A popular feature of the summer season is its warm weather, yet this time of year is once again a reminder of climate change and its persisting effects on our planet. Some of the most apparent signs of climate change in recent months are the numerous heatwaves and wildfires occurring worldwide. Beyond these weather events, there are plenty of other effects of climate change that exist in our daily lives and have the potential to become more dangerous if their effects continue to be underestimated. Recently, the northern hemisphere is especially suffering from rising temperatures, as a result of the increasing amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, which ultimately causes a worsening of climate change. Through being more attentive to signs of climate change, as well as its causes, there is hope that we can work toward ensuring a healthy future for our planet.
Greenhouse gasses are a major contributor to global warming. One method of monitoring this is by measuring the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Scientists have deduced that CO2 levels increase by about 2 parts per million (PPM) each year, with this year being forecast at 419.2 PPM (BBC). Putting this into perspective, in only fifty years, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will increase by 100 PPM. Deforestation is one of the main contributors to the increasing concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere as the global destruction of forests limits the capability of ecosystems to absorb carbon from the atmosphere. For example, one quarter of the Amazon rainforest emits more carbon than it absorbs, due to deforestation and dry conditions (BBC). This illustrates how protecting ecosystems, by planting trees, for example, is important in fighting climate change, as it reduces carbon dioxide levels.
Rising temperatures are another significant effect of climate change. Last year 28 countries and certain oceans, experienced record high temperatures (BBC). This increase in global temperatures has caused ice to melt in the Arctic sea. With less ice, which reflects heat off its bright surface, sea levels rise, with water continuously absorbing heat. Similarly, the rise in temperature has led to thawing permafrost, ground in the northern hemisphere that typically stays frozen year-round. The thawing not only harms infrastructure and puts surrounding communities in danger, but also releases greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere and therefore increases temperatures even more. This displays how extensive the impact of rising temperatures on the planet are, and how this sign of global warming contributes to climate change as well.
Contrary to popular belief, rising temperatures and pollution are not the only harms that result from climate change. Climate change also contributes to increasing numbers of wildfires and heat waves. Recent studies of wildfire smoke have shown that there is a significantly larger amount of dark brown (organic) carbon than expected as a result of climate change and greenhouse gasses. The majority of climate models tend to ignore organic carbon as insignificant compared to black carbon, which is not what field observations show. According to Washington University, “wildfires are causing a much greater warming effect than has been accounted for by climate scientists.”
Heat waves have proved to be an extremely dangerous effect of these rising temperatures. This summer, heat waves have become more apparent across cities throughout the United States and in China. Greenhouse gas emissions make heat waves more frequent, hotter, and more deadly. Heatwaves around Europe in 2022 killed over 61,000 people (NPR). Furthermore, there are significantly more cases of heat exhaustion and severe dehydration due to rising temperatures.
