Why is global climate change a concern for life on Earth?

Question

Why is global climate change a concern for life on Earth?

Answer 1

Because we may all die!!!

Answer 2

Climate change is with us. A decade ago, it was conjecture. Now the future is unfolding before our eyes. Canada's Inuit see it in disappearing Arctic ice and permafrost. The shantytown dwellers of Latin America and Southern Asia see it in lethal storms and floods. Europeans see it in disappearing glaciers, forest fires and fatal heat waves.

Scientists see it in tree rings, ancient coral and bubbles trapped in ice cores. These reveal that the world has not been as warm as it is now for a millennium or more. The three warmest years on record have all occurred since 1998; 19 of the warmest 20 since 1980. And Earth has probably never warmed as fast as in the past 30 years - a period when natural influences on global temperatures, such as solar cycles and volcanoes should have cooled us down. Studies of the thermal inertia of the oceans suggest that there is more warming in the pipeline.

Climatologists reporting for the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) say we are seeing global warming caused by human activities and there are growing fears of feedbacks that will accelerate this warming.

Global greenhouse

People are causing the change by burning nature's vast stores of coal, oil and natural gas. This releases billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) every year, although the changes may actually have started with the dawn of agriculture, say some scientists.

The physics of the "greenhouse effect" has been a matter of scientific fact for a century. CO2 is a greenhouse gas that traps the Sun's radiation within the troposphere, the lower atmosphere. It has accumulated along with other man-made greenhouse gases, such as methane and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

If current trends continue, we will raise atmospheric CO2 concentrations to double pre-industrial levels during this century. That will probably be enough to raise global temperatures by around 2°C to 5°C. Some warming is certain, but the degree will be determined by feedbacks involving melting ice, the oceans, water vapour, clouds and changes to vegetation.

Warming is bringing other unpredictable changes. Melting glaciers and precipitation are causing some rivers to overflow, while evaporation is emptying others. Diseases are spreading. Some crops grow faster while others see yields slashed by disease and drought. Strong hurricanes are becoming more frequent and destructive. Arctic sea ice is melting faster every year, and there are growing fears of a shutdown of the ocean currents that keep Europe warm for its latitude. Clashes over dwindling water resources may cause conflicts in many regions.

As natural ecosystems - such as coral reefs - are disrupted, biodiversity is reduced. Most species cannot migrate fast enough to keep up, though others are already evolving in response to warming.

Thermal expansion of the oceans, combined with melting ice on land, is also raising sea levels. In this century, human activity could trigger an irreversible melting of the Greenland ice sheet and Antarctic glaciers. This would condemn the world to a rise in sea level of six metres - enough to flood land occupied by billions of people.

The global warming would be more pronounced if it were not for sulphur particles and other pollutants that shade us, and because forests and oceans absorb around half of the CO2 we produce. But the accumulation rate of atmospheric CO2 has increased since 2001, suggesting that nature's ability to absorb the gas could now be stretched to the limit. Recent research suggests that natural CO2 "sinks", like peat bogs and forests, are actually starting to release CO2.

Deeper cuts

At the Earth Summit in 1992, the world agreed to prevent "dangerous" climate change. The first step was the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which finally came into force during 2005. It will bring modest emission reductions from industrialised countries. But many observers say deeper cuts are needed and developing nations, which have large and growing populations, will one day have to join in.

Some, including the US Bush administration, say the scientific uncertainty over the pace of climate change is grounds for delaying action. The US and Australia have reneged on Kyoto. During 2005 these countries, and others, suggested "clean fuel" technologies as an alternative to emissions cuts.

In any case, according to the IPCC, the world needs to quickly improve the efficiency of its energy usage and develop renewable non-carbon fuels like: wind, solar, tidal, wave and perhaps nuclear power. It also means developing new methods of converting this clean energy into motive power, like hydrogen fuel cells for cars. Trading in Kyoto carbon permits may help.

Other less conventional solutions include ideas to stave off warming by "mega-engineering" the planet with giant mirrors to deflect the Sun's rays, seeding the oceans with iron to generate algal blooms, or burying greenhouse gases below the sea.

