The Effects of Global Warming

Effects of Global Warming

o Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere act like a mirror and reflect back to the Earth a part of the heat radiation. Global warming has no possible benefits. The predicted effects for the environment and for human life are numerous and varied. The main effect is an increasing global average temperature. World temperatures could rise by between 1.1 and 6.4 °C during the 21st century. This result in rise in sea levels, altered patterns of agriculture, increased extreme weather events, and the expansion of the range of tropical diseases. Its effect could be irreversible changes in the climate. There will be more frequent warm spells, heat waves and heavy rainfall. There will be an increase in droughts, tropical cyclones and

o extreme high tides.

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o Increased Global Temperature

Increasing global temperatures are causing a broad range of changes. Sea levels are rising due to thermal expansion of the ocean, in addition to melting of land ice. Amounts and patterns of precipitation are changing. The total annual power of hurricanes has already increased markedly since 1975 because their average intensity and average duration have increased.

Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns increase the frequency, duration, and intensity of other extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts, heat waves, and tornadoes. As a further effect of global warming, diseases like malaria are returning into areas where they have been eradicated earlier.