According to studies and observations of pundits of Environment studies, the largest contributors to global climate change are coal, gas, and oil. Excessive use of the three results in heating the earth’s surface. Consequently, the earth warms up. This is global warming.
Global warming brings risks and uncertainties to the sustenance of life on earth. Businesses, irrespective of size, must not keep themselves blind to these developments. If you run some business, you need to form a comprehensive idea regarding the causes and effects of climate change. You could take help from organizations like Diginex.com.
It’s an entity that helps commercial organizations realize the commercial benefits of Environment, Social, and Governance issues and encourages your business to use data-driven facts to make business decisions.
In this article, we will conduct a study on the causes and effects of climate change.
Table of Contents
Causes Of Climate Change
Certain human activities triggered climate change on this planet. Climate changes are bad for our sustenance. Therefore you must be aware of the causes of climate change.
1. Power Generation
Power generation is done by burning fossil fuels buried deep inside the earth. On one end, the formula of burning fossil fuel completely brings in a paradigm shift in the human lifestyle; on the other hand, it slowly turns out to be the gunpowder of destruction. We generate most of our electricity by burning coal or gas. They contribute a massive 35% of the total emissions.
Emissions produce powerful greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. It is not that we do not produce energy from renewable sources like solar and wind energy, but that’s like a pinch of salt in the entire curry. That’s how negligible and insignificant it is!
2. Manufacturing Good
The manufacturing industry produces emissions. We use energy from coal and petroleum in making steel, cement, pharmaceuticals, and electronics. Yes, how can we deduct mining? We make plastics by burning chemicals that we source from fossil fuels.
The world is run by plastic. Whatever we manufacture- ranging from a small pin to that of supercomputers; a small spoon to that of aircraft engines, we need haps of steel and other composite materials. The entire extraction and processing of the materials consume horrendous energy.
3. Cutting Down Of Plants
We are shameless enough to cut down approximately 12 million hectares of forests a year. Forest absorbs carbon dioxide; deforestation limits to nature’s ability to keep emissions out. According to research, a quarter of emissions are attributed to insensate deforestation.
4. Transportation
Greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector have increased to 80% since the year the 1970s. Road-based vehicles are run by petroleum-based products like petrol, diesel, and gasoline. Even transportation accounts for a quarter of the total emissions.
5. Even What We Eat Emits Carbon
According to a study conducted by the Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan, animals like goats and sheep produce around 170 million metric tons of Co2e. Even Dairy products like cheese and yogurt contribute to around 19% of the greenhouse gasses.
Effects Of Climate Change
Now that the causes are quite alarming, the effects are quite dangerous. So you need to also form an idea about what we will meet tomorrow.
1. Higher Temperatures
Due to the rise in temperatures, the days have turned out to be much warmer. Even this was found in Europe, where increased temperature has resulted in people moving outdoors. For example, Norway, Italy, and Portugal received warmer days up to around 35 degrees in June 2022! This is unbearable, to say the least. Higher temperatures increased heat-related illness.
2. Severe Storms
Some of the states in the USA are prone to experience heavy storms like Hurricanes, Cyclones, and Typhoons. They mutilate everything that comes under their way. Destructive storms have increased many folds compared to the earlier days.
3. Increased Draughts
That the draughts have increased manifolds is attributed to global warming. Global warming resulted in water shortages in the areas where there is a shortage of water. This directly affected the agro-based economies. Draughts also result in increasing desserts.
4. Rising Ocean Levels
Melting ice sheets in the North pole as well as the south pole has worked to increase the level of threats in the coastal areas. It is understood that increased sea level might drown many cities established near the shores and the river.
For example, Venice got flooded three times in the year 2019. The frequency of such an event increased the fear of Venice completely getting under the water.
What else!
Apart from the effects discussed above, loss of species, food shortage, poverty, and displacement are serious by-products of global warming. Therefore we need to take some serious action on these developments. If we don’t take them seriously enough, we are gone for good. No inference but the crudest of reality.
