According to a report by EPA in 2015, climate change “refers to any significant change in the measure of climate lasting for a extended period of time.” In plain English, this refers to dramatic increases or decreases in temperature, rainfall, wind patterns, etc., that take place over a long period of time.
In 2012, Environment Management stated that the term climate change has been used interchangeably with anthropogenic global warming, specifically when signifying to humans’ role in climate change rather than nature’s role.
A brochure by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published in 2014 observed that there has been a very apparent warming in the climate. It has also been discovered since the 1950s that several of the changes that were discovered are varying as the years go by due newer changes being found. These remarkably worrying changes, as further explained below, displayed an increase in the atmosphere and ocean’s temperatures, a decrease in the amount of snow and ice, a rise in sea level, and an elevated concentration of greenhouse gases.
According to a brochure published by Letco in 2013, the following climate changes have occurred throughout the years:
• Atmosphere:
The atmosphere on Earth over the past thirty years has continuously increased and was the warmest it has been since 1850. However, that is not the case in the Northern Hemisphere, as 1983-2012 was the warmest it has been, not only since 1850, but also rather for the past 1,400 years.
• Ocean:
The increase in the ocean’s temperature makes up the highest amount of the increase in stored energy in climate as it makes up 90% between the years 1971 and 2010. The upper ocean’s temperature, has undoubtedly increased over the course of 39 years (1971-2010), and has potentially increased between the 1870s and 1971.
• Crysosphere:
Over the past 20 years, there has been a significant decrease in the amount of snow and ice found on Earth. This can be seen by the loss of mass of Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets; the glaciers continue to reduce in size worldwide. Also, there has been a relatively great decrease in the Arctic sea ice and Northern Hemisphere spring snow cover.
• Sea Level:
From approximately the mid-19th century, the sea level has continued to rise at a greatly higher level than it has in the past 2,000 years. The rise in sea level has been confirmed by the global mean sea level as it has undergone a rise by 0.19m.
• Carbon and other Biogeochemical Cycles:
In the past 800,000 years, the level of concentration of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere has vastly increased. Since the pre-industrial period, carbon dioxide on its own has increased by 40%, emission largely from fossil fuels and partially from net land use change. Additionally, ocean acidification is caused due to the 30% absorption of emitted carbon dioxide from pollution due to human activities.
As mentioned earlier, climate change does not only occur due to natural processes, but also due to human activity. According to a study underwent by Jenkins in 2014, it was found that recently, humans have played a major role in the climate change, as the atmosphere has been exposed to greater amounts of carbon dioxide as well as other greenhouse gases in the past hundred years in comparison to the previous centuries. Greenhouse gases come from several activities such as deforestation, industrial procedures, and some agricultural activities. However, burning fossil fuels in order to produce energy is the main cause of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. Although the greenhouse effect is known to be a necessity to maintain life on Earth, it has deleteriously escalated to causing major changes in climate and negative impacts upon human health and welfare, as well as a major strain on the ecosystem.
A report by Climate Communication written in 2016 established that due to the successively warming climate, severe weather has become more common recently as there have been warmer heat waves, regular rain and flooding, and an increased intensity in drought. Climate change is a main factor in all the various weather events as weather is now developed in a distinctive environment than it was in previous years. Additionally, a recurrence of some types of extreme weather has taken place because climate change has “shifted the odds and changed the natural limits.” Extreme weather events are becoming more and more frequent as the Earth is continually warming.
In 2014, Western Daily Press reports that after analyzing the impact the temperature and the high carbon dioxide levels have on wheat, maize and soybean manufacturing, a British study claims that if climate change is not made an issue to be immediately addressed, then the future heat waves would negatively impact food crops. The existence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere may heighten the growth of plants, however the collision with extreme heat prevents that from happening, as they are very sensitive to heat. A scientist from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of East Anglia, Delphine Deryng said, “‘at [the planting] stage, extreme temperatures can lead to reduced pollen sterility and reduced seed set, greatly reducing the crop yield.’” Previous studies show that climate change is probably going to decrease maize yields by using a ‘business-as-usual’ greenhouse gas emissions situation by the end of the century. However, the authors of the new study published in the Institute of Physics Journal Environmental Research Letters state that doing so in terms of heat waves might increase the loss of crops by twice the amount.
In conclusion, a change needs to be made, and adjusting to some different norms and lifestyles could make a difference. As stated by EPA in 2016, in order to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and the threats related to climate change, it is important to start at a quotidian level, such as that at home, at work, or on the road. Additionally, walking or biking to desired locations is beneficial in terms of health and finance. Finally, taking part in local organizations or such in order to support energy productivity, unpolluted energy programs, or other climate programs would also make an outstanding difference.
References:
Climate communication. (2016). Climate Communication: Science & Outreach. Retrieved 28 March, 2016, from https://www.climatecommunication.org/new/features/extreme-weather/overview/
Environment management. (2012, 28 September). Climate Change. [Weblog]. Retrieved 28 March, 2016,from http://environmanagementbitkolkata.blogspot.com.mt/2012/09/climate- change.html
EPA. (2015). Agriculture: Climate Change | Agriculture | US EPA. Retrieved 28 March, 2016, from https://www.epa.gov/agriculture/agriculture-climate-change
EPA. (2016). Climate Change: Basic Information. Retrieved 28 March, 2016, from https://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/basics/
Intergovernmental panel on climate change. (2014). Climate Change 2013 The Physical Science Basis: Frequently Asked Questions [Brochure]. Switzerland
Jenkins, T. (2014). Humans are Largely Responsible for Recent Climate Change. Retrieved 28 March, 2016, from http://www.examiner.com/article/humans-are-largely-responsible-for-recent- climate-change
Letco. (2013). Market Comments: Biomass/ Energy/ Liquids & Planet Earth [Brochure].
Western daily press. (2014). Climate Change Warning Over World's Maize, Wheat and Soybean Crops. Retrieved 28 March, 2016, from http://soyatech.com/news_story.php?id=32711