Causes and Effects of Climate Change | National Geographic

human activities from pollution to

human activities from pollution to overpopulation are driving up the

overpopulation are driving up the

overpopulation are driving up the earth’s temperature and fundamentally

earth’s temperature and fundamentally

earth’s temperature and fundamentally changing the world around us the main

changing the world around us the main

changing the world around us the main cause is a phenomenon known as the

cause is a phenomenon known as the

cause is a phenomenon known as the greenhouse effect gases in the

greenhouse effect gases in the

greenhouse effect gases in the atmosphere such as water vapor carbon

atmosphere such as water vapor carbon

atmosphere such as water vapor carbon dioxide methane nitrous oxide and

dioxide methane nitrous oxide and

dioxide methane nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons let the sun’s light

chlorofluorocarbons let the sun’s light

chlorofluorocarbons let the sun’s light in but keep some of the heat from

in but keep some of the heat from

in but keep some of the heat from escaping like the glass walls of a

escaping like the glass walls of a

escaping like the glass walls of a greenhouse the more greenhouse gases in

greenhouse the more greenhouse gases in

greenhouse the more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere the more heat gets

the atmosphere the more heat gets

the atmosphere the more heat gets trapped strengthening the greenhouse

trapped strengthening the greenhouse

trapped strengthening the greenhouse effect and increasing the earth’s

effect and increasing the earth’s

effect and increasing the earth’s temperature human activities like the

temperature human activities like the

temperature human activities like the burning of fossil fuels have increased

burning of fossil fuels have increased

burning of fossil fuels have increased the amount of co2 in the atmosphere by

the amount of co2 in the atmosphere by

the amount of co2 in the atmosphere by more than a third since the Industrial

more than a third since the Industrial

more than a third since the Industrial Revolution the rapid increase in

Revolution the rapid increase in

Revolution the rapid increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has

greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has

greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has warmed the planet at an alarming rate

warmed the planet at an alarming rate

warmed the planet at an alarming rate while Earth’s climate has fluctuated in

while Earth’s climate has fluctuated in

while Earth’s climate has fluctuated in the past atmospheric carbon dioxide

the past atmospheric carbon dioxide

the past atmospheric carbon dioxide hasn’t reached today’s levels in

hasn’t reached today’s levels in

hasn’t reached today’s levels in hundreds of thousands of years climate

hundreds of thousands of years climate

hundreds of thousands of years climate change has consequences for our oceans

change has consequences for our oceans

change has consequences for our oceans our weather our food sources and our

our weather our food sources and our

our weather our food sources and our health ice sheets such as Greenland and

health ice sheets such as Greenland and

health ice sheets such as Greenland and Antarctica are melting the extra water

Antarctica are melting the extra water

Antarctica are melting the extra water that was once held in glaciers causes

that was once held in glaciers causes

that was once held in glaciers causes sea levels to rise and spills out of the

sea levels to rise and spills out of the

sea levels to rise and spills out of the oceans flooding coastal regions warmer

oceans flooding coastal regions warmer

oceans flooding coastal regions warmer temperatures also make weather more

temperatures also make weather more

temperatures also make weather more extreme this means not only more intense

extreme this means not only more intense

extreme this means not only more intense major storms floods and heavy snowfall

major storms floods and heavy snowfall

major storms floods and heavy snowfall but also longer and more frequent

but also longer and more frequent

but also longer and more frequent droughts these changes and weather posed

droughts these changes and weather posed

droughts these changes and weather posed challenges

challenges

challenges growing crops becomes more difficult the

growing crops becomes more difficult the

growing crops becomes more difficult the areas where plants and animals can live

areas where plants and animals can live

areas where plants and animals can live shift and water supplies are diminished

shift and water supplies are diminished

shift and water supplies are diminished in addition to creating new agricultural

in addition to creating new agricultural

in addition to creating new agricultural challenges climate change can directly

challenges climate change can directly

challenges climate change can directly affect people’s physical health in urban

affect people’s physical health in urban

affect people’s physical health in urban areas the warmer atmosphere creates an

areas the warmer atmosphere creates an

areas the warmer atmosphere creates an environment that traps and increases the

environment that traps and increases the

environment that traps and increases the amount of smog this is because smog

amount of smog this is because smog

amount of smog this is because smog contains ozone particles which increase

contains ozone particles which increase

contains ozone particles which increase rapidly at higher temperatures exposure

rapidly at higher temperatures exposure

rapidly at higher temperatures exposure to higher levels of smog can cause

to higher levels of smog can cause

to higher levels of smog can cause health problems such as asthma heart

health problems such as asthma heart

health problems such as asthma heart disease and lung cancer while the rapid

disease and lung cancer while the rapid

disease and lung cancer while the rapid rate of climate change is caused by

rate of climate change is caused by

rate of climate change is caused by humans humans are also the ones who can

humans humans are also the ones who can

humans humans are also the ones who can combat it if we work to replace fossil

combat it if we work to replace fossil

combat it if we work to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources like

fuels with renewable energy sources like

fuels with renewable energy sources like solar and wind which don’t produce

solar and wind which don’t produce

solar and wind which don’t produce greenhouse gas emissions we might still

greenhouse gas emissions we might still

greenhouse gas emissions we might still be able to prevent some of the worst

be able to prevent some of the worst

be able to prevent some of the worst effects of climate change

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