Impact of climate change on the world

3/20/2023 International News By Vivian, Xintong, MengZhen

On March 9th, the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Petteri Taalas, warned in an interview with Kyodo News that sea levels will continue to rise due to global warming, and stated that "our fight against rising sea levels is gradually failing." At the same time, a study by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on melting Antarctic glaciers shows that the extent of sea level rise may exceed previous predictions. Coastal cities around the world, such as New York in the United States and Tokyo in Japan, will be threatened by higher sea levels. Today, the impact of global warming on the environment is becoming increasingly clear. Global warming leads to glacier melting, which in turn leads to rising sea levels, changes in ocean ecosystems, and other issues.

Changes in climate patterns caused by global warming, including changes in precipitation and temperature, frequent and intensified floods, droughts, and storms, may lead to ecosystem destruction and species extinction, seriously affecting ecosystem services and the ecological economy. Global warming may also lead to an increase in natural disasters such as tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, and wildfires, which may become more frequent and intense. Since 2020, floods caused by global warming have been the most frequent, such as the emergency situation caused by floods in Lambayeque, Piura, and Tumbes in Peru in March 2023. In October 2022, flooding in Nigeria resulted in at least 50 deaths. According to the Nigerian Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Minister Sadiya Farouq at a press conference, "As of October 24, this year's floods have caused the death of 612 people and displaced 1.42 million people nationwide."

However, the impact of climate change on the world is not only negative, but also positive. For example, the threat of climate change has greatly increased the demand for renewable energy worldwide, promoting the development and use of renewable energy. Climate change has raised awareness and implementation of measures to address it, and may also bring benefits such as reducing pollution, reducing the use of fossil fuels, and reducing emissions. At the same time, the natural disasters and climate pattern changes caused by climate change may have an impact on people's health, such as increasing the incidence of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases due to heat waves and floods. It may also affect agriculture, leading to reduced crop yields and changes in arable land, which may affect global food security. Climate change may even lead to changes in water resources and shortages, which may lead to ecosystem destruction and species extinction, thereby affecting ecosystem services and the ecological economy.