Did you know that the Earth’s temperature has been rising month by month since 1977? It is one of the consequences of the greenhouse effect. Surely you have heard about this phenomenon but lately it is more important that we all become aware of what it is and what its consequences are so that we can stop it.
The greenhouse effect is a naturally occurring phenomenon that benefits us. It occurs when certain gases in the atmosphere retain the thermal radiation that the earth’s surface emits when it is heated by the sun. This makes the temperature inside the atmosphere suitable for life to exist.
However, because of the action of man, this naturally occurring process has been altered. The number of gases present in the atmosphere has increased and, as a result, more heat is retained and the temperature increases.
Consequences of the greenhouse effect:
The constant increase in the Earth’s temperature has terrible consequences for the planet, people, animals and plants. Here are some of them:
Melting glaciers: This has several negative consequences. On the one hand the sea level rises, large amounts of methane are also released, animals lose their natural habitat and have to look for other alternatives. In addition, the albedo, which is the solar radiation that enters the earth’s surface and returns to the atmosphere, is reduced. Therefore, this radiation, when it does not return, stays here.
Flooding of cities near the sea: as the sea level rises, cities and islands near the sea are affected. They suffer flooding and some of them may even disappear if the thaw is not stopped.
More devastating natural phenomena: one of the direct consequences of the greenhouse effect is that climate change become more intense. For example, hurricanes are becoming more frequent (due to higher temperatures) and more powerful. So their destructive power is greater. There are also more torrential rains.
Animal species that migrate: because of the change in the climate of the area where the animals live (or the thaw that we mentioned earlier), the animals can no longer live there. They are therefore forced to migrate to find an area that has the necessary consequences to enable them to live in the conditions they need. This also affects the fauna and flora in the places where they migrate. Some species eat the native ones, for example.
It is expected that humans will also be forced to move because of extreme droughts or floods in 2050.
Fertile areas are desertified: global warming is degrading the soil and arid areas are deserting. When this happens, all the biological potential that these areas had is lost. Therefore, they can no longer be cultivated and are wasted. According to the UN, to date, more than 30% of the soil has been degraded.
Alterations in agriculture and animal husbandry: the growing season for agriculture has been directly affected, it has been altered. Therefore, it is more difficult to control the timing and growth of plants. It must be taken into account that the variation in temperatures also causes insects or grasses to appear that invade and cause diseases in the crops. Even causing important money losses.
The same happens with livestock, climate chage affect health, reproduction, metabolism… of the animals.
Food shortages: the alterations in agriculture and cattle raising that we have mentioned before lead to a reduction in food production, this causes food shortages. The poorest regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, are most affected. As always, the areas with the least economic resources are the ones most affected by this type of problem.
Spread of disease and emergence of pandemics: global warming facilitates the emergence of infectious diseases (malaria, cholera, dengue fever) and their easy spread throughout the world. It goes without saying that it can cause the death of a very large number of people. In addition, high temperatures make people more prone to cardiovascular and respiratory problems, which can also lead to death or other serious health problems.
As you can see, the consequences of the greenhouse effect are very serious for the planet and the beings that inhabit it. If we all become aware of this fact and do our part, there is still time to stop it and remedy the situation.