What are the predicted results of global warming?

The United Nations Inter-Governmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), 2007: Summary for Policymakers suggests that:

• Continued greenhouse gas emissions at or above current rates would cause further warming and induce many changes in the global climate system during the 21st century, with warming expected to be greatest over land and at most high northern latitudes,
• Snow cover is projected to contract. Widespread increases in thaw depth are projected over most permafrost regions.
• Sea ice is projected to shrink in both the Arctic and Antarctic under all SRES scenarios. In some projections, arctic late-summer sea ice disappears almost entirely by the latter part of the 21st century.
• It is very likely that hot extremes, heat waves and heavy precipitation events will continue to become more frequent
• It is likely that future tropical cyclones (typhoons and hurricanes) will become more intense,
• Extra tropical storm tracks are projected to move poleward, with consequent changes in wind, precipitation and temperature patterns,
• Increases in the amount of precipitation are very likely in high latitudes, while decreases are likely in most subtropical land regions
• Contraction of the Greenland Ice Sheet is projected to continue to contribute to sea level rise after 2100, whilst the vulnerability of the Antarctic ice sheet could increase to warming, increasing future sea level rise.
• Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations will lead to increasing acidification of the ocean.

 

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The most direct effect of climate change on humans might be the impacts of hotter temperatures themselves. Extreme high temperatures increase the number of people who die on a given day for many reasons: people with heart problems are vulnerable because one's cardiovascular system must work harder to keep the body cool during hot weather, heat exhaustion, and some respiratory problems increase.  

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The potential results of temperature change can affect populations in many areas of the world. The main outcomes could be:

• Melting of sea ice can cause flooding from an increase in worldwide sea levels.
• Changes in global weather patterns can create stronger storms.
• Changes in wind currents that affect precipitation can increase the length and severity of droughts.

 

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• Average temperatures have climbed 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degree Celsius) around the world since 1880, much of this in recent decades, according to NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies.
• The rate of warming is increasing. The 20th century's last two decades were the hottest in 400 years and possibly the warmest for several millennia, according to a number of climate studies. And the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that 11 of the past 12 years are among the dozen warmest since 1850.
• The Arctic is feeling the effects the most. Average temperatures in Alaska, western Canada, and eastern Russia have risen at twice the global average, according to the multinational Arctic Climate Impact Assessment report compiled between 2000 and 2004.
• Arctic ice is rapidly disappearing, and the region may have its first completely ice-free summer by 2040 or earlier. Polar bears and indigenous cultures are already suffering from the sea-ice loss.
• Glaciers and mountain snows are rapidly melting-for example, Montana's Glacier National Park now has only 27 glaciers, versus 150 in 1910. In the Northern Hemisphere, thaws also come a week earlier in spring and freezes begin a week later.
• Coral reefs, which are highly sensitive to small changes in water temperature, suffered the worst bleaching-or die-off in response to stress-ever recorded in 1998, with some areas seeing bleach rates of 70 percent. Experts expect these sorts of events to increase in frequency and intensity in the next 50 years as sea temperatures rise.
• An upsurge in the amount of extreme weather events, such as wildfires, heat waves, and strong tropical storms, is also attributed in part to climate change by some experts.
Climate Change will have many effects on people. Flooding is going to be one of the biggest concerns. The glaciers are melting and we are crowded enough without the loss of land! Animals are going to be at risk too.

1. Polar ice caps melting: The ice caps melting is a four-pronged danger. Beach erosion, low countries flooded, economic cost of repair and prevention.
   
2. Economic consequences: Most of the effects of anthropogenic global warming won't be good. And these effects spell one thing for the countries of the world: economic consequences. Hurricanes cause billions of dollars in damage, diseases cost money to treat, changes in agricultural practices to continue to provide food will be expensive and control and conflicts exacerbate all of these.
3. Increased probability and intensity of droughts and heat waves: Although some areas of Earth will become wetter due to global warming, other areas will suffer serious droughts and heat waves. Africa will receive the worst of it, with more severe droughts also expected in Europe, with millions at risk of starvation.
4. Warmer waters and more hurricanes: As the temperature of oceans rises, so will the probability of more frequent and stronger hurricanes. We saw in this in 2004 and 2005.
5. Spread of disease: As northern countries warm, disease carrying insects migrate north, bringing disease to humans and agriculture.

