9 Shocking Facts About Climate Change
Dec 14, 2022
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There are several different reasons why our planet is changing temperatures. Here are some shocking facts about climate change.
Did you know that the planet’s average surface temperature has risen two degrees Fahrenheit since the 19th century? In the past, it was possible to deny the fact that climate change was even happening.
However, mounting evidence has made this impossible to deny. These days you just need to go outside in the summer to know that climate change is very real.
That being said, there is still a lot of confusion surrounding the subject. That’s why we made this guide.
In it, we’ll be going over nine shocking facts about climate change that everyone should know about. That way, you can stay informed and do something to fight against it.
1. Humans Cause Climate Change
There have been global warming events in the past. Because of this, many opponents of global warming claim that the phenomenon isn’t human-made.
Let’s do away with this myth right off the bat with some climate change facts. Numerous reports, including most recently the 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (or the IPCC), have found that human influence in climate change is undeniable.
When you consider the rising population, the huge amount of industrial activity, and the transportation and meat industries, this fact isn’t that surprising.
2. CO2 Hasn’t Been This High In Two Million Years
According to the same report by the IPCC, CO2 levels haven’t been this high in our atmosphere since two hundred million years ago. Specifically, during the time before the industrial revolution, our CO2 levels fell around 280 parts per million (ppm).
These days that number has risen to 420 ppm. This would typically be enough carbon for an extinction event. The good news is that the ocean absorbs most of this carbon. But it can’t do it forever.
3. The Oceans Absorb Heat
Carbon isn’t the only thing that the ocean absorbs. One study found that it’s also responsible for taking in 90% of the heat that the earth has taken in.
The good news is that the ocean has a huge capacity for heat absorption. The bad news is that it’s already starting to affect organisms and environments.
Fish and coral reefs are already starting to die because they’re not used to the massive changes that their environment is going through.
4. It’s Getting Hotter Each Year
You likely don’t need a study to tell you that rising temperatures are causing it to get hotter yearly. All you really need to do is go outside during the summer.
However, if you do need professional evidence, just look toward the IPCC’s sixth assessment. This last decade has been the hottest our planet has been in 125,000 years.
For context, the last time our planet was this hot was during an ice age, a global extinction event. Sadly, it’s only expected to get hotter, especially if we don’t do anything about the warmer climate.
5. We Lose More Ice Each Year
We’re losing ice in arctic environments at an astounding rate. Since the 1990s, we’ve seen the effects of the ice melting. Animals like polar bears are losing the ice they rely on for hunting and living.
However, recent studies reveal just how much ice we’re losing to climate change each year. One report found that the figure is close to 1.2 trillion tons annually.
This astronomical amount can be hard to wrap your head around. But for perspective, all manmade things in the world add up to about 1.1 trillion tons.
6. Air Pollution Is Killing People
It shouldn’t be a surprise that air pollution is contributing to global warming. But did you know the effects of it are already being felt by humans on a massive scale?
One report found that air pollution is the cause of death for nine million people each year. Sadly, that figure is only likely to increase unless something is done about this pollution.
7. Sea Levels Will Rise By the End of the Century
We’ve already discussed how climate change is causing ice in the Arctic to melt. Unfortunately, this is causing sea levels to rise. Many think that sea levels will rise by as much as 1.5 meters by the end of the century.
That means that many people living by the coast will likely be displaced. This will put a further strain on land and resources for many people.
8. Coral Reefs Are Dying
There are two reasons why coral reefs are dying. First, climate change is causing the ocean to heat up. When this occurs, it causes the algae that live in coral to leave. And since coral needs algae to survive, it starts to die.
Second, there’s human activity. When we explore coral reefs, the oils in our skin and the sunscreen we might be wearing can damage the environment.
Unfortunately, coral reefs dying affect many different species of fish and aquatic life.
9. It’s Not Too Late to Do Something
We know that these facts can make the climate change situation feel hopeless. However, it’s important to remember that it’s not too late to do something.
For example, if all carbon emissions ceased at this moment, the earth would gradually return to normal levels within decades. On top of that, there are advances in technology that removes carbon from the atmosphere.
If we combine this technology with personal change when it comes to the way we approach environmentalism, we still have a chance at beating global warming.
Appreciate Learning These Shocking Facts About Climate Change?
We hope this article helped you learn nine shocking facts about climate change. We know that learning about climate change can be discouraging for a lot of people.
Often it feels like there’s nothing you can do, which can cause various types of existential problems. But it’s important to remember that it’s never too late to make a difference.
So use these global warming facts as motivation to change the way you approach environmentalism. Want more topics like this one? Keep scrolling through our website to find plenty of similar ones to choose from.
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