What are the effects of climate change?
The impacts of climate change are diverse and could be damaging to billions of people across the world, particularly those in developing countries who are the most vulnerable. Many of the effects of climate change will have negative economic consequences. The number of severe weather events, for example, is likely to increase and intensify as a result of climate change, which could result in billions of dollars in economic damage annually (7) (see Getting Down to Business,). The following is an overview of the potential implications of climate change. Intensified and More Frequent Weather Events The number of extreme weather events, such as heat waves, precipitation, floods, droughts, hurricanes, avalanches, and windstorms is expected both to increase and intensify because of climate change. (8) Recent events demonstrate the consequences of extreme weather. In 2003, an abnormal and extreme heat wave in Europe killed more than 35,000 people. In 2005, at least 1,300 people died as a resu
Climate change means more extreme weather and related events, at times and in places we would not expect. It can also mean long-term trends of changing rainfall and temperatures to which all life will need to adapt. Think back over recent years and you may recognize that the first effects of climate change are already here.
It depends on which way the climate is changing. If we are cooling down then massive starvation and disease takes over. If we are warming, then past history has shown population explosions and abundance of food in a lot of areas. Historic trends show that places that are experiencing dry spells such as the Desert Southwest have usually been to hot and dry for long term settlement. It has only been because of the current cool climate that has allowed humans to live in these areas.
Do a study on the climate of the 50s and 60s because that looks like where it is going in a best case scenario. The 90s warming peaked and cooled off just like the 30s warming did when it got hotter than it did this time around. The worst case scenario would be the little ice age scenario like the Wolf, Maunder and Dalton solar minimums when much of the crop lands we grow food on today were frozen tundra.
We used to call “climate change” the change of seasons. It can get really hot in the summer, then it cools down in the fall, then it gets cold enough for it to snow– often blamed on global warming. And there’s the harsh winters, also blamed on “global warming.” Then winter changes to spring which gives way to summer. The strange thing is, this happens just about the same time every year, give or take a few weeks. The problem is now, we may be taxed for this perfectly natural occurrence.