 

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More heat means more energy. More energy could mean a total meltdown of the icecaps on the poles. That in turn would not be so good because sea water levels would raise. It would mean big problems for countries like Netherlands and part of Denmark. Many coastal cities could/would be flooded. New Orleans, New York, and of course other seafront cities as well all over the world. The extra amount of energy all over the world due to a warmer climate could make thunderstorms more ferocious. Today's Twisters could turn into super-twisters. The warmer climate will kill off a lot of plants, insect and animal life all over the world, both in the sea and above. Coral reefs will be destroyed. The effect of rising seawater temperature can today be seen many places where seaweed dies off at a rapid rate. When seaweed dies it leaves the small fish without protection. The whole balance of nature is to a certain degree changing.

Warmer climate also means that our chances of ever making deserts fertile will minimize.

We will lose a lot of species if we allow the temperature to rise further.
 

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They say as the earth warms, and the ice melts at both or each south and north poles the oceans will rise as well as their temps, the water that is evaporated into the atmosphere will cause more violent storms that is one example. A second example, the earth will become warmer, making it harder to grow food. There will be in some areas less rain, and last the effect it will have on wildlife will be very negative.
 

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Yes, there is extensive melting along the coasts of Antarctica, but in the vast interior of the continent, temperatures are decreasing and ice thickness is increasing.

If temperatures continue to rise, we will have more evaporation from the oceans. This will likely cause more rainfall, and the overall increase in stored solar energy increases the speed of the winds carrying water through our atmosphere, and the bulk of said water. That is, as the stored energy increases, the clouds become larger and move faster, causing more violent storms. This is because of an increasing differential between warm air masses and cold air masses. Heat moves from hot to cold, and as the difference between temperatures increases, the speed with which the transfer progresses becomes faster. This is the same argument that implies an increase in ice thickness at the polar extremes. Having more vapor in our atmosphere to store energy implies that the whole becomes warmer, but as always, the dissipation of this energy requires a lot of transfer between air masses to balance out the energy. The real reason we witness such a differential is because, although the atmosphere is absorbing more energy, its still absorbing it in the same relative locations, i.e. near the equator. I suppose its arguable that the storms will remain similar in strength and frequeny, but I oppose that argument. We will still find areas of the planet that are reflecting sunlight and becoming very cold, while other areas are becoming very hot. When these resulting air masses collide, I predict that the resulting weather patterns will be noticably more violent. Check recent rainfall patterns for NY/VT. I've been here 35 years and have just witnessed the most severe and frequent rainfall of my life. And last winter we had four feet of snow in our yard. My oldest friend had a six foot wall of snow surrounding the path to his house. Yes, weather will indeed become more violent, according to my educators.

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The earth getting warmer will make it much easier to grow food. There are three things that crops need more than anything else - heat, water, and carbon dioxide. All of these are increasing under any reasonable global warming scenario. There's no such thing as "too hot to grow crops", and if there was, the growing season can easily be adjusted to avoid the hot summer temperatures. Meanwhile, vast areas that were formerly too cold to grow crops will become warm enough. And in the traditional crop-growing areas, yields will increase dramatically with the higher temperatures, higher rainfall, and higher CO₂. Global warming will be the best thing to happen to food production since the discovery of fertilizer.
 

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It is difficult to predict the future, but in 2001 the IPPC issued a Report: Climate Change 2001: Working Group II: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability (See the link below).

Here are some of the suggested impacts:

