7 Terrifying Consequences of Global Warming That We’re Already Seeing

Global warming, also known as climate change, has become one of the most pressing issues of our time. The long-term impacts of this phenomenon will have massive effects on our environment and living conditions, threatening to destabilize the ecosystems that we rely on to survive.

We’ve seen many short-term effects of global warming already, but these are nothing compared to what we can expect in the coming years if we don’t take action immediately. Here are 7 terrifying consequences of global warming that are already starting to happen.

1) Flooding

Today, about 40% of the world’s population lives in coastal areas that are subject to floods and storm surges. If we don’t take action to combat climate change, scientists predict that by 2100 this number will rise to more than 200%.

This would be disastrous for developed nations because it would put our capital cities such as New York City, Washington D.C., London, Tokyo, and Shanghai at risk and lead to billions of dollars in economic losses.

Not only that but it also means unimaginable suffering for all those who are displaced due to flooded homes, or worse still — permanently displaced from their homes with nowhere else to go.

2) Rising Temperatures

There are several consequences that will come with the rise in temperature and carbon dioxide levels, some of which we may not even be aware of yet. Here are just a few: changes in food availability, animal and plant migrations, coastal floods due to rising sea levels, and more violent storms.

According to NASA, our global temperature will likely rise between 2–11 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of this century unless climate change is addressed. All this raises the specter that many areas of the world — including southern Florida — could become too hot for humans to survive within a few decades.

3) Droughts

Droughts are widespread in Africa and South America. Droughts affect populations that depend on rainfall for their main sources of water, such as China and India, which rely on monsoon rains for 75% of their annual rainfall.

Plant life is destroyed by drought, leading to shortages in the food supply. This can lead to famine and death from hunger. Lack of drinkable water will continue to spread droughts, leading to death from thirst. The lack of plant life due to drought makes carbon dioxide more likely to enter our atmosphere. In turn, carbon dioxide levels will increase in our atmosphere leading to further droughts.

4) Hurricanes

- Hurricane Irma is the most powerful storm in a decade and hit as a category five hurricane. — This is not only bad for humans, but also for animals, plants, and other land mammals. Animals are being evacuated and airlifted to safety so they can be protected from this natural disaster.

Plant life will undoubtedly be affected due to the severe weather conditions which will likely cause them to wither or become damaged beyond repair. Hurricanes are among one of the most dangerous storms that we have encountered here on Earth.

They come with heavy winds, hazardous flooding, damaging waves, tornadoes, tornado outbreaks, and damaging rains at various intensities for days on end. As global warming continues to take place, these hurricanes are expected to increase in size and number.

5) Extinction of Species

Biodiversity loss is just one effect of global warming, and it’s not even the most terrifying. 1,600 species have gone extinct since 1500, according to a recent study published in Science Magazine. Mass extinctions can create cascading effects in an ecosystem and throw ecosystems off balance, but biologists still aren’t sure how many more species we can expect to see die out due to global warming.

• Overpopulation- people will migrate from areas that are experiencing major climate changes because it will be impossible for them to survive there. As a result, places like Sweden will no longer be so livable either because their natural population size cannot grow fast enough in response to an increased demand for living space and other resources.

• Drought- droughts lead to dryness which leads to wildfires. Wildfires release toxic gases into the air, which leads to health problems such as asthma or bronchitis, or lung cancer. These health issues also lead to higher hospital bills, a greater need for emergency services, and more economic hardship for those who are already struggling financially (which means they will have less money to spend on food). The worst part? The drier weather could lead to famines if farmers don’t receive rain soon enough or get paid back by government programs that assist during these times of need.

6) Sea Level Rise

Sea level rise is one of the most destructive consequences of global warming. An increase of just two feet will cause 50% more homes to be destroyed and make low-lying countries like Bangladesh or the Maldives unlivable. It also brings with it many threats to marine life, such as animals and plants that dwell near the shoreline which will have their habitats significantly altered or disappear altogether.

The sea level is rising at a rate of 2.6 mm per year which means by 2100 it could be up 8 feet. If we continue to pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, oceans may continue to expand because water expands when heated. Higher sea levels would lead to increased frequency of flooding in coastal areas from storm surges and other extreme weather events.

7) Shortened Growing Seasons

Already, we can see the devastating effects that global warming has had on growing seasons. With longer summers, extreme weather conditions will have a more negative impact on agriculture. Climate change is decreasing both crop yields and agricultural diversity, with a concomitant increase in production costs. (The Bioversity Report) The report further predicts that by 2050, yields for key crops like maize could be reduced by as much as 50%.

Drought: In 2015, California experienced its worst drought in 1,200 years due to climate change. The state’s reservoirs are currently at 60% capacity and water conservation efforts are ongoing to help alleviate some of the stress on our water supply.

Non-native Species Moving Northward: Warmer temperatures are causing insects like mosquitoes to move northward into areas where they previously did not exist — which increases instances of illnesses such as malaria and Zika virus.