According to NASA’s Goddard institute, the Earth’s average temperature went up by 1.4° fahrenheits the past 139 yearsi. In a summer day, you wouldn’t feel the difference between 65° fahrenheit and 66° fahrenheit. But in a global scale, just 1° increase in temperature can lead to major damages to the environment.

Although the effects of climate change is very subtle, action must be taken by people in order to reduce the effects of climate change because climate change can disrupt our food supply, be detrimental for multiple plant and animal species growth, and may lead to potential physical illness for people.

So how does climate change exactly happen?

That can be answered easily if we think of our planet as a greenhouse. A greenhouse absorbs heat energy from sunlight through clear plastic and uses that energy to keep a warm temperature inside the greenhouse. In our planet’s case, the ozone layer is acting the plastic layer. The ozone layer protects us from harmful UV radiation coming from the sun and also prevents heat from escaping our stratosphere. Without this protective layer, our earth’s temperature would be close to 0° fahrenheit or -18° celciusii. However, industrialization in multiple countries have led to increased carbon dioxide concentration throughout the yearsiii. Carbon dioxide and other emissions such as methane or Chlorofluorocarbon (more commonly known as CFCs) are heat trapping gases that are stuck within our stratosphere and ultimately lead to the phenomenon commonly known as global warming. This increase in temperature acts as a catalyst for warming oceans, shrinking ice sheets, sea level rise, and ocean acidifications.

Varying precipitation patterns and increased temperatures can negatively influence crop production. According to a study done by the United Nations, food production could decrease by 2.9% in West Africa and 2.6% in India due to climate changeiv. This decline in net food production can lead to conflicts in trade for multiple countries that aren’t agriculture based. The reduced amount of major crops (rice, wheat, maize, and soya beans) may cause increased prices making food less availablev. As of 2018, 95 percent of soybean production have been consumed by livestock, not humansvi. Not only will our food system be disrupted, but livestock feed production will also be greatly affected as well by climate change.

Studies done by Christopher J. Butler, from the Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, have shown that due to increased average temperatures, short-distance migratory birds are arriving sooner, leading to a mismatch between the migrating species and food source availability which can make the ecosystem much more vulnerablevii. Parasites such as the Perkinsus marinus can take advantage of the vulnerability and are already spreading past their original territory to cause major oyster die-offsviii. Perhaps the most known animal species being affected by climate change is the polar bear. Between 2001 and 2010, the number of polar bears in northeast Alaska has dropped 40 percent from its original population of 1,500 to 900ix. Polar bears use seals’ breathing holes in the ice as their hunting grounds. However, with the rising temperatures, the ice is melting off sooner, and the bears have to travel much longer distances to find food forcing them to burn huge amounts of caloriesx. For predators of such mass, burning a large amount of calories can lead to starvation.

Besides affecting the natural ecosystems, climate change also lowers the air quality for humans. Rising carbon dioxide levels and warmer temperatures are lengthening the spring pollen season for a few plant species with highly allergic pollen leading to increased number of asthma attacksxi. Higher temperatures also lead to an increase in ozone concentration, which is known to cause stress on the heart and possibly heart attacksxii.

Despite the negative effects of climate change, we are already working to make a carbon-neutral planet. Energy is now being generated by other means besides burning fossil fuels. The most common types of renewable energy are: hydropower, wind power, solar power, bio-power, and geothermal powerxiii. By using renewable resources, we are not releasing as much emission into the stratosphere compared to when using fossil fuels as our energy source.

What can we do help? Educating the youths about climate change should be at the top of the list. Adding on a few curriculums to science classes is an easy way to raise awareness. Besides immediate action to reduce the effects of climate change, we need to make sure that the next generation will follow through with the changes as well. Even teaching preschoolers how to recycle a plastic bottle can make a huge difference in our environment!