Paging Earth is a climate communications blog dedicated to demystifying, depolarizing, and educating the public about climate activism and climate science. Now that we’ve discussed the nuances of the climate crisis, let’s talk about viable solutions.
Warnings and Whispers of Change
Undoubtedly, everyone has witnessed the effects of climate change in some form or another, visible or invisible, known or otherwise. Obvious signs can be seen and felt through the noticeable changes in global and local temperatures, melting glaciers and rising sea levels, and the increase in natural disasters such as hurricanes.
Not all is lost, though. Humanity has taken measures to ensure the survival of life as we know it through various means, from policies and laws to actual architectural and societal changes. Although, despite the efforts to counteract our planet’s degrading potential to sustain human life, climate change is still a very real and irrefutable problem. If left unchecked, our beloved home could become indistinguishable from the one we currently know and inhabit.
So, have you ever wondered what our world would look like without any attempts to curb climate change, what people are so eager to prevent? Well, here we take a look at the world climate activists and scientists, among others, are seeking to combat. We don’t want people to seek to fight climate change out of fear but out of a common desire to preserve our great Earth for us and future generations, but reality is often scary and climate change is a dangerous, life-threatening phenomenon. This article attempts to give you a teeny-weeny peek at, and inform you about, the effects of climate change. If we all work together—as most motivational posters sound—we could ultimately control and perhaps, down the line, end the current climate crisis.
The Origins of Our Problem
To quickly reiterate, humans are the primary motivators of climate change. The release of greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide has been exacerbated by human activities increasing the greenhouse effect which is when Earth’s atmosphere traps heat from escaping and radiating into space.
It’s been concluded Earth has undergone climate changes on numerous occasions many thousands of years ago, experiencing several warm and cold periods, like ice ages. But the predicted human-independent trend shows a decline towards a colder climate compared to the now warming world we inhabit. Human activities that increase greenhouse gases, such as cars, factories, trucks, planes, deforestation, burning fossil fuels, etcetera, are the driving forces behind our climate crisis.
Humans are causing climate change.
A Climate-Changed World
So, now we’ve made it to the crux of the article: what would an unimpeded climate-changed world look like? Here we’ll look at what would happen if human activities went unchecked; if nothing was done to halt climate change. Mind you, most of this can still happen even with the changes and efforts to slow the crisis.
Climate change is dependent on the amount of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. An unchecked Earth, years from now, would have an unhealthy amount of such gases and be unrecognizable to the world we know today. Each aspect of climate change can cause a cataclysm of chain events and phenomena like dominoes falling.
For example, as temperatures warm, regions all over the world would be affected. Some regional temperatures would remain constant while others increase or decrease. Precipitation and evaporation in those areas would be affected regardless of whether they experienced a change. Because of this, places could become drier or wetter due to climate changes, causing a whole slew of resulting issues. Agricultural yields could fluctuate and become unreliable, and countries that depend on agriculture for food and economics would be left vulnerable.
If the world’s production of greenhouse gasses went unchecked, the world would gradually or even exponentially experience longer, warmer summers. More heat within the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, among other equatorial bodies of water, would similarly affect weather patterns, enabling more severe, frequent disasters like hurricanes.
Such a thing has already occurred, not only in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, and would only be furthered by climate change. The seasonal storms seen in the Pacific and Indian Oceans would be similarly affected. Other areas not affected by a regional climate alteration, such as areas not impacted by tornadoes or other natural disasters, would still feel the effects. Rainfall, animal migrations, sea levels, imports, among other things, could still be subject to change due to shifting weather patterns and an increasing global temperature.
And the problems don’t stop with just the weather. With global temperatures rising, the polar ice caps begin to melt faster, causing global sea levels to rise and coastal cities to become flooded or drowned. The crops we depend upon could become similarly sunken and overrun with pest problems due to lengthened periods of warmth and unpredictable spawning periods, destabilizing crop cultivation. In addition, people would become more susceptible to insect-borne diseases and problems with such a frost-free season.
What’s worse, the very air we breathe could increase ozone levels adding harmful particulate matter and pollutants. The hot, humid summers would only be one difficulty associated with a high concentration of ozone. The percentage of greenhouse gases in the air would result in people determining the air quality every day, deciding whether or not they have to wear a mask when they go out. With the increase in greenhouse gases, aquatic ecosystems are also affected. Marine life unfit to live in a warmer ocean full of greenhouse gases would die. Fishing and other sea-faring dependent activities would be severely limited. A large 10 to 12 percent of Earth’s population relies on Fisheries for food, any effects on sources of seafood could leave millions starving and turning to alternatives. Along with this, clean water would become a more scarce commodity than it already is.
Areas affected by extreme heat and droughts could become inhospitable to human life, increasing drought occurrences and wildfires. But, again, like dominoes, these issues only cause more. With more heat and greenhouse gases, trees and plant life become negatively affected. Rising CO2 can help plant growth but has been shown to limit nutritional value and the essential components most plant species need to survive.
All in all, the temperature, weather, pests, animals, plants, water, and every aspect of our world would be affected. Only listed here were the environmental impacts and a few societal impacts. However, the economic, social, political, and overall societal problems could become just as disastrous with the gap between the rich and poor widening, wars over resources becoming more frequent, food and water becoming scarce, and regions of the world becoming inhabitable.
To sum everything up, the list of climate changes’ impacts is long and worrying. Of course, what’s been mentioned could or could not come to pass, as could other unmentioned occurrences, within the next year or ten or maybe even 100, but it is a fact our world is changing and not for the better.
Feeling Inspired to Act? Here Are Some Ways You Can Help
There is no single, perfect solution to climate change, but two acts do make a difference, no matter how small:
Changing your carbon footprint: Your carbon footprint is the net amount of greenhouse gases you contribute actively or unknowingly to the environment. This is a calculation of everything you do, from driving your car and using household appliances to what you choose to buy; your clothes and food packaging are often made via carbon-creating processes, thus affecting your own footprint.
By making small changes you can help drastically reduce your carbon footprint. The Global Climate Pledge offers a way to start your change today, and if you’re wondering about your own carbon footprint, there are numerous calculators available circulating the Internet.
Joining climate-activist organizations (like the Global Climate Pledge): By showing your support to organizations seeking to push climate change policy and deterrence, you are helping to combat climate change. Although be careful of those you choose to join, some are more effective and recognized than others. Check out our page on Climate and Sustainability Organizations for more information on such organizations.
There’s Always Hope
The future of our world looks bleak and a bit terrifying, and often it’s hard to see the end of the rainbow. But, humanity caused this problem, and it is up to humanity to solve it. Through ingenuity, science, technology, support, and change, we can limit our greenhouse gas emissions and hopefully slow and even reverse the effects of climate change. It may take a few lifetimes until such goals are achieved, but the goal wouldn’t be worth having if it were easy. One small act, as simple as doing your part, can go a long way.
Want to take a step to make a difference? Sign the Pledge! With simple and customizable goals for both individuals and businesses, it makes it easy for everyone to help reduce their impact on the environment and promote more sustainable living for all.Â
Visit our homepage, where you can learn more about the Pledge and sign!