• Climate change will have impacts on human health: weather-related mortality, infectious diseases and air-quality respiratory diseases.
• Climate change will affect crop yields and irrigation demands.
• Climate change will affect the composition and geographic areas of forests as well as product health and productivity.
• Water Resources will be affected: water supply, quality and competition for water.
• Coastal areas and islands will be affected through beach erosion, flooding of coastal lands and economic costs to protect local communities.
• Species and Natural areas will be impacted through habitat loss and species loss, and also the Polar ice caps and snow cover and the disappearance of glaciers which often sustain rivers.
• "Climate-stressed" areas will lead to habitat loss, and species, animal and man will have to adapt or move in order to survive.
• The following quote illustrates how much we rely on our ecosystems for goods and services: "Forests and woodlands provide many goods and services that society values, including food, marketable timber and non-wood products (fuel, fiber, construction material), medicines, biodiversity, regulation of biogeochemical cycles, soil and water conservation (e.g., erosion prevention), carbon reservoirs, recreation, research opportunities, and spiritual and cultural values." The report goes on to say that changes in climate are likely to affect all of these, especially the socio-economic systems.
• Moderately warmer weather and increased CO2 in the atmosphere may help some crop growth (up 30% in the case of rice, soy and wheat), but with increased temperatures the grain yield drops 10% for every 1˚C rise above 26˚C.
• Agricultural areas may suffer erosion from increased wind and water from short term changes in weather.
• The growth of agricultural pests (weeds, insects and pathogens) under climate change is being studied with varying results. For example, higher temperatures increase the severity of rice leaf blast epidemics in cool subtropical zones, but in warm humid subtropics higher temperatures lower the severity of the epidemics.
• Farm animals are affected by warmer temperatures, influencing their performances in growth, milk and wool production, reproduction, health and well-being.
• Increased temperatures may lead to increased demand for water from agriculture and wildlife, including farm livestock. It may also lead to reduced water availability.
• Adaption costs for agriculture, including retraining farmers for new practices, as well as the provision of new irrigation may be considerable.
• The impacts of climate change are likely to be more severe in poorer parts of the world, where people are less able to adapt to change.
• The cost of basic food will rise, especially with temperature rises of more than 2.5˚C, as agriculture will not be able to absorb increased costs.
• "Africa is projected to experience marked reductions in yield, decreases in production, and increases in the risk of hunger as a result of climate change."
• 25% of the world's mammals and 12% of the world's birds are at significant risk of global extinction.
• This extinction may be caused by several factors, including habitat loss, introduction of exotic species, pollution and biochemical poisonings and severe climate events.
• Frogs and other amphibians may be especially susceptible to climate change as their moist and permeable skin and eggs as well as their use of several habitats to exist make them vulnerable.
• Cold winters will no longer kill the eggs of the boreal forest insect pests.
• Studies in Britain suggest that 10% of all Nature reserves could be lost in a few decades.
• The effect of increased concentrations of CO2 on decomposition, plant productivity, and carbon storage could be just as damaging as the effects from climate change.

 

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The effects of man-made Global Warming could increase the planet's temperature by several degrees which would mean catastrophic changes to our lifestyle.

The IPCC claims that oceans could rise by 1 mm per decade and food productions increasing overall due to increased warmth and rain.
The threat of severe global climate imbalance and localized climate chaos will continue to accelerate as fossil-fueled civilization continues down its current consumptive-oriented path.

• Methane from termites, cows, garbage dumps and rice paddies threaten to inevitably unleash compacted methane currently locked in polar ice.
  
• Reckless burning of fossil fuels unleashing long-cycle carbon dioxide is only the catalyst.

There are various studies and opinions on how severe the climate change will be, and how global warming will affect the earth. What does seem to be agreed upon is that immediate action is required to prevent irreversible damage to the earth, water resources and ecosystems.

• Precipitation has increased in the U.S. 10% in the last century and is predicted to increase another 10% over the next 10-40 years according to the current values.
  
• A study submitted to IPCC predicts sea levels to rise by 7 to 23 inches by the year 2100. That particular study did not take into account the increase of ice melting in Greenland or Antarctica.
  
• A newer study published after IPCC's deadline, predicts sea levels to rise 20 to 55 times this century.
• Increased sea levels could threaten the levees in San Francisco Bay that provides a portion of water to over 20 million Californians.
  

In the last century, the climate has warmed an average of 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit. Experts predict temperatures to rise further. This will lead to rising sea levels, larger streamflows, less alpine snow pack and extreme weather events such as floods, drought and severe storms.

Background:
The contention of the larger number of climatologists is that human activities since the industrial revolution have increased the content of CO_², methane and other gases in the atmosphere that trap solar heat. At the same time human activities have reduced the forest cover that had traditionally absorbed these same materials. They state that an increasing level of these atmospheric constituents has lead to a chain of chemical and physical changes that have increased the world's average temperature.

Observations of atmospheric gas composition, average sea water temperatures, atmospheric temperatures etc. confirm the trends and support the proposition.

Potential Impacts:

1. The sea levels may rise. Technically this may be caused by melting ice from the polar ice caps or an increase in sea height as the less dense fresh water is less compressed. Low lying land like many Pacific Islands and Miami will be under water.
2. Serious climate changes may result from diverted ocean currents. As an example, the Gulf Stream keeps Europe warm. If the Stream is not running Europe may be much cooler and drier. Crops may not grow.
3. Ecology changes on the land could include species of animals and plants extending their range to the polar regions. Local flora and fauna may become extinct. A good example is the spread of Africanized bees and Fire Ants. Sea life may also be impacted both through the introduction of competitive species presently kept in other areas by water temperature changes, and by failure to adapt to less saline water.
4. Human society may be disrupted if changes in rainfall and temperature cause crop failure. Famine refugees may require significant humanitarian attention by the "lucky" nations.

The effects of man-made Global Warming could increase the planet's temperature by several degrees which would mean catastrophic changes to our lifestyle.