Global Warming Effects on Humans

Global warming is one environmental issue which needs no introduction - after all it has been in the news for all the good and bad reasons over the last few years. What needs an introduction though, is the impact that it will have on mankind... on us. Its effects on our lives have always been downplayed, perhaps because most of them are based on climatic models which the critics allege are too crude to rely on. Critical evaluation of the evidence of global warming, such as climate change pattern and rising frequency of hurricanes, is more than enough for a person to understand the ground reality. It's another thing that we are too occupied with our present to think about our future.

Effects of Global Warming on Humans

In what can be best described as domino effect on the Earth's environment, one thing will lead to another as a result of global warming, and in matter of time several species will be wiped off the planet. When we talk about species, it includes humans as well. Though we don't face the direct threat of extinction, quite a few effects of this environmental issue are bound to affect us directly or indirectly.

Sea Level Rise: Submerging of Coastal Regions
The most obvious effects will start with melting of polar ice and glaciers due to excessive rise in global near-surface temperature. The water from melting glaciers and polar ice will drain into the ocean, which will eventually trigger a sea level rise. More importantly, water tends to expand when heated - and when ocean water will be heated as a result of global warming it will naturally expand and contribute to sea level rise. Rising sea will encroach on land - and low lying areas as well as tiny islands will start submerging. That will turn out to be disastrous, considering that a significant portion of the world population resides in coastal areas which are threatened by encroaching sea.

Melting Glaciers, Drying Rivers: Severe Water and Food Crisis
Glaciers are our only reservoirs of potable water and if they melt - which is already happening at an alarming rate, there will be no water to drink. Some of the major rivers of the world originate in these glaciers, and melting of glaciers as a result of global warming will sound the death knell for these rivers. At the end of the day, we will end up facing a severe water crisis - and the prophecy about World War III for water will come true. Other than using river water for drinking, we are also dependent on it for agriculture. If there are no rivers, it is bound to affect the agriculture sector and result in food shortage for us. Similarly, all this occurrences will disturb the water cycle, hamper the normal pattern of precipitation and trigger environmental issues - such as droughts, on the planet. Sooner or later, most of the regions on the planet will become barren and we won't have land to cultivate. End result - no water to drink, no food to eat courtesy global warming.

Frequent Hurricanes: Large-scale Devastation
When the cold water from melting glaciers and warm water of oceans will mix, it will provide ideal conditions for the formation of hurricanes - which will make these natural disasters much more frequent and severe than they are today. The steady rise in frequency of hurricanes over the last few years is an apt evidence of global warming. These devastating hurricanes will rip across the residential areas in coastal regions of the world, which will result in huge loss in terms of human lives as well as property.

Warm Climate: Spread of Diseases
One of the most obvious effects on Earth will be the change in climatic conditions of different regions. If the planet becomes warm, it will become a heaven for disease spreading insects. These insects - which cannot survive in cold regions beyond the tropics now, will begin to flourish in these regions which will then have conducive environment for them. As they start spreading out, they will also spread diseases attributed to them which will affect more people and result in more casualties.

If global warming effects on animals and plants were not convincing enough, these effects on us are bound to come as an eye-opener for all those people who thought this phenomenon was a myth. At the end of the day, we need to understand that we are a part of the ecosystem, and anything which threatens the ecosystem is a threat for us - either directly or indirectly. We should stop taking this environmental issue so lightly, and implement some solutions to reduce its impact. Now that there is ample evidence that global warming and deforestation, burning of fossil fuels, use of CFCs, etc., are related to each other, we can go ahead and restrict this hazard by keeping a check on these anthropogenic activities. If we don't act now, the loss will be too much and revival may turn out to be impossible.