How the Climate Changes the Environment Essay

The American Heritage Dictionary defines the environment as â€Å"The combination of external physical conditions that affect and influence the growth, development, and survival of organisms† (â€Å"Environment† 2004). The world climate affects every living organism. The climate is part of the environment. Since climatic change will affect other physical conditions, changes in the climate will affect the rest of the environment. Climate is defined by the Random House on line dictionary as â€Å"The composite or generally prevailing weather conditions of a region, as temperature, air pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloudiness, and winds, throughout the year, averaged over a series of years. † (â€Å"Climate† 2007). In the scientific community, climate is defined as the mean weather pattern over a large time frame, such as 30 years (Helmuth, Mieszkowska, Moore, Hawkins 2006). The climate affects what organisms can survive and flourish in a given locale. For example, birds migrate south for the winter so that their environment includes a warmer climate. They migrate back during the summer so that they can enjoy a more moderate climate during those months. If this natural climate cycle changes, there may be no impetus for migration. The climate that we observe is driven by solar energy. The green house effect is a natural occurring process. Heat from the Sun is trapped by greenhouse gases in the lower atmosphere. Some of this heat is re-radiated down to the surface, warming the Earth. Without the greenhouse effect, the mean temperature on the surface would be about zero degrees F. Instead, with the greenhouse effect, it is 57 degrees F (NOAA 2001). Obviously, our environment would be vastly different if the mean temperature was zero degrees F. HOW THE CLIMATE CHANGES THE ENVIRONMENT Page 2 of 5 The climate is changing. Global surface temperatures have increased by about . 6 degrees centigrade since the late 1800’s; with half the increase occurring in the last 25 years (NOAA 2001). With this increase comes a decrease of about . 3% of the artic sea ice (NOAA 2001). This is consistent with the temperature increase that has been observed. Over the next 100 years, the estimate for the mean global temperature increase varies from 2. 3 to 10. 1 degrees F. At the extreme, this would equate to a mean temperature of 67 degrees F, or an increase of 17% (Karl 2001). Computer models show that the Earth is becoming wetter and warmer. Over the next 100 years, rainfall will increase in the tropics and mid latitudes. If rainfall increases enough, then the salinity of the oceans will be reduced (Burroughs 1999). This could affect the Great Ocean Conveyor, the circulation process that brings warm water and energy from the tropical regions into the Northern Atlantic. Modeling shows that the Conveyor is very sensitive to rain water runoff from the continents. Small variations in the input of fresh water into the system may change the currents, and thus significantly alter the climate in the Americas and Europe (Burroughs 1999). The amount of impact that humans have on the climate has also been debated. For the first time, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a United Nations network, stated that global warming was â€Å"unequivocal† and caused largely by the burning of coal (Associated Press 2007). Natural agents alone cannot explain the climatic warming trend. Computer modeling has shown that a significant amount of the warming is human caused (Karl 2001). Since the temperatures are forecast to continue to increase, the amount of climatic change will also increase. HOW THE CLIMATE CHANGES THE ENVIRONMENT Page 3 of 5 The changing climate will affect the environment. Human habitation in coastal zones will be greatly affected. The forecasted temperature increase of 10 degrees F mean temperature would equate to a sea level rise, at the extreme, of about 35 inches by the year 2100 due to melting of the polar ice and runoff from the melt of glaciers (Karl 2001). A more extreme calculation puts 100 million people a year being flooded by rising sea levels by 2080 (Borenstein 2007). If the rise in temperature reaches 14 degrees F, the West Antartic ice sheet could collapse, with the resulting rise in sea level of 47 inches per century from that alone. The resulting flood would encompass a large part of Florida, including Miami, and the Atlantic seaboard. Internationally, large population centers such as Ho Chi Min City would be flooded (Burroughs 1999). Indeed, some research has shown that some fragile habitats could be even more drastically and rapidly affected. It has been shown that the environmental stresses caused to intertidal organisms by climate changes affects them faster then terrestrial organisms (Helmuth, et. al. 2006). In fact, the change in climate can lead to extermination of some intertidal organisms. If these are prey, then the environment will change for the predators, resulting in reduced populations or migration (Helmuth, et. al. 2006). The change in climate will also affect food production. In developed countries, the effect will be to a much lesser degree, at least for the foreseeable future. More food will be produced as the temperatures continue to rise. Soybean and rice yields are expected to rise in Latin America. Northern latitudes will see a longer growing season, resulting in higher output (Borenstein 2007). By 2050, the effects of the climate change on food production will be negligible (Burroughs 1999). HOW THE CLIMATE CHANGES THE ENVIRONMENT Page 4 of 5 In developing countries the effects will be much more pronounced. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has stated that the severest impact of global warming food shortages would be in the sub-Saharan countries of Africa (Pullella 2005). Lower latitudes will have reduced food production. The rapid crop development along with rising heat and the need for more water will result in lower yields (Burroughs 1999). By the year 2080, 600 million people may go hungry because of the climate change (Borenstein 2007). Those populations that can would attempt to migrate to more fertile land. This will place an economic and political strain on the nations that are losing population and those who would accept these environmental refugees. Large scale movements of populations would place a burden on the food supplies on neighboring countries, possibly affecting the food production. A true risk of local overpopulation would exist, changing the environment for all who reside there. Water shortages are also a threat in the developing nations. In less than 20 years, hundreds of millions of Africans and tens of millions of Latin Americans will be short of water. By 2080, the water shortages may effect up to 3. 2 billion people (Borenstein 2007). The sea level rise will also affect the quality of water. Saline intrusion, contamination of water supplies, and the need for an increased water supply for agriculture to offset the temperature change all will have a negative impact (Burroughs 1999). The climate change will also affect the health and welfare of both human and other organism’s populations. With the change in the environment there will come a change in distribution of insect carried diseases (Burroughs 1999). There has already been a resurgence of malaria world-wide over the past 20 years. By 2100, due to the change of climate, malaria is expected to affect 50-80 million more people a year. The distribution of malaria will extend into HOW THE CLIMATE CHANGES THE ENVIRONMENT Page 5 of 5 Eurasia, Northeastern Canada, all of Australia, and even into the southern coast of Alaska and the coastal regions of the northwestern United States and Canada (Burroughs 1999). Higher temperatures not only increase the insects range and numbers, but also how often they bite and how infectious they are (Burroughs 1999). Other insect borne diseases will extend their range. Dengue, also carried by mosquitoes, will extend into non-endemic areas. Rodents will also extend their ranges and bring insects that carry diseases like the Plague and Hantavirus with them. The warmer temperatures will reduce the rodent’s mortality, further increasing the spread of disease (Burroughs 1999). Lyme disease will also have an increased range of occurrence as the ticks responsible are able to survive in a larger habitat (Burroughs 1999). Other diseases will also flourish. As the amount of water is reduced in developing countries, diseases such as cholera and diphtheria will become more prevalent. Increased exposure to ultraviolet light will cause an increase in the occurrence of skin cancer, ocular disease, and weakened immune systems (Burroughs 1999). The changing climate will indeed change the environment on a global scale. All aspects of the environment, from insect range to food production, sea level to water supply, will be affected in some way. These changes will be far more pronounced in developing nations then developed ones. The ability to adapt to these changes will also be affected by the economic status of the nations involved. References Associated Press. (2007, February 28). Scientists Urge Global Action On Clean Energy. New York Times, p. A8. Borenstein, S. (2007). Warming Report to Warn of Coming Drought. Retrieved March 11, 2007, from Yahoo! News. Website: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070311/ap_on_sc/climate_report