Introduction:

Our climate is constantly changing. There are natural fluctuations of temperature associated with the cycles of the rotation of the earth around the sun, which can be explained by the Milankovitch cycles. According to David Short’s “Filtering of Milankovitch Cycles by Earth’s Geography, “Milankovitch derived time series of the effect of orbital changes on seasonal insolation [exposure to the sun’s rays] and compared them to the relative chronology of ice ages then available” (Short). Basically, the Milankovitch cycles explain how the eccentricity, obliquity, and precession of the earth’s rotation around the sun affects the length and extremity of the seasons, as well as the glacial and interglacial cycles. Using the Milankovitch cycles, scientists have been able to plot the data of the climate’s past and predict what will happen in the future. Past climate data indicates that the climate is warming at a much faster rate than it normally is; the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 2013 summary for policy makers reports evidence of a changing earth, portraying an ever-increasing amount of carbon dioxide being pumped into the air by humans since the industrial revolution. For the past 800,000 years before the industrial revolution, the CO2 levels ranged from 180 to around 300 ppm; since then, the CO2 levels have risen more rapidly than ever up to 412 ppm today (IPCC, 12). The increase in carbon dioxide leads to a warming climate, which in turn causes many changes to the surrounding environment, including hotter and more extreme climates, melting ice caps, rising sea levels, a loss of species, a higher risk of human disease, and reduction in biodiversity and crop yield. There is clear evidence that proves climate change is negatively affecting this generation and will affect future generations even more so. Climate change is urgent now because the earth has already warmed 1.5 degrees Celsius since the industrial revolution and people are only beginning to witness the effects of it on the environment around us (IPCC). While the current generation of young adults is strongly affected, the future generation will be even more devastatingly so, which warrants immediate action. Many effects of climate change are irreversible and have already done a lot of damage to our glaciers, sea levels, diverse species, and human health, but will continue to get worse if people do not act now and mitigate and adapt to the changing world. This paper describes the negative impacts of climate change on human suffering, infrastructure, and health, now and in the future.

Deglaciation and human adversity:

Climate change leads to a cascade of effects. Increased carbon dioxide leads to a warming of the planet, which leads to melting glaciers and rising sea levels. According to the IPCC, “Climate models project robust differences in regional climate characteristics between present-day and global warming of 1.5°C, and between 1.5°C and 2°C” (IPCC, 7). These differences include an increase in the mean temperature of most land and ocean regions, with more extreme heat and precipitation in some differing regions. This average global warming of the globe has led to the melting of much of the snow and ice worldwide. The glaciers are shrinking worldwide, the Arctic sea ice and Northern Hemisphere spring snow cover is decreasing in extent, and the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have been losing mass. With widespread deglaciation occurring, it will not be long before they will have all disappeared. Those who dare to travel far wide to see the glaciers will see only a mere shadow of what they previously were. Those of this generation only have a limited amount of time to go see the beauty of what is remaining of the glaciers, and future generations may not be so lucky to see anything remaining. According to the article “Retreat of Glaciers in Glacier National Park” by Erich Peitzsch and Lisa McKeonIt, the glaciers in Glacier National Park are quickly disappearing “has been estimated that there were approximately 150 glaciers present in 1850, around the end of the Little Ice Age and most glaciers were still present in 1910 when [Glacier National Park] was established. In 2015, measurements of glacier area indicate that there were 26 remaining glaciers” (Peitzsch). Peitzsch predicts that by 2030 – 2080 certain well studied glaciers will have disappeared. The loss of the glaciers is not only a loss of ice and habitat, but also one of water for communities that depend on glacier run off. According to “Climate change in Nepal and its impact on Himalayan glaciers”, by Arun B. Shrestha and Raju Aryal, “There is overwhelming evidence of rapid deglaciation in the Himalayas. As glaciers are an important source of water to the rivers of Nepal, as well as India, especially during dry seasons, widespread deglaciation is certain to have an impact on a regional scale on water resources” (Shrestha). As the glaciers are disappearing, the rivers of Nepal and India receive less water during the seasonal melt, and the communities that depend on that water to survive suffer. This means that they will lack water to drink, bathe, and to grow crops – all basic living necessities. Deglaciation leads to a loss of a critical environmental factor that has been around for millions and millions of years. The earths are losing the glacial cycles, and in this new anthropological age will forever be stuck in an interglacial period.

Rising Sea levels and loss of infrastructure:

