EVIDENCE ON CLIMATE CHANGE & SOME IMPACTS

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EVIDENCE ON CLIMATE CHANGE & SOME IMPACTS

Climate and Health

Climate temperatures are expected to rise to 1.5C by 2050, clearly indicating that the way we do things on earth, is definitely impacting how 2050 might turn out to be by researchers, and scientist who have real data about things that have a high chance of happening.

With the increased climate of temperatures, many people are going to die as a result. Diseases, and different animals might carry more diseases around.

Between 2030-2050 because of increased climates there is an expectance of about 250,000 deaths per year due to malnutrition, malaria, diarrehoea, and heat stress. (World Health Organization)

IMPACT OVERALL: The impact that this could have on us and with predictions to what could happen, could devastate lives, and increase the yearly deaths because of the increased amount of diseases and climates like tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis whatever it may be, will increase because of our temperatures that have increased to about 1.5C over the last 100+ years or so.

Ocean Acidity

Rising Acidity

- Fish and are affected as they are not able to reproduce. This is due to the rising acidity that is being taken over.

This also means that some fishes that require a certain amount of pH will die because of the increase of carbon dioxide. Different water animals require a specific pH.

-Oceans have absorbed about half of all carbon dioxide produced from fossil fuel emissions over the past 200 years.

-Between 1751 and 2004, surface ocean pH dropped by approx. 8.25 to 8.14. Coral reefs are poorly being formed and are not as stable than those which contain less disolved carbon dioxide

Storm Intensity & Frequency

Storms, like hurricanes, tornadoes are predicted to increase by the end of the century by almost double of what they are now due to the increase in temperatures because of GHGE.

The tropical waters where storms begin have increased to about 0.33C since 1981, wind speeds have fueled hurricanes/storms more then before.

Up to 153mm (5.9inches) of rain fell during a period of approximately 4 hours.

Rising Sea Level

-Melting of ice in glaciers and icecaps outside of Greenland and Antarctica, including 150 000km2 of ice in Canada could cause sea levels to rise by 20-40 cm within the next 100 years

- Average sea level has risen between 10-15 cm over the past 100 years

Sea levels rise at about 1/8th of an inch per year (National Ocean Service)

IMPACT: Rising sea levels are an issue, they destroy habitats like shown on the other topic "Changes in Polar & Glacial Ice" but, they also impact humans in a way because any coastal city, or country, will face problems with floods, high tides, and much more with the impacts of melting glaciers, and changes in wind patterns.

Desertification, Droughts, & Other Outcomes

Between 1998 and 1999 the Great Lakes saw a decrease in water to about 120km^3

12,000,000 hectares of land are lost every year to desertification and droughts. (United Nations)

Water shortages for farmers, in 1998 a drought in Canada had caused a total grain production drop by nearly one third.

By 2050, scientists think that 75% of the worlds population might be affected by scarcity of fresh water.

Changing Wind and Precipitation Patterns

Ontario has also had an increase in number of snowfalls and the quantity at which snow falls, increased in the autumn season.

Total number of days on which rain falls annually, has also drastically changed.

Average annual precipitation has also in addition changed/increased since 1948.

Since 1948, annual temperatures across Ontario have increased towards 1.4C

Unpredictable wind pattern, which adds a contribution to ice melting.

Changes in Polar & Glacial Ice

In the last 30 years, we have seen a 10% decrease in the shear size of the arctic. (National Geographic)

- The overall loss of mass in West Antarctic ice sheet is around 65km cubic per year - The melting of ice releases water to raise sea levels by 0.16mm per year

- Hunting for food or income has become more unpredictable. The Inuit population is being affected as they depend on the Arctic & Wildlife

- Melting ice affects the habitat of animals. For instance, seals and polar bears. Polar bears die from starvation and drowning as sea ice breaks up.

Impacts of Melting Ice: