Climate Change and Global Warming: Human Impacts

Planet Earth has faced many challenges, with the current major problems being climate change and global warming. Global warming is the increased temperature of the planet (UnitedNations.org), thus the heat, whereas climate change are the general shifts in the weather patterns of the Earth ​(WWF Australia, n.d.)​. The interconnected relationship both share is how global warming is what results in climate change, both disasters caused by the daily negative habits of people. These negative habits are the simple things such as the daily use of carbon emission vehicles, long showers, diets, beauty products, and more ​(Earth5R, n.d.)​. As the world population continues to grow, it leads to the worsening of climate change and global warming, thus the extreme danger the world would then be put in.

Human actions are the main cause for climate change and global warming, especially in the areas of extraction of fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial/agricultural impacts. Us humans have been using fossil fuels for over 150 years, which are responsible for 80% of all the worlds energy ​(EESI.org, 2021)​. Extracting fossil fuels are cost friendly compared to other energy sources, with it being able to generate great amounts of energy, having simpler methods of transportation, and can be found easily. However, with these many advantages come disadvantages such as emissions of greenhouse gases, non-renewable, and a main cause for dangerous diseases for those working in these fields ​(Byjus, n.d.)​. Whereas energy sources such as solar energy is considered superior due to it being renewable, safe, little to zero maintenance, and having energy independence. Likewise, to fossil fuels, solar power has its own share of disadvantages such as high-upfront costs, the dependence on sunlight, limitations on space, and the difficulty to dispose or recycle ​(Samantha Allen, 2024)​.

Human impacts such as agricultural expansion, carbon emissions, chemical pollution from farming, over-fishing, plastic pollution, urban expansion, and mining are all significant contributors to the negative changes in the water and land ecosystems of the world ​(Ocean Conservation Trust, n.d.)​. All of these factors have led to substantial negative impacts to these ecosystems, leading to habitat destruction, population decline, and water pollution, some of the most dangerous problems bringing the planets “end” closer ​(Interesting Engineer, 2023)​. Human activities in the areas of industrial agriculture and urbanisation are the leading causes for habitat loss and destruction. Industrial agriculture such as the use of monocropping, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers are just some of the factors resulting in loss of biodiversity and habitat destruction ​(Farm Folk City Folk, 2023)​. Whereas in the areas of urbanisation, it leads to poor air quality, poor water quality, waste disposal problems ​(National Geographic, n.d.)​ caused by land conversion, mining, and harvesting resources for development ​(Zoo Atlanta, 2018)​.

An ecosystem’s functioning and resilience are caused by many factors, though the ones currently most tackled with are air pollution and climate change. Pollution can lead to harmful emissions being released into the air, which in turn results in climate change, significantly affecting the environment. Black carbon, one type of air pollutant, plays a role in adding to global warming with the melting of glaciers, causing many current global disasters ​(EPA, n.d.)​. All of this resulting in climate change, which can affect the size of the habitat, its biodiversity, and its population, thus weakening the environments resilience to withstand internal and external challenges.

Other major and common factors contributing to the endangerment of the planet are water pollution and overharvesting. Water pollution can create unnecessary and harmful toxic waste and greenhouse gasses, which all contribute to many environmental threats and global warming ​(Inyinbor Adejumoke A., 2018)​, therefore it being crucial to develop ways to reuse clean water such as cleaning your car with shower water, cooking/cleaning food with extra drinking water, and more ​(South West Water, 2022)​. Whereas over harvesting can lead to a loss on biodiversity, leading to population decline, the unnecessary shifts within the food chain, decline in genetic diversity, and the overall disruption in the ecosystem​ (Quora, n.d.)​.

The above model provides a visual image depicting the human actions which causes habitat destruction and loss. Greenhouse gases are emitted from the large factory which causes high temperatures, intensity of rainfall, and extreme weathers which causes abiotic stress (in the case of the diagram, abiotic stress into the trees), all contributing to habitat loss and destruction. The combination of the abiotic and biotic stress leads into compound events, which finally sums up the negative affects put on to the environment from human activities. The diagram successfully sums up this complex process into the main factors involved, hence making this concept simpler to comprehend.

