🌍 Causes and Effects of Climate Change
🔥 Causes of Climate Change
The main cause of modern climate change is the increase in greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere, primarily due to human activities.
🏭 Human-Caused (Anthropogenic) Causes:
- Burning Fossil Fuels
- Coal, oil, and gas release carbon dioxide (CO₂)
- Used for electricity, transportation, industry
- Deforestation
- Fewer trees = less CO₂ absorbed
- Forests are cleared for agriculture or urban use
- Agriculture
- Livestock release methane (CH₄)
- Fertilizers emit nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- Industrial Processes
- Release various greenhouse gases
- Produce pollution and chemical byproducts
- Waste and Landfills
- Produce methane as organic matter breaks down
🌋 Natural Causes (Minor in current trend):
- Volcanic eruptions
- Solar variations
- Natural carbon cycle changes
🟠 Key Greenhouse Gases:
- CO₂, CH₄ (methane), N₂O (nitrous oxide), and water vapor
🌡️ Effects of Climate Change
- Climate change leads to global warming, but the effects go far beyond rising temperatures.
🌍 Environmental Effects:
- Rising temperatures worldwide
- Melting glaciers & ice caps → sea level rise
- Ocean warming & acidification → affects marine life
- More extreme weather → heatwaves, droughts, floods, hurricanes
- Ecosystem disruption → extinction of species, habitat loss
👥 Human and Social Effects:
- Food and water insecurity
- Health risks (heatstroke, disease spread)
- Displacement due to sea level rise and disasters
- Economic costs (damage to infrastructure, agriculture losses)
- Increased conflict over resources
🧠 Summary Table
- Causes Effects
- Burning fossil fuels Global warming
- Deforestation Sea level rise
- Agriculture (methane, N₂O) Stronger storms and droughts
- Industrial emissions Ocean acidification
- Waste and landfills Threats to biodiversity and human health
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