Download Impacts and Effects of Climate Change and Ozone Depletion

Impacts and
Effects of
Climate Change
and Ozone
Depletion
Alleyna
Elainia
Paige
Impacts/ Effects on Climate
Change
– According to the IPCC, the extent of climate change effects on individual regions
will vary over time and with the ability of different societal and environmental
systems to mitigate or adapt to change.
– The IPCC predicts that increases in global mean temperature of less than 1.8 to
5.4 degrees Fahrenheit (1 to 3 degrees Celsius) above 1990 levels will produce
beneficial impacts in some regions and harmful ones in others. Net annual costs
will increase over time as global temperatures increase.
– "Taken as a whole," the IPCC states, "the range of published evidence indicates
that the net damage costs of climate change are likely to be significant and to
increase over time."
Impacts/ Effects on Climate
Change (cont.)
– Global climate is projected to continue to change over this century and beyond.
The magnitude of climate change beyond the next few decades depends
primarily on the amount of heat-trapping gases emitted globally, and how
sensitive the Earth’s climate is to those emissions.
– Temperatures will continue to rise. Because human-induced warming is
superimposed on a naturally varying climate, the temperature rise has not
been, and will not be, uniform or smooth across the country or over time.
Impacts/ Effects on Climate
Change (cont.)
– The length of the frost-free season (and the corresponding growing season) has been
increasing nationally since the 1980s, with the largest increases occurring in the western
United States, affecting ecosystems and agriculture.
– Across the United States, the growing season is projected to continue to lengthen.
– Increases of a month or more in the lengths of the frost-free and growing seasons are
projected across most of the U.S. by the end of the century, with slightly smaller
increases in the northern Great Plains.
– The largest increases in the frost-free season (more than eight weeks) are projected for
the western U.S., particularly in high elevation and coastal areas. The increases will be
considerably smaller if heat-trapping gas emissions are reduced.
Impacts/ Effects on Climate
Change (cont.)
– Average U.S. precipitation has increased since 1900, but some areas have had increases
greater than the national average, and some areas have had decreases
– Droughts in the Southwest and heat waves (periods of abnormally hot weather lasting
days to weeks) everywhere are projected to become more intense, and cold waves less
intense everywhere.
–
Hurricane-associated storm intensity and rainfall rates are projected to increase as the
climate continues to warm. They will become stronger and more intense.
– Global sea level has risen by about 8 inches since reliable record keeping began in 1880.
It is projected to rise another 1 to 4 feet by 2100.
– The Arctic Ocean is expected to become essentially ice free in summer before midcentury.
Impacts/ Effects on Climate
Change (cont.)
– Impacts of climate change on human health include:
– Asthma and cardiovascular diseases
– Malaria, dengue, encephalitis, hantavirus, Rift Valley fever, Lyme disease, chikungunya, and
West Nile viruses.
– Respiratory allergies
– Cholera, cryptosporidiosis, campylobacter, leptospirosis, and harmful algal blooms (water
quality impacts)
– Malnutrition and diarrheal disease
– Forced migration, civil conflict and mental health issues
– Heat related illnesses and death and cardiovascular failure (due to heat)
– Injuries and fatalities due to severe weather
Impacts/Effects on Ozone
Depletion
–
–
Adverse impacts on agriculture, forestry and natural ecosystems:
–
Several of the world's major crop species are particularly vulnerable to increased UV, resulting in
reduced growth, photosynthesis and flowering. These species include wheat, rice, barley, oats,
corn, soybeans, peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots.
–
The effect of ozone depletion on the Canadian agricultural sector could be significant.
–
Only a few commercially important trees have been tested for UV (UV-B) sensitivity, but early
results suggest that plant growth, especially in seedlings, is harmed by more intense UV
radiation.
Damage to marine life:
–
In particular, plankton (tiny organisms in the surface layer of oceans) are threatened by
increased UV radiation. Plankton are the first vital step in aquatic food chains.
–
Decreases in plankton could disrupt the fresh and salt water food chains, and lead to a species
shift in Canadian waters.
Impacts/Effects on Ozone
Depletion (cont.)
– Loss of biodiversity in our oceans, rivers and lakes could reduce fish yields for commercial
and sport fisheries
– Animals:
– In domestic animals, UV overexposure may cause eye and skin cancers. Species of marine
animals in their developmental stage (e.g. young fish, shrimp larvae and crab larvae) have
been threatened in recent years by the increased UV radiation under the Antarctic ozone
hole.
– Materials:
– Wood, plastic, rubber, fabrics and many construction materials are degraded by UV
radiation.
– The economic impact of replacing and/or protecting materials could be significant.
Impacts/Effects on Ozone
Depletion
– People exposed to higher levels of ground-level ozone are at greater risk of dying
prematurely or being admitted to the hospital for respiratory problems.
– Ground-level ozone can damage lung tissue, reduce lung function, and inflame
airways. This can aggravate asthma or other lung diseases. Children, older adults,
outdoor workers, and those with asthma and other chronic lung diseases are
particularly at risk.
– Because warm, stagnant air tends to increase the formation of ozone, climate
change is likely to increase levels of ground-level ozone in already-polluted areas of
the United States and increase the number of days with poor air quality.
– The higher concentrations of ozone due to climate change may result in tens to
thousands of additional ozone-related illnesses and premature deaths per year by
2030 in the United States, assuming no change in projected air quality policies.