Sep 4th, 2020 by Admin

5 Shocking Climate Change Facts You Need to Know

We can’t deny the fact that climate change is real and it’s threatening our planet. We have seen the brunt of climate change—high rainfall, flood, wildfires, ocean level rising and extreme heat. With our world becoming warmer than it ever was in the past 650,000 years and the level of carbon-dioxide hitting the peak every year, the implication of climate change is nearing.

It’s the prime time for every one of us to understand how climate change affects us and how it can lead to catastrophic issues for our future generation.

In this blog, we’ll take a lot at some of the most astonishing and alarming facts about climate change and the main reasons.

What Is the Cause of Climate Change?

Before we get into the cause of climate change, let’s first understand how the earth’s climate system is. The earth’s climate is controlled by reflecting the sun’s energy or releasing the energy from the earth into the atmosphere.

With the release of a high amount of greenhouse gases, the earth’s energy release into the atmosphere is getting prevented and thus heating the planet. This change in the climatic condition has a drastic effect on natural occurrences.

Humans have been found to be the prime cause of warming up the planet since the mid-20th century. The greenhouse gases we generate is playing a key role in increasing the temperature of the earth. We, humans, increase the amount of greenhouse gases through various means like:

1. Burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas
2. Deforestation
3. Fertilizer usage
4. Industrial waste and gas emissions

The earth has natural carbon sinks that minimize the amount of carbon emissions. However, with such a high rise in the greenhouse gases, the natural carbon sinks cannot keep up.

Every degree of rise in our planet’s temperature is causing numerous issues, most of which threaten the safety of living things, including humans. Such a climate change is affecting us in every basic way—the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat.

When the basis of our human life is at stake here, there’s nothing left for us to do but act immediately.

Climate Change Facts

With the knowledge about the cause of climate change, let’s see some effects of it on our earth.

1. The average sea levels will rise about 7 to 23 inches before the end of this century.

This is a particularly alarming fact considering that half of the world’s population lives just 37 miles near the sea. In fact, due to the rise in the sea levels, Indonesia is moving its capital from Jakarta as some parts of Jakarta are sinking 25 cm per year.

2. If everyone lived in the same way as the US people do, it would take four earths to provide enough resources for everyone.

The United States is the second-largest contributor to carbon-di-oxide emissions though it only has 4.25% of the world’s population. But due to the lifestyle of the people in the US, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions have an adverse impact on the climate.

3. Climate change can become irreversible by 2030.

In a U.N. General Assembly Meeting in 2019, it was discussed that the climate change condition may become irreversible after 2030. So all we got is a decade to make amends and take steps to avert the catastrophe.

4. The population of vertebrates have declined 60% in less than 50 years.

Between 1970 and 2014, the population of vertebrates have declined by 60%. In fact, climate change is one of the main reasons for several animals and birds to become extinct. If this trend continues, there is going to become a gross imbalance in biodiversity.

5. The Arctic Region may become completely iceless during the summer of 2040.

The Arctic region, quite popularly known for its huge blocks of ice, may have its first iceless summer in the year 2040. With the fast-melting glaciers and the increase in our planet’s temperature, the Arctic summer of 2040 will be ice-free.

Takeaway

In the face of such shocking facts as a result of climate change, there is an immediate call for a stringent cut in the percentage of greenhouse gas emissions. Understanding how every one of our actions is having an impact on climate change is the start. Let’s all be conscious of our planet and take action before it becomes too late.

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