Lesson 7: Other Impacts from Climate Change
We are at a turning point where scientific knowledge has advanced to the point that we know that we are changing the planet in many ways. The evidence keeps piling up illustrating the effects of climate change in regional and global areas. In an earlier lesson the impacts of melting ice sheets was examined but there are many other impacts that scientists are examining. How do each of these affect society?
Hurricane Frequency
Heat Waves
Spread of Diseases
Shift in Agricultural Conditions
Droughts and Fires
Flooding
far enough to be able to
Scientists don't know the answers to all of the problems facing the preservation of the Earth today. By studying the current effects of the presence of humans on the planet we may have the ability to make predictions about the future. But will we be too late? By the time that we can conclusively link the current rise in global temperature to increases in anthropomorphic emissions will we be able to reverse the consequences? By not doing anything we are in a sense conducting a giant experiment with the Earth in a test tube. The problem is that we are also at risk.
Environmental Science: The Ozone Hole
Antarctica plays an important role in both ocean and atmosphere circulation. By piecing together the smaller scientific facts about Antarctica we may be in a better position to predict any possible changes to the planet due to changes in Antarctica. Much of the science that occurs in Antarctica may seem completely irrelevant to your life but ask yourself this, would you rather say in the future " I wish we'd known to study this problem, and now it's too late" or " I'm glad we had the background knowledge to solve this problem"?
Many people don't go into science yet are still directly involved
in the environmental movement. Through education of the importance of
the environment it is hoped that future lawyers, business people and politicians
have a more thoughtful and understanding viewpoint about how fragile the Earth
really is.
Scientists at NASA have created a movie which shows how much the continent of Antarctica has changed since the peak of the last ice age - nearly 20,000 years ago. The West Antarctic ice sheet has lost nearly 2/3 of it's mass during this period - a volume sufficient to raise sea level 33 feet. To see the movie click here. This movie was created under the direction of Dr. Bob Bindschadler, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Imagine what the world would look like if it were to plunge into another ice age. How would parts of the Northern Hemisphere be changed?
