The Cost of Climate Change
What is climate change?
Often used interchangeably with the term global warming, climate change is the change in the average conditions like temperature and rainfall in a climate system. While natural fluctuations in Earth’s temperature throughout the years aren’t uncommon, the rate at which temperatures have been rising is faster than usual. Many of the warmest years recorded have occurred in the past 20 years. (1, 2)
Both natural and human factors can influence the earth’s climate, but the greenhouse gas emissions we generate are the leading cause of climate change. When heat-trapping pollutants collect in the atmosphere and absorb the solar radiation and sunlight that have bounced off the earth’s surface, it creates a greenhouse effect. Such heat-trapping pollutants include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, and synthetic fluorinated gases. (3)
These greenhouse gas emissions are primarily due to human activities like fossil fuel burning, deforestation, and agricultural practices and waste. The burning of coal, oil, and gas produces carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, which is the primary cause of global warming. NASA estimates that 15 to 20% of global carbon emissions comes from deforestation and forest degradation. When carbon-storing trees are removed and left to rot, that sequestered carbon is released and thus contributes to the rising carbon dioxide levels. As far as agricultural practices, cows, sheep, and goats emit methane when they digest their food. Fertilizer use also increases nitrous oxide emissions. (4, 5, 6)
Image by Our World in Data from Wikimedia Commons
Effects and consequences of climate change
The effects of global climate change on the environment are visible from the shrinking glaciers to the extreme weather patterns. With the rising global temperatures, glaciers and ice sheets are melting, and sea levels are also rising due to the warming of the ocean. The higher sea levels result in more frequent floods, with storm surges pushing farther inland than in the past. The intensity of storm surges and rainfall rates are also projected to increase. On the opposite end of the spectrum, droughts and heat waves in the southwestern U.S. have also been projected to become more intense, while cold waves decrease in intensity everywhere. (7, 8)
These effects, like extreme weather patterns, come with a price tag. The Natural Resources Defense Council projects that by 2100, hurricane damages will cause $422 billion in economic losses because of the increasing intensity of Atlantic and Gulf Coast storms. They also predict that rising sea levels will cause $360 billion in damages, the rising demand for energy will cost $141 billion, and water costs will increase to $950 billion due to demand from places with drought conditions, all by 2100. (9)
Human health and food supply are also affected by climate change. The number of heat-related deaths have increased in some regions, and there’s been an increase in waterborne diseases and diseases transmitted by insects and rodents. Air quality has been decreasing as well since higher temperatures can cause an increase in air pollutants and allergens. For food supply, we depend on climate and weather conditions. The decreased yields and lost land from rising sea levels and erosion have already hurt food availability. (10, 11, 12, 13)
Image by NPS Climate Change Response from Flickr
How you can help
You can reduce your own carbon footprint by making conserving energy a priority, both in your daily life and as a consumer. Try limiting your meat consumption by participating in Meatless Monday, or switching to a reusable water bottle instead of plastic ones. When shopping for new appliances, check for the ENERGY STAR label that means a product has met a higher standard for energy efficiency from the government. Planting trees is another way to help. Our goal at Reboot Reforestation is to plant one billion trees by 2030. (Interested in reforestation? Check out our seedball store for some pine seeds.) These are all simple actions we can take to help mitigate climate change. (3)
Citations
(1) Denchak, M. (2017, February 23). Global climate change: What you need to know. NRDC. https://www.nrdc.org/stories/global-climate-change-what-you-need-know
(2) BBC News. (2020, November 18). What is climate change? A really simple guide. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-24021772
(3) MacMillan, A., & Turrentine, J. (2021, April 7). Global warming 101. NRDC. https://www.nrdc.org/stories/global-warming-101
(4) European Commission. (2017, June 28). Causes of climate change. Climate Action. https://ec.europa.eu/clima/change/causes_en
(5) Schmidt, J. (2011, June 1). New NASA map shows how much carbon is stored in global forests: What is at risk if we don't halt deforestation. NRDC. https://www.nrdc.org/experts/jake-schmidt/new-nasa-map-shows-how-much-carbon-stored-global-forests-what-risk-if-we-dont
(6) NASA. (n.d.). The effects of climate change. https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/
(7) NOAA's National Ocean Service. (n.d.). Is sea level rising? https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sealevel.html
(8) Ackerman, F., & Stanton, E. A. (2008, May). NRDC: The cost of climate change. NRDC. https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/cost.pdf
(9) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (n.d.). Climate change impacts. https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate/climate-change-impacts
(10) European Commission. (2017, February 16). Climate change consequences. Climate Action. https://ec.europa.eu/clima/change/consequences_en
(11) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Climate change decreases the quality of the air we breathe. https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/pubs/air-quality-final_508.pdf
(12) Flavelle, C. (2019, August 8). Climate change threatens the world’s food supply, United Nations warns. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/08/climate/climate-change-food-supply.html