How do we expect our world to change?#

According to UCAR Center for Science Education, an increase in carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere births a warmer world. This warmth can be felt in the increase of the earth’s average temperature and sea level, change in precipitation, etc. The paragraphs below will discuss climate change’s significant effects on the landscapes surrounding us.

  • Change in the Average Earth’s temperature

Temperature can have a wide range of effects that impact our daily lives, making it an important indicator for describing climate change. Numerous ecological processes can be upset by temperature changes, especially if they happen faster than plant and animal species can adjust. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has described 2016 and 2020 as the warmest years, with 2012 - 2021 as the warmest decade on record. This trend, primarily due to human activities, shows that more areas are warming instead of cooling.

  • Increase in Sea Level

Climate change can cause an increase in sea levels because of two reasons:

  • Melting of the glaciers and land ice

  • Expansion of seawater

Since 1880, we have recorded an eight-inch (0.2 meters) increase in the global sea level. This trend is not stopping anytime soon as scientists project at least a foot - 8 feet (0.3 meters - 2.4 meters) increase in sea level by 2100, depending on our continued carbon emission rate. Low-lying coastal communities are prone to experiencing higher sea levels, which can threaten their way of life, the wetlands, and global trade.

  • Change in Precipitation Patterns

Global warming increases the rate of evaporation worldwide, and as such, this causes parts of the water cycle to speed up. Following the sped-up water cycle logic, more evaporation will cause more precipitation on average. The UCAR states that global precipitation can increase by 7 percent for each degree of warming; this implies that there will be a lot more rain and snow and a higher risk of flooding in some areas.

  • Drought and Heat waves

Climate change aggravates droughts by making them frequent, longer, and more severe. An increase in evaporation dries out the soils and makes periods with low precipitation drier than in normal conditions.

  • Longer Wildfire Season

Multiple studies have revealed that climate change has already caused an increase in the frequency, season length, and affected areas of wildfires. The lengthened wildfire season can be attributed to different reasons, including more extended summer dry seasons, drier soils and vegetation, and predominantly increased temperatures and drought.