Many people know what climate change is, but they do not understand how it affects them and the environment. There are air conditioning units in our homes, our cars, and our offices. We only realize there is a change in temperature when the AC doesn’t work, and we schedule air conditioning repair for as soon as possible.
Climate change refers to any significant change in temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, or other weather patterns that lasts for decades or longer. Ecology is the branch of biology that studies the interactions among organisms and their environment. It has excellent concerns about climate change because this will affect all living organisms, including humans.
How does climate change affect us?
There are many effects of climate change that can affect human beings physically and psychologically. One of these is food scarcity due to changes in rainfall and severe weather such as floods or droughts caused by El Nino or La Nina phenomena. Another is environmental degradation which affects all living organisms’ environment and causes mass extinction of species.
Food Scarcity
One of the most common effects of climate change on human beings is food scarcity due to changes in rainfall and severe weather such as floods or droughts caused by El Nino or La Nina phenomena. We usually store our food supply during great times so there would be enough stocks for famines. Still, with the changes in weather patterns, there would be times when we are forced to go hungry because of scarcity. This risk has already happened in a world where many impoverished people suffer from hunger.
Loss of Habitat
The environment is also greatly affected by climate change. As the climate gets warmer and hotter, plants and animals have difficulty adapting to these changes because their habitat is slowly becoming unsuitable. This results in a mass extinction of a species that threatens our ecosystem since all living organisms exist symbiotically. Climate change has caused ice caps at polar areas like Antarctica, Arctic Circle, Greenland to melt rapidly, which will cause sea levels to rise around coastal regions. If this happens, it will submerge large parts of land inhabited by economically poor people as they might not be able to distribute enough funds for relocating. Some countries are already experiencing changing weather patterns as they experience floods, droughts, storms, low-crop yields, and high vulnerability to disease outbreaks.
A Massive Difference
Climate change affects everybody in different ways. We must realize the reality of this matter as soon as possible because the environment is something we need to save if we want human life to continue. We are all responsible for the environment. You do not have to be an environmental activist or a trained scientist to understand climate change. It will make a massive difference if you emphasize that you should reduce using non-biodegradable products, recycle functional materials, plant trees, reduce carbon footprint (carbon dioxide emission), avoid littering, and reduce fossil fuel consumption, among many other things we can do.
The World’s Biggest Fan
The effects of climate change may seem abstract right now, but it exists, which will affect us significantly in the future. We must understand this so we can make changes as soon as possible and prevent further damage to the environment. Support environmental initiatives through your business or personally.
Climate change is a critical global problem. It is our duty as environment-friendly citizens to protect the environment for the benefit of all living organisms.
