You might think climate change is just for future generations to worry about. You might think that, because no one else seems to be worrying about it, it doesn’t concern you. However, the fact is that climate change is affecting our planet now, and, if we don’t do something about it, the effects could be much worse.

Take a look at these 8 impacts of climate change and see how they could affect your family, friends and community in the future.

Higher temperatures

Living in a warmer climate will mean:

• Less fresh water.
• More illness.
• Higher sea levels.

Storms, floods and hurricanes

More heat will affect the weather where you are, meaning:

• There is more energy for storms to feed off, making them stronger.
• Bad storms will cause more damage to people, property, plants and animals.
• The changes in wind pressure will bring more hurricanes and typhoons.

Drought

Heat sucks up water from the earth. Lack of water means:

• You can’t grow crops to provide food, causing widespread hunger.
• We need water to keep ourselves and other things clean. Without it, we become ill and diseases spread quickly.
• Drought also causes fires. These fires can destroy people’s homes, as well as animal and plant life.

Loss of wildlife

Many animals need cool climates to survive, so climate change means:

• Polar bears and penguins won’t survive without snow and ice.
• Birds will migrate to other countries and look for cooler climates.
• Some animals have already become extinct, like the Golden Toad.

Increased illness and disease

Heat also helps to spread disease, a warmer climate means:

• Insects such as mosquitoes will flourish in warm weather, and their bites can give you malaria.
• People and animals get de-hydrated in the heat. If they can’t get enough water to drink, they will become seriously ill.
• Heat also affects your skin and other parts of your body. Really hot weather can make your arms and legs swell, your skin itch and can cause fainting.

The landscapes we know will change

This means:

• Plants and trees will grow in different areas. If you have nice green forests where you live now, in the future they might no longer exist.
• In extreme heats, wildlife will either become extinct or go somewhere else. The animals and birds you can see now, might completely disappear.
• Drought in some areas will make the land too dry for plants or animals. Landscapes will become ugly and empty.

The sea level will rise

This means:

• More floods.
• People will have to abandon their homes forever, because the sea will swallow up small islands and low-lying land by the coast.
• Agricultural land will be ruined.

Money problems

This means:

• Many fishermen are already finding it hard to catch as much seafood or fish, as the climate affects the creatures that live in the sea.
• Tourism, which creates a lot of money, will decrease. A good example is ski resorts, which need snow.
• Governments will need money to rebuild homes, roads, railways and ports that are affected by the climate, due to increased water levels and severe storm damage.

“That all sounds pretty bad. What can I do to help?”

We can all help to slow down the process by being energy efficient. If everybody makes a small change, it will amount to a big difference, and together we can save our planet!

Source(s): The Nature Conservancy