How does Climate Change affect various aspects of our society?

Climate change. You hear this word on a daily basis: A glance at the posts while scrolling through your social media feed, a few words on protests and campaigns while listening to the daily news, a glimpse of a charity fundraising advert while watching videos. But what exactly is climate change? Why should we put an end to it? And what has that got to do with you?

The Greenhouse Effect

The sun shines heat onto the Earth's surface, where the energy is absorbed and then radiated back into the atmosphere as heat. In the atmosphere, greenhouse gases capture some of the heat, and while the remainder exits the atmosphere. The more greenhouse gases there are in the atmosphere, the more heat it traps. Because most vehicles and machines emit carbon dioxide (which is a greenhouse gas) the amount of greenhouse gas molecules in the atmosphere is rapidly increasing, therefore trapping an increased amount of heat. So, what are the consequences of the greenhouse effect, and how does this affect our community?

Environmental Consequences

The most obvious difference that climate change will cause is in the environment. The heightened emission of greenhouse gases may cause an increasing number of natural disasters, such as wildfires, floods, and coastal storms (this also links into the economic section.) Precipitation patterns are also changing as precipitation becomes more acidic and achieves a lower PH. This in turn destroys environments and habitats. As the climate changes rapidly, so does the natural environment of animals. This results in the following: Animals simply do not have enough time to adapt to their new habitat. This will lead to a series of sudden extinctions, especially amongst marine wildlife.

Economic Consequences

Economic consequences may include having to repair damaged infrastructure and buildings as a result of a heightened number of natural disasters.

Heatwaves may occur more often, weather conditions will become more extreme, meaning that crops will be ruined, since they do not have enough time to adjust to the new climate and atmosphere, resulting in the total collapse of the economy. Even the most advanced sectors rely on some type of agriculture, and if this element of the economy collapses, everything falls with it. Shrinking productivity in harvests means that people working in the agriculture sector will be unable to pay their taxes to the government, causing the country’s fiscal crisis will ensue.

Social Consequences

As climate change rages on, there may be heightened cases of heat and respiratory-related diseases, as well as an increasing amount of homelessness and unemployment. With crops being destroyed due to unpredictable heat waves and unnatural weather conditions, food prices will rise, resulting in poverty and starvation, which also links into the social sector.

Shrinking productivity in harvests means that people working in the agriculture sector will be unable to pay for necessities such as food or shelter. Because a large fraction of the world’s population works in the primary factor (None other than 48.9% of humanity!) The world would be plagued by great poverty.

Climate change may seem like a large problem that only influential people may be able to resolve, but in reality, you can take your small steps to make a difference too. Some of these solutions may include simply switching the lights and taps off when you’re not using them. Cut back on flying, and don’t use your car on every little trip around the block. And finally, raise your voice! Together, we can make a bigger difference.

In conclusion, climate change impacts various sectors of our community, and can even lead to humanity's eventual demise. So, next time when you are scrolling through the news, do not take a moment to read that article about forest fires. Because this issue is larger than you think.