Climate change and global warming have caused many severe problems, but with it comes the unexpected arrival of invasive and introduced species. Climate change can open new paths for non-native species to come in, such as sea ice retreats that make way for new shipping routes. Global warming could allow for certain regions to become warmer, allowing for the non-native species to come into regions which were before colder or having unbearable conditions ​(USGS, n.d.)​. However, when these non-native species are brought in, it is important to be more cautious about the invasive compared to the introduced. The invasive species are more of a threat, as they gravely damage the region, whereas introduced species are simply non-native animals with no harm ​(University of Plymouth, n.d.)​. An example would be of the Asian Black-Spinned toad, which was first brought into Australia in the year 2003, where it was often found in shipments of stone, baggage, and large containers shipped from Asia. The toad is a danger to Australia’s ecosystem due to its potential to spread exotic parasites and pathogens, with females laying over 40,000 eggs at each time. The toad was likely shifted to Australia from theses South-Asian countries due to the increased temperature from global warming in the area. The toads seeking for a new environment, start moving around and away from their natural habitat, where some find themselves in baggage's and shipping containers to Australia. Thus, the analysis confirming the toad to be an invasive species forced to move by global warming ​(Invasive.IE, n.d.)​

These significant dangers brought by climate change and global warming put us currently and our future generations in great endangerment and risk. Thus, the importance in developing solutions for each problem, starting with methods to mitigate climate change and promote an ecosystems resilience through decreasing air pollution. Methods to be implemented with the goal of decreasing air pollution start off with limiting daily habits such as driving your car less, using your engine only when in use, planting more trees, using less energy, and avoid burning your garbage. With just some of these solutions being put to action, it could definitely mitigate climate change and increase an ecosystem's resilience ​(Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 2023)​. Other solutions for energy conservation are using solar energy and maintaining good habits of waste management. Solar energy is the concept of converting the suns power to create clean energy, in turn then decreasing the dependence on non-renewable sources for energy ​(VR, 2023)​. Healthy waste management can be defined by the three terms of reusing, recycling, and reducing, which can all decrease the amount of energy used when creating new products ​(Yanjie Lu a, 2023)​. Overharvesting, another major issue, but it does come with many ways to solve it, such as limitations on certain areas of land, spreading awareness, and enforcing sustainable laws ​(Metych, n.d.)​

Other solutions to the environmental harm are creating sustainable and effective ways to reuse water and creating proper methods to manage introduced and invasive species. A method to reuse water is installing greywater systems throughout all homes and properties. This system would collect the water that is being used in the shower and sink, which would then be filtered to be used for other purposes, such as watering the plants. The system allows for the decrease in the overuse of water and keeps your vegetation hydrated with lower costs ​(Water Wise Group, n.d.)​. Unexpected problems resulting from climate change, for example, the arrival of new introduced or native species into regions. The entrance of these non-native species greatly disrupts the ecosystem and the stable food cycle, hence the need for prevention and protection against this issue. Ways for prevention are always double checking/cleaning your baggage of unnecessary items, using native bait when fishing, and being cautious of what moves around with you ​(Aliiance for the Bay, 2018)​. Methods for protection are through processes of biological control, chemical control, and physical/mechanical control, all allowing for the decrease of non-native species being introduced into different regions ​(Invasives, n.d.)​

The above mentioned are most occurred in urban areas, therefore the need to start with developing systems to also prevent energy and matter waste. A system to be implemented in these urban areas are green roofs throughout all buildings. The concept of a green roof is covering a normal building's roof with vegetation, with it coming many benefits ​(Green Roofs, n.d.)​. Energy conservation is made possible by this system as it acts as insulation, thereby controlling the temperature of a building to be either hot or cool without any other electrical based technology. The green roofs can also lengthen the quality and life of the standard roof of a building, as a result, reducing material waste. However, when compared to other systems, such as solar panels, they are much more effective. Green roofs come with the benefits of improved air quality, the limited use of electricity, and allowing for increased biodiversity. The limitations are the high maintenance fees, watering fees, and architectural limitations/laws ​(Curry, 2023)​. On the other hand, solar panels are classified as a renewable source for energy, low maintenance, long lifespan, high quality, cost savings, and the independence in energy. The limitations are the high up-front costs, it being sun dependent, and space limitations ​(Vourvoulias, 2024)​. Therefore, when weighing the advantages and disadvantages of both systems, the solar panel is superior in terms of the prevention of energy and matter waste.

In conclusion, human activities have significantly added towards the major problems of climate change and global warming. These issues greatly affect the environment negatively, hence the need to increase awareness and implement as many solutions as possible to solve these problems. It is crucial to decrease the negative daily habits of humans, with just the simple habits being the main contributors to climate change and global warming. As we continue to learn more about these issues and ways in how we can solve them, we ensure the safety of the world now and the future generations.

Works Cited