Climate change refers to the significant and long-term changes in Earth's climate patterns and temperatures caused primarily by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, industrial processes, release greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, ozone, methane, nitrous oxide etc.
These
gases once released get trapped into the atmosphere and cause the Earth's
temperature to rise, leading to a wide range of impacts like melting of ice
(leading to rising sea levels), changes in precipitation patterns (frequent
droughts, heat waves and floods), loss of biodiversity, ocean acidification,
increasing the risk of natural disasters (tornadoes, wildfires) and much more.
· Recent evidence have already shown that climate change is causing extreme weather events more frequently. For example, in the summer of 2021 Europe experienced major heatwaves where Italy and Greece recorded their highest ever temperatures, with both countries exceeding 45°C (113°F).
In
Spain, several regions experienced temperatures above 40°C (104°F) and in
Turkey, temperatures soared above 50°C (122°F) in some places.
· Global sea levels are rising faster than previously predicted: According to a study published in the journal Nature in 2021, global sea levels could rise by as much as 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) by the end of the century, which is higher than previous estimates.
One recent example of
submergence due to rising sea levels is the Carteret Islands, a group of
low-lying coral atolls located off the coast of Papua New Guinea in the
southwestern Pacific Ocean.
These
are some pieces of data that can help us to at least cultivate awareness about
the seriousness of climate change.
