Global Consequences of Climate Change

**Global consequences of the climate change** --------------------------------------------- The 20th century was very notable with its ***unparalleled*^1^** technological advancement of humanity. With each passing day the lasting impact that we leave on our planet becomes more and more ***apparent*...

**Global consequences of the climate change** --------------------------------------------- The 20th century was very notable with its ***unparalleled*^1^** technological advancement of humanity. With each passing day the lasting impact that we leave on our planet becomes more and more ***apparent*^2^**. The most obvious and harmful outcomes of heavy industrialization are global warming and climate change. The first signs of global warming became obvious in the middle of the last century. Since the 1970s, the surface temperature of Earth has risen by 1 °C. Multiple data records show now that the warming happens at the rate of roughly 0.2 °C per one decade. This is a very alarming development. The ***bulk*^3^** of global warming is attributed to human activity. Assuming we don't do something about it, the consequences would be lasting, probably ***irreversible*^4^**, and very harsh. The first and most obvious effect is the heating of Earth's atmosphere. This means that there will be less cold days and more hot days ***overall*^5^**. This in turn means that both plants and animals will need to adjust to it. Some of them might not survive such a change. The secondary effect is the melting of continental ice, which makes sea levels rise far above their normal point. Extreme cases could lead to floods and destruction of continental coastlines. Warmer weather also results in more water evaporating and the air becoming more ***humid*^6^**. This can lead to even more rains, floods and some extreme weather patterns such as wildfires and tropical cyclones. One of the most ***insidious*^7^** and less obvious effects is the change of the oceans oxygen levels. Warmer water can hold less oxygen than the colder one, and so if the temperatures continue to rise, many underwater species risk total extinction. While humanity definitely contributes much to climate change with ***irresponsible*^8^** burning of fossil fuels, we still can battle it. Switching to renewable and clear energy sources, electrical cars, and improving the efficiency of our factories can curb the adverse effects we've inflicted on our planet over the last 100 years. And ***if worse comes to worst*^9^**, humanity can be very good at adapting to hostile ***environments*^10^**. Adaptation strategies include reinforcing the coastlines or relocating deeper into the mainland; development of weather-resistant crops; development of ***contingency*^11^** scenarios for local disaster management