide is the most commonly found greenhouse gas and about 75 percent of all the climate warming
pollution in the atmosphere. This gas is a product of producing and burning oil, gas, and coal. About a quarter of
Carbon dioxide also results from land cleared for timber or agriculture.
Methane is another common greenhouse gas. Although it makes up only about 16 percent of emissions, it's roughly
25 times more potent than carbon dioxide and dissipates more quickly. That means methane can cause a large
spark in warming, but ending methane pollution can also quickly limit the amount of atmospheric warming.
Sources of this gas include agriculture (mostly livestock), leaks from oil and gas production, and waste from
landfills.
What are the effects of global warming?

One of the most concerning impacts of global warming is the effect warmer temperatures will have on Earth's polar
regions and mountain glaciers. The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the planet. This warming
reduces critical ice habitat and it disrupts the flow of the jet stream, creating more unpredictable weather patterns
around the globe.
(Learn more about the jet stream.)
A warmer planet doesn't just raise temperatures. Precipitation is becoming more extreme as the planet heats. For
every degree your thermometer rises, the air holds about seven percent more moisture. This increase in moisture in
the atmosphere can produce flash floods, more destructive hurricanes, and even paradoxically, stronger snow
storms.
The world's leading scientists regularly gather to review the latest research on how the planet is changing. The
results of this review is synthesized in regularly published reports known as the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) reports.
A recent report outlines how disruptive a global rise in temperature can be:
Coral reefs are now a highly endangered ecosystem. When corals face environmental stress, such as high
heat, they expel their colorful algae and turn a ghostly white, an effect known as coral bleaching. In this
weakened state, they more easily die.
Trees are increasingly dying from drought, and this mass mortality is reshaping forest ecosystems.
Rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns are making wildfires more common and more
widespread. Research shows they're even moving into the eastern U.S. where fires have historically been less
common.
Hurricanes are growing more destructive and dumping more rain, an effect that will result in more damage.
Some scientists say we even need to be preparing for Cat 6 storms. (The current ranking system ends at Cat
5.)
How can we limit global warming?

Limiting the rising in global warming is theoretically achievable, but politically, socially, and economically
difficult.
Those same sources of greenhouse gas emissions must be limited to reduce warming. For example, oil and gas used
to generate electricity or power industrial manufacturing will need to be replaced by net zero emission technology
like wind and solar power. Transportation, another major source of emissions, will need to integrate more electric
vehicles, public transportation, and innovative urban design, such as safe bike lanes and walkable cities.
(Learn more about solutions to limit global warming.)

One global warming solution that was once considered far fetched is now being taken more seriously:
geoengineering. This type of technology relies on manipulating the Earth's atmosphere to physically block the
warming rays of the sun or by sucking carbon dioxide straight out of the sky.
Restoring nature may also help limit warming. Trees, oceans, wetlands, and other ecosystems help absorb excess
carbon—but when they're lost, so too is their potential to fight climate change.
Ultimately, we'll need to adapt to warming temperatures, building homes to withstand sea level rise for example, or
more efficiently cooling homes during heat waves.
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C L I M AT E C H A N G E E N V I R O N M E N T A N D C O N S E R VAT I O N POLAR REGIONS PLANETS
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How global warming is disrupting life on Earth

What causes global warming?

What are the effects of global warming?

(Learn more about the jet stream.)

How can we limit global warming?

(Learn more about solutions to limit global warming.)

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Why all life on Earth depends on trees

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