Global warming is one of the most pressing environmental issues of the modern age and has a direct impact on the health and wellbeing of humans and animals alike. While it is widely-understood to involve the long-term heating of the earth’s climate, its precise definition is somewhat more nuanced.
In basic terms, global warming is a phenomenon which describes the gradual rise of Earth’s average surface temperature caused by the emission of greenhouses gasses, such as carbon dioxide and methane, trapping heat and causing a net increase in the temperature of the planet’s atmosphere. A small degree of warming (approximately 1.3°F over the past century) can be attributed to a number of natural drivers, such as volcanic activity and variations in solar radiation, however the majority of the increase is owed to the effects of human activities on the planet’s climate.
Perhaps the most frightening aspect of the prolonged global warming trend is its cumulative and self-perpetuating nature, in that both human and natural factors contribute to the rise of global temperatures. For instance, human-topographic activities, such as urbanization, infrastructure, and industrialization, are responsible for each of the primary drivers of global warming outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: greenhouse gas emissions, ozone depletion, and land use change. As temperatures rise, glaciers and polar ice caps thaw, sea levels rise, and extreme weather events become more frequent, causing further disruption to delicate ecosystems as well as to human habitation.
The effects of global warming on human society are vast and far-reaching, impacting both public health and economic stability. For example, medical professionals have identified a correlation between extreme weather events and an increase of airborne pollutants and allergens, contributing to a rise in air-related illnesses such as asthma. Furthermore, higher temperatures contribute to the spread of insect-borne illnesses such as malaria,West Nile virus, and Dengue fever and increase the incidence of natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and wildfires, disrupting the food sources and safety of vulnerable populations across the globe. In economic terms, global warming is estimated to cost the global economy up to 8.5 percent of the projected gross domestic product per annum by the end of the century.
Thankfully, there is reason to believe that the worst effects of global warming are still preventable. As individuals, we must work to limit our individual impacts on the planet, by taking steps such as reducing meat consumption, investing in renewable energy, decreasing our overall energy usage, and serving as advocates for meaningful climate change policies. It is only through meaningful, collective action that we can make lasting change in the fight against global warming.
