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What Are the Harmful Effects Associated With Global Warming?

The Environmental Protection Agency finds that the first human activity significantly contributing to global warming occurred during the 19th century's Industrial Revolution. Substantial coal burning and later fossil fuel use fueled industry, while increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere, preventing heat from escaping the planet. The resulting effects of global warming can be seen in increasing numbers of discrete weather events as well as gradual changes in ecosystems, such as permafrost melting and warming oceans.

Heat Waves
- A 2006 "National Geographic" report cited warnings from Oxford University and the Hadley Centre that global warming would increase the incidence of lethal heat waves in Europe. The continent's 2003 heat wave caused over 20,000 deaths, and Myles' Allen of Oxford's Climate Dynamics group noted that while an individual heat wave can't be conclusively blamed on global warming, climate change increases the odds of protracted, dangerously hot temperatures. The National Wildlife Federation notes heat waves are particularly dangerous to children, the elderly, and people with asthma or heart disease.
Phytoplankton Decline
- In July 2010, "The Independent" cited a study from Canada's Dalhousie University that found the ocean's phytoplankton population has declined approximately 40 percent over the past century. Phytoplankton are tiny plants that are a vital link in the marine food chain, supporting prey fish that in turn provide nourishment for larger predator species. Phytoplankton also absorb carbon dioxide, reducing the amount of CO2 trapped within the atmosphere. As global warming kills more phytoplankton, the atmospheric CO2 rises, setting off an increasingly vicious cycle.
Rising Sea Levels
- The Environmental Protection Agency predicts a global sea level rise of up to 40 inches by the dawn of the 22nd century, caused by global warming effects such as glacier and ice pack melting, and reduced ocean circulation caused by warmer water temperatures. A rise in sea levels threatens wetlands, which help keep the damaging effects of flooding and storm surge in check. Rising sea levels put all coastal communities at risk, and in an interview with "Science Daily," Jianjun Yin of Florida State University's Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies warns that rising sea levels along America's northeastern coastline will put even cities such as New York in danger of catastrophic damage from storms or flooding.
Storms
- Kevin Trenberth of the National Center for Atmospheric Research indicates that atmospheric carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases have caused ocean temperatures to rise since approximately 1970. "Science Daily" notes increased surface water temperature creates more atmospheric water vapor, a combination of factors that make Category 4 and 5 hurricanes more frequent. "Nature News" cites a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration study headed by Thomas Knutson predicting fewer but much more powerful Atlantic hurricanes over the coming century, doubling in incidence by 2100.

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