Climate change has become a global problem for all mankind. Many of us have heard about this, but not all of us fully understand what consequences it entails: drought, forest fires, the disappearance of plant and animal species, food shortages, the spread of various diseases. But how is it all connected?
According to studies, since the beginning of the industrial revolution, CO2 emissions into the atmosphere have been increasing. First of all, it is connected with human activity. The mass use of machines in factories, industries and at home has led to the burning of fossil fuels – such as coal, oil, gas. Carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere creates a greenhouse effect – the heat from the sun that hit the earth cannot leave the atmosphere, being reflected from carbon dioxide. Thus, there is a slow increase in the temperature of the earth’s surface. Which leads to various cataclysms in nature. The glaciers of Antarctica and Greenland begin to melt, as a result, sea levels rise by an average of 0.8 meters until 2100. It seems that this is quite a bit, and should not have any consequences, but unfortunately, this is not the case. Rising sea levels will lead to soil salinization, which will negatively affect crop yields, and will cause rising food prices and food shortages.
Climate change may lead to the extinction of some species of animals and plants. How does this happen? For example, an increase in ocean water temperature leads to the migration of cetaceans. They try to find a more suitable habitat, but often some species of whales die. Coral reefs are also endangered and are suffering from rising temperatures. The Great Barrier Reef has shrunk by more than half since 1995. And this has affected all types of corals in the reef ecosystem. Their death is a serious problem, because corals are an important element of the food chain in nature. As a result of climate change, some species of Australian kangaroos are on the verge of extinction. Just a slight increase in temperature threatens their existence. Deforestation also increases the greenhouse effect. Tree leaves absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen in return. Deforestation is one of the big environmental problems that requires immediate intervention.
What can we do to prevent a global catastrophe? In our opinion, the main problem lies in the way of thinking of a person. He is accustomed to endlessly use the non-renewable resources of nature, without thinking about the consequences of such actions. In order to preserve the natural balance of the earth, it is necessary to use only renewable energy sources such as the sun and wind. Some cities have long introduced wind turbines into their energy system. Many people are already switching to the use of solar power plants, changing ordinary cars with an internal combustion engine to electric cars. And I hope that in the future there will be many more such people. But to date, emissions of carbon dioxide CO2 into the atmosphere continue, and increase every year.