Effects of Climate Change on Living Organisms and Environment

Climate change and its devastating impact is quite prominent all over the world. Soaring temperature, increased emission of carbon dioxide and melting ice of the polar region are among the immediate effects of it.

Notably, to combat the repercussion of climate change, it is crucial to identify the factors affecting climate and their resulting impact. In this article, you will become familiar with a few factors affecting weather and climate in detail and will be able to gauge their power.

With that being said, let’s proceed to find out more about the factors below!

Effects of Climate Change

Nonetheless, before moving on to the factors influencing climate and weather, let’s check out the most prominent effects of climate change first.

• Melting glaciers leads to rising sea levels.

• A sharp decrease in the population of cold-adapted species.

• Shoreline erosion and coastal flooding.

• Heat-induced health disorders.

• Water shortage.

• The rise in greenhouse gases.

• Prevalent droughts.

• Change in precipitation pattern.

• Increase in severity of storms.

• Rampant crop losses.

Test Your Knowledge

1. Global warming is also known as

1. Ecological change

2. Climate change

3. Atmosphere change

4. None of these.

What are the Factors that Affect Climate?

Here is a list of factors affecting climate change -

A. Natural Causes

1. Ocean Currents: They tend to influence the temperature of a place significantly. It can either increase a region’s overall temperature or decrease it by transferring the land’s heat energy to the sea and vice versa.

2. Topography: The shape of land also influences the climate of a region. For instance, low-lying areas are relatively hotter and receive less rainfall than those regions situated at a higher altitude, especially in the mountainous areas.

3. Wind Directions: The directions of wind, both to and from where it is blowing have an impact on the climate as well. For instance, if the wind blows from a humid region it is likely to be colder while the wind blowing from a dry area is mostly hot.

4. Distance From the Sea: Likewise, nearness to the sea and other water bodies is an influential factor. For instance, the coastal areas are wetter and cooler than interior regions.

5. El Nino Phenomenon: El Nino or the uneven heating of the water surface in the Pacific tends to affect both rainfall and wind pattern. The said phenomenon is held responsible for triggering forest fires, smog, and tornadoes across many regions.

Also, the movement of continents and variation in the earth’s orbit are among the natural factors that affect climate change.

B. Man Made Cause

1. Pollution: Emissions from vehicles, industrial wastes, burning fossil fuels, etc. are among the major factors of climate change.

2. Increase in Population: With an increase in population, the demand for crop production, land, and use of fossil fuel has also increased. Resultantly, the climate has also undergone a noticeable difference.

3. Deforestation: Rampant felling of trees and clearing off patches of forest to accommodate agricultural practices is mostly responsible for a change in the climate.

Test Your Knowledge:

Which of these is not a greenhouse gas?

1. Carbon dioxide

2. Methane

3. Carbon dioxide

4. All of these.

Learn about the factors affecting the climate of a place in detail and also find out how to lower the risk of climate change by enrolling in our live online classes. By accessing our study solutions and latest worksheets, you will also be able to strengthen your fundamentals of these concepts quite effectively.

So, what are you waiting for? Download the Vedantu App on your device no

Introduction to Climate Change

Climate change refers to persisting changes in the temperature and weather of the earth. The temperature of the earth is getting warmer every day. Clean glaciers are beginning to melt, greenhouse gases are clouding the world, sea levels are rising, and global warming is imminent. Without control, atmospheric conditions can get much worse or severe enough to be life-threatening. If these conditions continue to intensify then it will cause loss of life, several species have already gone extinct.

Human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas have been the major climate forcers. Burning fossil fuels emits greenhouse gases. It acts like a blanket that wraps around the earth, trapping the heat of the sun and raising its temperature.

Examples of greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide and methane gas are causing climate change. These occur, for example, by using gasoline to drive a car or coal to heat a building. Logging of land and forests can also release carbon dioxide. Energy, industry, transportation, buildings, agriculture and land use are the main sources of emissions.

Climate and Weather

Weather and climate are two different conditions. Most of us have seen weather forecasts on the news where weather forecasters are talking about temperature, cloud cover, humidity, and whether a storm will come in the next few days or more. This is the current state of the atmosphere at a particular location which is known as Weather.

It is the daily conditions of a place or atmosphere. It can be cloudy, sunny, rainy, stormy, or sunny. In contrast to the weather, the climate is a long-term condition in a particular region. This refers to the average weather over the years at a location. Weather can change in just a few hours, but climate takes over a hundred years to change. However, in recent years, it's changing at an alarming rate. This explains why the desert is too hot while the poles are frozen.

Factors Affecting Climate Change

The atmosphere warms the surface of the earth by passing heat from the sun. After that, the surface of the earth emits heat. This heat is absorbed by greenhouse gases (methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, etc.) and radiates heat to the earth, this phenomenon is well known as the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is one of the major factors affecting the climate in the long run.

Human Factors Increase Global Warming

• Burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas, and petroleum releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

• Logging trees absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. As they diminish, the atmosphere contains more carbon dioxide.

• Landfill waste produces methane when the waste decomposes.

• Agricultural practices result in the release of nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere.

Natural Factors That Promote Global Warming

• Orbital changes The Earth has periods of natural warming and cooling caused by Milankovitch cycles, or changes in the Earth's tilts and orbits around the Sun.

• Carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere when volcanic eruptions take place.

• There may be fluctuations in solar power generation and the amount of solar radiation. When released in large quantities, the temperature of the earth rises.