Global warming and the environment

The evidence for global warming is almost everywhere. Here in California, we are experiencing the worst fire season on record. Dangerous wildfires are burning all over the state. Scientists are documenting the effects of these and other climate-related shifts, which mostly originate from global warming caused by humans. 

Increased heat alters ice, weather, and oceans

Scientists estimate that ninety percent of natural disasters are weather-related, the United Nations reports. These are some examples of how the extra warmth changes climate conditions and weather patterns: The cryosphere is melting. A warmer atmosphere causes the earth's snowpack, glaciers, and freshwater ice to melt quickly. Melting glaciers and polar ice sheets contribute to unprecedented sea level rise. Melting sea ice exposes darker ocean waters, which absorb more sunlight than ice. This heats the ocean more and speeds up a relentless cycle of melting and heating. There is no question that the weather is getting more extreme. Heatwaves are more frequent worldwide. Countries as diverse as Japan, Canada, and Europe are all experiencing heat waves that have killed hundreds. The increased evaporation of water acts as fuel for storms, contributing to extreme weather events, such as hurricanes. Rising sea levels make storm surges capable of much greater destruction. In more naturally dry areas, droughts and wildfires intensify. The oceans are growing hotter, expanding and becoming more acidic. They are getting warmer because they absorb 90 percent of the heat in the climate. This shift causes the oceans to expand, contributing to higher sea levels, and robs corals of their vivid colors. Nearly a third of carbon dioxide emissions end up in the oceans, triggering a chemistry change that makes the water more acidic, dissolving the shells of sea animals. The ocean is almost 40 percent more acidic than it once was.

Climate change solutions within reach

Global warming is a major threat to farmlands. Worldwide, farmers are struggling to keep up with shifting weather patterns and increasingly unpredictable water sources. Farms are more likely to face attacks from weeds, diseases, and pests, which reduce crop yields. Warmer, polluted air affects our health. A hotter atmosphere increases the formation of ground-level ozone – also known as smog – in polluted regions. Smog irritates lungs and triggers asthma attacks as well as a host of other respiratory issues. Smoke from wildfires further degrades the air. Extreme summer heat equals more deaths during heatwaves. Warmer freshwater makes it easier for disease-causing agents (such as bacteria) to grow and contaminate drinking water.

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Please visit our solar blog to find out more about the benefits of going solar.