Global warming is known as an increase in the average temperature of the earth's surface. The planet has had cycles of warming and cooling periods for billions of years, however, right now the earth appears to be facing a rapid warming that most scientists attribute to human activities. The warming of the earth's surface is affecting the world at a shocking rate, with average temperatures climbing 1.0 degrees Fahrenheit in the past century, and the past two decades being the hottest we have seen in 400 years and possibly several millennia (Lovgren). Global warming is at the forefront of the major issues facing this generation, and if nothing is done to help, devastating effects will be felt all across the world. 

The effects of global warming are being felt in the Arctic more than anywhere, with average temperatures in the Arctic being 3.6 to 5.4 degrees warmer between January and August this year than it has been in the past 50 years. (Lovgren). Studies show that if gases continue to build up in the atmosphere at the current rate, summers in the Arctic Ocean may be ice free by the end of the decade. (Lovgren). The loss of arctic ice would have devastating effects on wildlife. Animal such as polar bears rely on ice for hunting, so without ice, they are forced to move inland and push into human settlements for food. With the birthrates of polar bears already decreasing, global warming will only further the decline of polar bear populations. Not only will the ice melt affect animals, it will also have major impacts on indigenous people. Faster melting ice is causing a decrease in the amount of their hunting days per year, and native hunters prefer igloos when they are on the trail, but with less snow and ice they are becoming much harder to build. Also, melted ice would mean no ice fishing, forcing indigenous people to adapt. The ice melt would really put a huge strain on the lives of Arctic wildlife and indigenous peoples. 

Fast melting ice in the Arctic would not impact the Arctic alone, it's effects would be felt across the globe. A four-year study of the Arctic climate concluded that in Alaska, western Canada, and eastern Russia, average temperatures have increased as much as 4 to 7 degrees Fahrenheit in the past 50 years, and temperatures are expected to further rise 7 to 13 degrees Fahrenheit over the next century (Handwerk). In addition to melting most of the Arctic sea ice, rising temperatures would also be likely to cause a substantial portion of the Greenland ice sheet to melt, which contains enough water to raise global sea levels by almost 23 feet (Handwerk). The consequences of this sea level rise would be extensive and shocking. With the melting of so much ice, a lot of fresh water would be added do the ocean, which could impact currents as well as regional climates. Low lying coastal areas would be flooded, the survival of certain indigenous cultures would be threatened, and the coastline would be moved inward, resulting in significant impacts socially, economically, and environmentally (Handwerk).  In addition to that, the melting ice could even open up new Arctic shipping lanes that could start a race to exploit the newly uncovered resources. The effects of global warming in the Arctic are widespread, and they are already being felt. If trends continue, things will only get worse.

Although global warming effects the Arctic more than anywhere else, impacts are still very prevalent elsewhere. The warming of the earth's surface has had a major effect on the ocean, and coral reefs in particular. Small but prolonged rises in sea temperature force coral colonies to generate food-producing algae, a process known as bleaching. (Markey).  Although dying reefs can recover from this, many do not. The worst coral bleaching event to date occurred in 1998, triggered by the increased water temperatures, over 16 percent of the world's reefs were lost (Markey). After this worst coral die off on record, many coral reefs are still unable to recover. Several reefs have been reduced to rubble, depriving fish of food and shelter, which has resulted in a significant decrease in the diversity of fish. In certain coral reefs, some fish have become endangered and even locally extinct (Markey). Vanishing coral reefs have become too much of a commonplace over the past few decades, and if nothing is done to help, they could be gone before we know it.

As if the devastating effects of global warming aren't already bad enough, experts are starting to link climate change to an upsurge in the number of extreme weather events such as heat waves, wildfires, and hurricanes. Although there is no evidence that the number of hurricanes and typhoons are increasing because of the rise in global temperatures, a new study found that they have become much stronger and longer lasting in the past thirty years (Roach).  With a direct correlation between this and a rise in sea surface temperatures, models suggest that the intensity of hurricanes and typhoons increase by five percent for every 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit rise in the temperature of sea surfaces (Roach). If global temperatures continue to rise, it is highly likely that hurricane activity will increase, considering there will be more heat to fuel the storms. Global warming may also be directly linked to an increase in wildfires along the west coast of the United States. With spring arriving sooner every year, and snowpack melting as much as a month earlier, there is much more time for trees, bushes, and grasses to dry out, making the landscape much more vulnerable to forest fires (Harder). Since 1987 average temperatures in the western United States have risen almost 2 degrees Fahrenheit from what they were from 1970 to 1986, with 6.5 times more land being burned during the same period (Harder). The years with the hottest temperatures also saw the most major fires, and the largest tracts of land burned. With such a strong correlation between global warming and severe weather, something needs to be done fast.

 Global warming is not only effecting earth's surface; experts now believe that the heating of the planet may also have major effects on the configuration of the jet stream. A modest level of global warming can suddenly create a wild change in weather, and scientists are starting to think that the jet stream has been brought into a new long term state (Masters).  If in fact the jet stream is entering a new state, that is not good for civilization. Studies show that if jet stream waves are amplified in response to global warming, there would be a large increase in the possibilities of heat waves in western North America and central Asia, cold waves in eastern North America, droughts in central North America, Europe, and central Asia, and wet extremes in western Asia (Masters). This new norm would mean more than just winters with intense snow storms and summers with terrible droughts. It would translate directly to an increase in worldwide food prices. What's more, some of the most iconic weather events in United States history, like the super-tornado of 1974 and the dust bowl of 1936, have been surpassed in 2011 and 2012 alone (Masters). Recent jet stream behavior could mark a permanent crossing into a more unpredictable and threatening high energy climate.  

As global temperatures continue to increase, the warmth will create more intense heat waves and droughts in high pressure systems and stronger storms with heavier downpours in low pressure systems. These intense weather conditions will become amplified if the jet stream continues to exhibit slower, higher amplitude waves, increasing their potential for more death and destruction. (Masters). The most dangerous of these weather conditions being drought. Drought is far and above the greatest threat because it directly affects water and food, two things essential for survival. The potential effects of major droughts could be catastrophic, worldwide increases in grain prices could potentially lead to global unrest, and the toppling of governments.

If scientists are correct, there is no way to go back to our old climate without taking measures to decrease greenhouse emissions. Global warming has a widespread effect that impacts all of the world in some way, whether that be environmentally, politically, economically, or socially. Devastating effects are already being felt across the globe, and they will only continue to intensify unless something is done.  


