Causes and consequences of climate change

Climate change, a concept that should not be confused as a synonym for global warming, as we explain in the next section, is the change that occurs in the meteorological patterns of the Earth’s global climate in a significant and prolonged way in a period of time that can range from decades to millions of years.

In itself, climate variability is something normal that has occurred throughout the history of the planet, the most notable being the variations produced in glacial and interglacial cycles over approximately 100,000 years.

Scientists are currently working to try to understand what the climate was like in the past and what it will be like in the future. For this, a climate record has been drawn up that continues to be constructed today and is based on numerous factors :

• Thermal perforation profiles.
• Flora and fauna records.
• Glacial and periglacial processes.
• Analysis of sediment layers.
• Records above sea level.

It is one of the many aspects covered by climate change, and refers to the increase in the earth’s atmospheric temperature . Currently it refers to the change in temperature that has occurred since approximately the 20th century, especially in recent decades, where global warming worldwide has been alarming.

The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon without which life would not be possible. It is the process by which the heat from the Sun is retained in the Earth’s atmosphere thanks to a layer of atmospheric gases called “greenhouse gases”, the most efficient and known, although not the only one, carbon dioxide. carbon (CO2). Therefore, without this phenomenon, the planet’s temperature would be too cold for life to develop on it.

As we said before, climate variability is something normal and is due to the variation in various factors that condition it, such as ocean currents, biotic processes, volcanic activity or variations in received solar radiation. Therefore, human action is not the only cause of climate change , as it may also be due to these natural causes influencing the climate, as has occurred long ago in the history of the planet.

However, it seems that current climate change has been increased due to greenhouse gases produced mainly by humans, establishing a certainty of this at 95% in 2013. Most of these gases are generated in the combustion of fossil fuels through cars, factories or the production of electricity. In addition, the great deforestation has produced a 30% increase in the concentration of these gases since the last century, when the imbalance caused by these gas emissions could be balanced in a natural way.

Although the main gas that has seen its atmospheric levels increased by man and that could be the main cause of global warming is carbon dioxide (CO2), there are other gases that contribute to climate change such as:

• The methane (CH4). It is expelled from landfills and in agricultural activities. Methane is produced naturally in the digestive systems of grazing animals. Did you know that the gases from cows, rich in methane, CO2 and nitrogen, produce 30% of methane emissions worldwide?
• The Nitrous oxide (N2O), from fertilizers, and other industrial processes.
• The chlorofluorocarbons (CFC). Used in the refrigeration, aerosol or thermal insulation industry.
• The sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). It is known to cause the opposite effect of helium in the human voice. It is used as an insulator in electrical systems, steel and eye surgery.
• The Ozone (O3)

The consequences produced by climate change are numerous. In 2001 the IPCC (Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Climate Change) exposed through observations of physical and biological systems that changes in the climate were taking place, specifically the increase in temperature . This factor affects existing systems in different parts of the Earth. Ultimately, what they indicated is that the evidence on the existence of climate change was beginning to accumulate, as well as its derived effects.

In general, there has been an increase in temperature of 0.6ºC throughout the 20th century . This, according to the researchers, has caused the increasingly hot oceans to expand, raising the sea level by 10 to 12 centimeters.

The predictions made about the consequences of climate change are not encouraging, both environmentally and economically and socially.

• The level of the sea will continue to rise as a result of rising temperatures, which will cause glaciers to melt. With this, the cities that are on the coasts will be exposed to possible floods.
• Lack of potable water : inland water bodies, such as rivers and lakes, could dry up due to droughts, reducing the availability of water for food production.
• Many animal and plant species will become extinct due to the speed with which the habitats in which they are found will change, being unable to adapt to them in time. Below you can see a video explaining how climate change affects animals.
• Meteorological phenomena will occur more regularly, such as storms, hurricanes, floods, droughts or heat waves, which increases the death rate.
• The health of millions of people would be threatened , according to the World Health Organization, since there would be an increase in malnutrition or diseases such as malaria or others linked to the availability of water.

Even with all the existing evidence of climate change and, despite the serious consequences that it entails, there are skeptical people who deny its existence. Scientists warn of the seriousness of the situation. It is urgent to take measures, which, the longer they take to arrive, the more irreversible the situation on the planet will become.