Effects of Global Warming

While the whole world, including the scientists and environmentalists, seem to be divided on the issue of global warming, its effects continue to become much more evident. Submerging coastal lowlands, sinking islands, melting polar ice... the list of effects of global warming is quite lengthy. Before we move on to the details of global warming effects on Earth, let's try to understand what causes global warming and find out how we are contributing to it.

Global Warming: An Overview

Global warming is one of the most serious environmental issues threatening the very existence of various plants and animal species on the planet. Over the last 100 years, the global near-surface temperatures has increased by 0.32°F as a result of various natural as well as anthropogenic causes of global warming. That being said, one also needs to take into consideration that the natural causes of global warming play a crucial role in stabilizing the temperature of the planet - and without them Earth would have been freezing cold and unsuitable for human habitation. More importantly, statistics also reveal that the rate at which it is occurring has increased manifolds over the last few years, and if the same trends continue we will experience a rise of 2.0 to 11.5°F on the planet by the end of this century.

Effects of Global Warming on the Environment

When we talk about the global warming effects on the environment, we refer to its effects on various attributes of environment - which includes flora, fauna and humans. Basically, these effects of global warming on various lifeforms on the planet are attributed to climate change triggered by incessantly increasing global near-surface temperatures. The most prominent global warming effects on weather include extreme weather conditions - such as frequent droughts, heat waves, devastating hurricanes etc., all of which in turn affect various lifeforms on the planet. Discussed below are the details of global warming effects on our planet, with special special reference to its effects on plants, animals and humans.

Effects of Global Warming on Plants
There is absolutely no doubt about the fact that global warming will affect terrestrial as well as marine plants. The list of endangered plants is already quite lengthy and several other species are expected to join it if global warming continues unabated. Given below are ten most gruesome global warming effects on plants.

1. Global warming will result in more wildfires, thus resulting in depletion of already dwindling forest cover across the world.
2. The growing season for various species of plants has been altered over the last few years, and this is going to worsen with time.
3. As a result of lack of favorable condition the ability of reproduction of several plant species will be affected, which will limit the number of these plants and eventually result in their extinction.
4. Plant migration is yet another obvious global warming effect on Earth. Several plant species are migrating to regions with cold climate - towards the temperate region and high altitudes, wherein conditions seem to be favorable as of now.
5. Global warming will worsen the spread of invasive plants across the world - a problem which is expected to cost millions of dollars to control.
6. Plants act as natural cooling agents on the planet by releasing water from stomata - the tiny spores from which they absorb carbon dioxide. Their ability to act as cooling agents will be hampered - as too much of carbon dioxide in atmosphere will shrink these spores, and this will cause the environment to heat more.
7. Warm temperatures also provide ideal growing conditions for insects which feed on plants. The best example of this is Spruce bark beetles boom in Alaska which has destroyed million acres of spruce trees.
8. Extreme temperatures marked by frequent floods and droughts will affect agriculture sector the most, as no crops will be able to sustain in such extreme conditions.
9. Not everything will be bad though. One of the positive effects of global warming on plants will be the longer growing season that they will be subjected to, which will eventually result in more crop produce.
10. Global warming will also result in increase in microbial activity in soil, which will make it more fertile and plants more productive.

Effects of Global Warming on Animals
It is believed that one-third of the animal species present on the planet today will become extinct by 2050 as a result of global warming and climate change, and the list of extinct animals in the last 100 years validates this fact pretty well. Given below is a list of ten most gruesome global warming effects on animals across the world.

1. Melting polar ice will result in habitat destruction for polar animals such as the polar bears, Arctic fox, penguins etc. In fact, the effects of global warming on polar bears have already started to show with a significant fall in population of this species in their natural habitat.
2. Rise in the temperature of ocean water will destroy the coral reefs, thus resulting in destruction of the marine ecosystem which is dependent on the coral reefs to a great extent.
3. Rise in sea level will also affect the salinity of water, and this will hamper the growth of mangroves - which support a significant amount of biodiversity on the planet.
4. Changes in seasons will affect the birds and animals which migrate from one region to another in search of food as food stocks will get exhausted before these species make it there.
5. More rains will result in more erosion and this will in turn result in excessive silting of freshwater sources which will spell doom for freshwater animals.
6. Global warming will also affect hibernating animals that will come out of hibernation even before the actual cold season is over but won't find anything to feed on.
7. The young ones of animals such as walrus and polar bears rest on floating icebergs, and thus melting of these floating icebergs will make them more vulnerable to extinction.
8. As sea levels increase saline water will encroach into low lying regions, such as coastal prairies and marshlands, which will result in loss of habitat for animals inhabiting these regions.
9. Loss of habitat for various animal species will force them to turn their attention towards human settlements which will result on conflict between the two and result is some serious causality on either sides.
10. While most of the animals will bear the brunt of global warming, tropical disease spreading insects, such as mosquitoes, which require warm surroundings, will become more active and so will the diseases that are associated with them.

Effects of Global Warming on Humans
Even though we humans have altered the nature to a significant extent as per our needs, the fact is that we are still dependent on its various attributes - including plants and animals, for our basic requirements. That being said the impact of global warming on nature is bound to result in adverse effects on our life. According to the World Health Organization estimates 150,000 people die every year as a result of various issues related to global warming. Given below is a list of top ten global warming problems which we are likely to face in near future.

1. Extreme weather with frequent floods and droughts will not just affect plants but also affect us. There have been numerous instances of untimely rains, floods and droughts in various parts of the world over the last few years.
2. Global warming will melt all the glaciers - which are our stores of freshwater, thus leaving us devoid of water to drink. These glaciers are melting at an alarming rate and once they are exhausted we will be left devoid of water to drink.
3. On one hand global warming will exhaust freshwater stores, and on the other the hazards associated with it will exhaust our food stores as a number of plants and animal species will go extinct.
4. Melting glaciers will fill water bodies - including the oceans of the world. This along with the fact that water expands when heated will cause the sea level to rise and encroach on land.
5. Rising sea levels will result in submerging of low lying coastal areas and tiny islands in the ocean. The phenomenon has already started and Maldives Islands sinking is the best example of the same.
6. While melting glaciers will trigger flash floods at high altitudes, warm ocean water will result in increase in number of hurricanes - these natural disasters will rip apart the human settlements in their vicinity.
7. Warm climate will provide nourishing conditions for disease spreading insects owing to which we will become more vulnerable to diseases such as Malaria and Dengue.
8. Extreme temperatures would also give rise to heat waves, thus killing millions of people across the world - especially in tropical regions.
9. Global warming will result in drying up of rivers across the world. Taking into consideration the fact that we are dependent on these rivers for several aspects of our lives - including power generation, transportation, fishing, etc., we are bound to suffer big time if they dry up.
10. Global warming will also result in economic problems for mankind as various sectors on which we are dependent - most important being the agriculture sector, will suffer a great deal of damage as a result of global climate change.

Those were some of the most prominent effects of global warming which we will be subjected to if global warming continues unabated. Just a glimpse of global warming causes and effects is more than enough to highlight the fact that this problem is much more serious than what we think it is. The need of the hour is formulation and implementation of solutions - which will curb its spread if not get rid of it completely. While the authorities concerned continue to ponder on the feasibility of implementing these solutions, you - as a responsible citizen, can resort to some simple measures to prevent global warming, which you can inculcate in your day-to-day life.