The bottom line is that we will need to cut CO2 emissions by 70% to 80% simply to stabilise atmospheric CO2 concentrations - and thus temperatures. The quicker we do that, the less unbearably hot our future world will be.

Answer 3

because our air is becoming so filed with carbon and unrenewaball gases that it may kill us.

Answer 4

It's only a major concern for the environmental extremists, and alarmists. The earth is always in a state of flux going from warn to cold and back again. Because we are in the middle of one of these changes and by coincidence the industrial age was developed during the tail end of the former mini ice age, people tend to blame humans for the cause. The ice caps on Mars are disappearing too but last I checked, we haven't stepped foot on that planet yet let alone build factories, parking lots or highways there. But don't get me wrong! Going green is fun, only because it's a challenge to accomplish self sustaining means of survival, getting off the electrical grid, and making my own fertilizer. It's kinda like a new frontier to be conquered just so I don't have to send money to the utility company.

Answer 5

because of global warming earth may not be suitable for living thing

so help save it ...this blog tells you how

http://www.smallstepsatatime.blogspot.co...

Answer 6

If it was really happening it would be a concern, but it's not occurring.  It's a scam.  Therefore, to the knowledgable, it is of no concern.

Answer 7

not a real issue i find that life as we know it like the human race wont survive unless we change how we live FAST but life im sure will continue things that do survive if we cant will evolve and create something that would be able to survive in the conditions that we made

Answer 8

there is a reason why white oak does not grow in the tropics an cat tails and water Hyacinth don't grow in the desert.  water will continue to evaporate even if it does not rain.  Flora and fauna can not usually adapt to extreme and sudden environment change. How warm has this summer been in London and Cardiff?  Sand, dirt and grit driven by intense winds can damage anything that gets in the way.  I suggest everyone read Rachel Carson's book "The Year Without a Spring".

Answer 9

Global Climate change is highly harmful for the Earth- starting with the problem of carbon polluting the Earth.  That will contaminate the air we breathe and things will get worse.  Parts of the Earth will warm up and that will cause problems.  Polar ice caps will melt and both polar bears and penguins will die...they either will drown or not find places to eat.  Melting will also lead to waters to rise and maybe even weather changes elsewhere.  Global warming/climate change will cause weather changes over the Earth, if it hasn't already.  Some believe that it causes hurricanes..my opinion is that it contributed to the growth of Katrina.  Heavy rain and droughts are also caused by climate change.  Scorching heatwaves in France, parts of other areas in Europe also experienced heat, and so has the US.  In CA heatwaves ravaged the state and caused many elderly persons to pass away from..heat related illnesses.  It also ironically has caused some places to get colder.  Also, water levels have risen and can cause floods, if they haven't already started to do that.  Also, different areas can be in danger of flooding too.  We also will have to worry about climate change causing more violence.  It wrecks the enviornment and leads to rising heat throughout the globe...that leads to droughts, esp in poor areas...Asia probably got hit I know Africa has.  It has possibly contributed to fighting in Africa to growing civil wars and fights (killing and bloody conflicts) over resources.  It may have been one cause to violence in Darfur.  The genocide (it is called one by Congress and the President and some people like activists) in Darfur have caused 2 million to be displaced.  300,000-400,000 are dead.

Of course there is still much debate.  And many arguments.  However global climate change is one that will affect the entire world- and a government report has already (according to the news) warned of the dangers of it and how it can contribute to more wars and destruction.  Plus, it should be a sign to us to stop using oil and begin using better energy alternate environmental friendly one.

Answer 10

because it is... DUH. LOL its cuz if da climate keeps changing, the glasiers in da north pole will melt and will be water. all those glasiers are more than 50ft of water. all of that will go 2 manhattan,ny and manhattan will be under water. that is wat scientists think anyway. and also we all might DIE!

Answer 11

Global climate change We are people concern maybe die in No living thing! Because many people not care in environment the important change keep in Air and CO2.

Answer 12

Global climate change is a concern for life on Earth because the climate is  changing faster than most species can adapt to. Many of these species will therefore go extinct. The Earth is already undergoing the highest rate of species extinction for 65 million years, which is when the dinosaurs disappeared.