9.2.3 Global Climate Change

Increase in Average Global Temperature

The increase in average global temperature is a major cause of climate change. Human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, contribute to the release of greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, leading to a rise in global temperatures.

Potential Effects of Global Climate Change

• Rising sea levels: Melting glaciers and thermal expansion of seawater can lead to increased sea levels, which pose risks to coastal areas and island nations.
• Extreme weather events: The intensification of hurricanes, heatwaves, droughts, and heavy rainfall events as a consequence of climate change.
• Shifts in ecosystems: Changing temperatures and precipitationWhere a solid forms from a liquid solution, often by the addition of another substance. patterns can impact ecosystems, leading to shifts in the geographical ranges of species, disruptions to food webs, and loss of biodiversity.
• Impacts on human health: Climate change can affect human health, including the spread of vector-borne diseases, heat-related illnesses, and food and water insecurity.

Scale, RiskThe chance that a decision could lead to loss, failure, or negative consequences., and Environmental Implications

• Climate change is a global phenomenon affecting regions worldwide.
• Risks associated with climate change include economic impacts, social unrest, and geopolitical conflicts arising from resource scarcityThe situation where limited resources are not sufficient to satisfy unlimited human wants. and displacementThe forced removal of people from their land. of populations.
• Environmental implications include the loss of ecosystems and habitats, disruption of natural cycles, and potential feedback loops that can amplify the effects of climate change.