Global Climate Change Impacts Quiz

Global Climate Change Impacts

• Global climate change is currently impacting the environment, not just a future problem.
• Glaciers and ice sheets are shrinking.
• River and lake ice is breaking up earlier.
• Plant and animal ranges are shifting.
• Plants and trees are blooming earlier.

Predicted and Observed Impacts

• Sea ice loss is happening.
• Sea level rise is accelerating.
• Longer, more intense heat waves are occurring.
• Observed changes in global climate are unprecedented in human history.
• Some changes are irreversible over hundreds to thousands of years.

Future Projections

• Global temperatures will continue to increase due to human-produced greenhouse gases.
• Global average temperatures are expected to reach or exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius (about 3 degrees Fahrenheit) within the next few decades.
• Human emissions of greenhouse gases have already warmed the climate by nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius) since 1850-1900.
• The severity of future effects depends on future emissions.
• More emissions lead to more climate extremes and damage.

Mitigation and Impact

• Near-term mitigation and adaptation actions are crucial.
• Projected impacts escalate with each increment of global warming.
• Some changes like droughts, wildfires, and extreme rainfall are happening faster than previously assessed.
• Reduction of emissions may lessen the worst effects.
• The scientific evidence of climate change is clear and it is a threat to both human well-being and the health of the planet, and immediate action is needed.