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Global Warming & Its Effects on Humans

In June 2006, a U.S. National Research Council panel concluded that the Earth is the hottest it's been in 400 years, and possibly in 2,000 years. The 0.5 to 1 degree rise in temperature over the 20th century is the highest seen in 1000 years, and it's expected to climb in the next century. With temperatures expected to rise to up to 10.4 degrees higher than what they were in 2006, climate change's effect on humans is inevitable.

  1. Contributing Factors

    • Since industrialization in the late 19th century, human activity has caused a rise in greenhouse gas emissions. These gasses are extremely efficient at trapping heat, which is essential to keeping the Earth warm, but when they are overabundant, they trap excess heat and create adverse temperature increases. Increased solar activity during the sun's 11-year cycle also contributes to the rise in temperature.

    Health

    • Changes in climate temperatures can cause direct loss of life. Where temperatures are extreme, the number of disease-carrying parasites can rise, causing indirect sickness and death. Changing weather patterns expose humans to extreme events on a more regular basis, and long-term effects can result from air and water pollution, affecting agriculture, ecosystems and economies.

    Food

    • Crop health and yield are extremely sensitive to climate changes. When warmer climates start bringing more frequent storms, droughts and rainfall, crops can get damaged. Soil moisture, climate change and shortage of water supply in certain regions can make farming impossible there. Rising levels of CO2 also affect agriculture, as can rising temperatures in areas already limited for production due to heat and increase in soil evaporation.

    Regional Effects

    • Global warming doesn't just effect the polar ice caps. Even in areas of the United States, climate change has already had measurable effects, and the U.S. Global Change Research Program projected increasing climate change in years to come. In coastal regions, sea levels will rise, affecting local ecosystems, especially low-lying areas. Higher water temperatures will potentially harm coral reefs and marine life, and the currents will change, affecting the ocean ecosystems further.

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