This loss of snow and ice has also been a large contributor of rising sea levels. Especially the ice sheets, which are some of the largest bodies of ice that are warming at a catastrophic rate. Large chunks have broken off that triggers the breakage of even more sections. These large portions of ice then fall into the ocean and melt. The melting ice adds to the already rising sea levels, which is exacerbated by thermal expansion. By 2100, the worst case scenario projects the sea level to rise up to 0.82 m. This nearly three foot rise in sea levels has been referred to as an unmitigated disaster (IPCC, 23). By 2100, there is expected to be up to 0.77 m rise in sea level for 1.5°C of global warming, which is a 0.1 m less than for a global warming of 2°C. While 0.1 m does not sound like that much of a dramatic change in sea level, “A reduction of 0.1 m in global sea level rise implies that up to 10 million fewer people would be exposed to related risks” (IPCC). Sea level rise will continue beyond 2100 even if global warming is limited to 1.5°C in the 21st century. The rising sea levels will especially affect small islands, low-lying coastal areas and deltas, and will likely damage human and ecological systems, which include an increase in saltwater intrusion, as well as flooding and damage to infrastructure. This will result in a large economic as well as habitat loss for humans. While the sea levels are predicted to rise almost a meter by 2100, they will continue to rise for decades even if greenhouse gas emissions are stabilized now, to a range between 1-3 m. The majority of sea level rise is attributed to glacier and ice sheet melt. According to the article “Need for adaptation strategy against global sea level rise: an example from Saudi coast of Arabian Gulf” by D. S. Suresh Babu et al, “The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets contain enough water to raise the sea level by almost 70 m. If the Greenland ice sheet were to melt completely, it would raise average sea level by approximately 7 m” (Babu). While it would take a long time for the ice sheets to melt completely, it is something to be aware of for future generations. People should be preparing for a constant rise in sea level and adjust their lives and homes appropriately. The rising sea levels will have many effects, “The direct environmental impacts of [sea level rise], in general, are flooding, erosion, droughts, waste land formation, heat waves, storm surges, salt water intrusion and rise in groundwater levels” (Babu). Everyone who lives along the Saudi Coast will be affected by these changes will have to adapt, and many will likely have to move further inland. However this scenario is applicable worldwide along the coasts. Many large cities are near the coast because as humans settled they naturally were drawn to the water sources where they could build large infrastructure and spread along the coast. Now many of the largest cities are in danger because of the rising sea levels caused by the revolution that helped expand those cities. If the cities cannot adapt quickly they will likely be destroyed. Rising sea levels will not only be directly affecting infrastructure but also through that be indirectly affecting everyday life for those living along the coast, as well as industry and the economy, and likely causing a mass migration inland.

Loss of species and human disease

The changing climate and rise in sea level will also lead to a further loss of land species, as well as human health. Of 105,000 species studied, “6% of insects, 8% of plants and 4% of vertebrates are projected to lose over half of their climatically determined geographic range for global warming of 1.5°C, compared with 18% of insects, 16% of plants and 8% of vertebrates for global warming of 2°C” (IPCC, 8). Climate change will also contribute to other biodiversity risks such as forest fires and the spread of invasive species, which are more likely as the climate increases. It will also have an effect on ocean species. Increasing CO2 concentrations also contributes to a rising level of ocean acidification, which impacts the growth, development, calcification, survival, and abundance of a broad range of species, from algae to fish (IPCC, 9). This loss of species is extremely tragic, and for human beings to watch their species drive potentially hundreds or thousands of species to extinction is deeply immoral. While this is leading to the extinction of many species worldwide, it in fact may be harming the health of human beings. An increase in global warming is also found to have primarily negative impacts on human health. There are lower risks projected at 1.5°C than at 2°C for heat-related morbidity, mortality, and for ozone-related mortality if emissions needed for ozone formation remain high. The IPCC found that, “Urban heat islands often amplify the impacts of heatwaves in cities. Risks from some vector-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue fever, are projected to increase with warming from 1.5°C to 2°C, including potential shifts in their geographic range” (IPCC, 9). The warming is also projected to result in smaller yields of maize, rice, wheat, and potential other cereal crops, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America. It also is found to decrease the nutritional quality of rice and wheat. (IPCC, 9). From this one can deduce that the spread of disease coupled with the decrease in food and nutritional value will have a devastating impact on the overpopulation of humans on this earth, especially for those in developing countries.

Conclusion:

There is mounting evidence of climate change and all its impacts on this generation, as well as growing negative consequences of future generations. The current generation is already being affected by the rising CO2 levels that are warming up the climate. The warming is causing the glaciers to melt, which is a loss of a natural beauty, habitat, and a water source for communities who depend on seasonal glacial runoff. Deglaciation is also a primary factor in rising sea levels, which threaten infrastructure and human lives, forcing migration. Climate change is also leading to the extinction of a massive amount of species, because of the loss of land from deglaciation, rising sea levels, and human migration. Human health is also being negatively affected with heat bringing a higher risk of disease, and smaller yields of crops. Humans are suffering in a multitude of different ways, and are going to continue suffering if changes are not made. To combat this the general public needs to not only be informed but also take on a proactive role in how they can personally help in any way possible. It is easy to avoid or acknowledge the everyday effects of climate change, but with the clear evidence collected from scientists worldwide, it is imperative that humanity turns their focus towards addressing these issues immediately.

Works Cited 

Babu, D. S. Suresh, et al. “Need for Adaptation Strategy against Global Sea Level Rise: an Example from Saudi Coast of Arabian Gulf.” Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, vol. 17, no. 7, 2011, pp. 821–836., doi:10.1007/s11027-011-9346-2.

IPCC, 2013: Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Stocker, T.F., D. Qin, G.-K. Plattner, M. Tignor, S.K. Allen, J. Boschung, A. Nauels, Y. Xia, V. Bex and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 1535 pp.

Peitzsch, Erich, and Lisa McKeon. “Retreat of Glaciers in Glacier National Park.” USGS, U.S. Department of Interior, www.usgs.gov/centers/norock/science/retreat-glaciers-glacier-national-park?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects

Short, David A., et al. “Filtering of Milankovitch Cycles by Earth’s Geography.” Quaternary Research , vol. 35, no. 2, 31 July 1989, pp. 157–173., doi:10.1016/0033-5894(91)90064-c.Shrestha, Arun B., and Raju Aryal. “Climate Change in Nepal and Its Impact on Himalayan Glaciers.” Regional Environmental Change, vol. 11, no. S1, 2010, pp. 65–77., doi:10.1007/s10113-010-0174-9. https://link-springer-com.dartmouth.idm.oclc.org/article/10.1007/s10113-010-0174-9