Climate Change
Climate change is the potential consequence of Global Warming which may result in long-term significant changes in the expected patterns of average weather of the Earth.
There can be no dispute that climate change is actually happening. Our seasons are not identical every year. We get colder years and warmer years, dry years and wet years. There have always been natural variations in our seasonal weather.
Natural Climate change
Between approximately 10,500 and 5,550 years ago, the Sahara desert was a good place to live. (SAHARA) The whole area was fertile and supported a large civilisation. Natural climate change turned the area into a desert!
There are also natural cycles influencing our climate. These operate over differing periods of time with some, for example the Milankovitch cycles (MILANKOVITCH), operating over very long periods of time.
Changing global temperature
Global temperature increases will cause sea levels to rise and will change the amount and pattern of precipitation.
Other likely effects include Arctic shrinkage and resulting Arctic methane release, shrinkage of the Amazon rainforest, increases in the intensity of extreme weather events, changes in agricultural yields, modifications of trade routes, glacier retreats, species extinctions and changes in the ranges of disease vectors.
Phytoplankton in our oceans
The phytoplankton in our oceans is an essential part of the marine food chain, as well as generating 50% of the oxygen in our atmosphere and, in the process, absorbing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in the ocean.
Without phytoplankton there would be no life in our oceans! Phytoplankton are the base of the marine food chain and are referred to as 'the grass of our oceans'. They are nutritious food as shown by those whales which feed directly on them.
Phytoplankton die off if the water temperature rises. Increasing global temperatures risk affecting the levels of phytoplankton, potentially wiping them out with the result of killing everything in the oceans.
Ways of resolving the climate change problems
The first point to make is that we may not solve the climate change problem!!! Politics could stand in the way of agreeing to a global solution. I have even heard politicans suggesting that African countries should not be allowed to develop their economies because the world cannot afford to do so in a way that would not add to the climate change problem!
But what do we do about India for example? One billion plus population and the only way India can provide sufficient energy is by burning fossil fuels in their power stations! And then consider China. They were recently commissioning one coal fired power station a week!!! Who can tell them that this was wrong? Can the world afford to ignore what is happening in India and China?
Politics is an important part of stopping those elements of global warming that are caused by our activities!
References
(SAHARA) Sahara desert - Accessed 28 /9/10
(MILANKOVITCH) Milankovitch cycles - Accessed 28 /9/10