Consequences (2)

The consequences for agriculture



There can be no doubt that climate change will affect agriculture. The rise of the sea level already has one direct effect: low-lying coastal areas will be flooded and will no longer be useful for agricultural purposes.

Moreover, due to the rise of the sea level the groundwater in coastal areas will become more saline. This means that apart from the risk of flooding, the agriculture in these areas must also fear damage to crops as a result of excess salt.

Besides, it is expected that extreme weather conditions will occur more frequently, involving heavy storms or very dry and hot periods. Also, the present climat zones will move towards the poles: for temperate climates a shift by 200 to 300 kilometres can be expected for every extra degree Celsius. This poses problems for the cultivation of certain crops: indeed, 200 kilometres farther away the soil may not be equally suitable. The terrain can be barren, which may mean that the same crops cannot be grown there. Besides, due to global warming the moisture of the soil will decrease; this in turn has a negative effect on the germination of crops.

The consequences for nature



As has been described in the previous item, the greenhouse effect will cause a shift of climat zones towards the poles.

Even if this shift will not lead to spectacular changes like desertification or flooding everywhere, yet its influence on natural systems will probably be considerable.

Many existing natural ecosystems will no longer be able to adjust quickly enough to changing circumstances and will thus be thoroughly disturbed or may even disappear. There is a real chance that the natural environment (the habitat) of many plant and animal species will move faster than those species can, so that their chances of survival are seriously threatened. Consequently there are great risks that climate change will lead to a reduction of biological diversity.

The impact on the drinking-water supply

Not even considering climate change, we shall inevitably face an increasing drinking-water problem over the next few decades. Not only does the world population grow, but it also consumes more and more fresh water per person. Add to this that the drinking water is ever more highly polluted with industrial waste and manure. All of this results in a decreasing amount of drinking water being available for an increasing number of people. That in itself may cause conflicts, not to mention the fact that the supplies of drinking water are often managed by different countries simultaneously. Plus global warming to cap it all. Higher temperatures lead to more evaporation of the available water, which means less water.

Another additional effect will be felt in coastal areas in particular. Due to the phreatic decline the level will be supplemented with salt seawater. This makes it unsuited for agricultural purposes or household use. Coastal cities or agricultural communities will therefore have to start looking for other sources of fresh water, which are scarce enough as it is.

The depletion of ozone layer



Like an infection that grows more and more virulent, the continent-size hole in Earth's ozone layer keeps getting bigger and bigger.
Each year since the late 1970s, much of the protective layer of stratospheric ozone above Antarctica has disappeared during September, creating what is popularly known as the ozone hole . The Antarctic hole now measures about 9 million square miles, nearly the size of North America. Less dramatic, still significant, depletion of ozone levels has been recorded around the globe. With less ozone in the atmosphere , more ultraviolet radiation strikes Earth, causing more skin cancer , eye damage, and possible harm to crops.