Effects+of+Climate+Change


 * **Environmental Effects of Global warming **


 * Negative Effects of Global Warming**

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reporting on behalf of the UN in 2001 described the effects of Global warming to include:

1. //Rise in sea level due to increase in sea temperatures//. IPCC scientist claim that sea-levels rose by 0.2m during the last century with an average predicted rise of about 0.4m.

2. //Melting of icecaps and glaciers//. Satellite data shows that sea-ice at the Arctic has retreated by 15% since the 1960s and is 40% less thick.

3. C//hanges in the distribution of precipitation.// IPCC computer models indicate that places that have sufficient rainfall are more likely to experience flooding, insufficient rainfall is likely to be experienced in places with little or unreliable rainfall, thereby causing droughts in some parts of Africa - a prediction which claims the 1.7bn people experiencing water shortage in 2000 could increase to 5bn by 2050.

4. Flooding of coastal areas//,// resulting from the melting of ice and snow. Just 1% rise in sea level could flood 25% of Bangladesh totally submerge low-lying //areas// of the Indian and Pacific ocean such as Maldives, Christmas Islands and Samoa 30% of Egypt’s arable land and at present 40% of the world’s population live within 100km of the coast. Therefore, many people will be vulnerable to rising sea levels.

5. E//cosystems at all levels, may be subject to rapid change// such that plants and animals might not have time to adjust. E.g wetlands, tropical rainforest, coral reefs, coniferous etc. Trees are beginning to develop new leaves faster and birds lay eggs much faster than usual.

6. //Crop yields are expected to fall in Africa//, parts of Asia and Latin America

7. A greater proportion of the world will come under the threat of insect-borne diseases. Eg malaria and cholera.

However, a recent study by the United Nations suggest that the ozone layer is showing signs of recovery.


 * Positive effects of Global Warming**


 * Increase in agricultural Lands

As permafrost melts and temperatures rise, it is possible to grow more crops on available agricultural lands in polar regions, since most of the ice would have melted away due to the high temperatures. This is also because the melting of permafrost would increase the amount of fresh water flowing in rivers and lakes.


 * Improved arctic navigation

Global warming will also cause the amount of arctic ice to steadily decrease, hence making navigation possible as far as the North Pole. Resources such as oil, coal and natural gas which are located in extremely inaccessible areas such as Greenland, Siberia, Alaska and Antarctica which contain a lot of untapped natural resources. As global warming increases, these areas of ices melt, thereby making them accessible to human exploration. Reduced demand on Middle Eastern Oil powers, because of the reduced costs of electricity. Countries would not have to rely as heavily on the supply of oil from Middle Eastern Countries that have very tumultuous geopolitics. As a result of flooding caused by incresed rainfall, flooded areas will provide fertile grounds for the cultivation of paddy rice, sugar cane.
 * Increased access to resources
 * Reduced costs of heating
 * Increases Soil Fertility