Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the planet. Human activity is its main origin and its effects can be devastating. But do you really know what climate change is and how it affects you? We discover the causes and consequences of this climate crisis that already affects the whole world.
The causes and consequences of climate change have been a matter of collective concern for decades; however, there are myths about climate change and not everyone knows the magnitude of its impact on the planet. Have you ever wondered what climate change really is? o How does it affect us?
Becoming aware is the first step to act for the benefit of the environment. One of Foundation Aquae’s commitments is to fight against climate change and commit to sustainable development as the engine of change in society. For this reason, we share our knowledge in order to raise awareness and support society to put an end to its effects.
What is climate change?
According to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), climate change is a change in climate, attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere, and which is in addition to regular changes that naturally occur on the planet.
The Earth has natural cycles that occur from time to time, among which are climatic changes. For example, about 10,000 years ago, our planet’s climate was colder than it is today and glaciers occupied a large percentage of the earth’s surface; little by little changes took place that put an end to that last glacial period.
However, in recent decades all living beings have participated in the acceleration of this process, which occurs naturally. In view of the seriousness of this occurrence, the scientific community studied all the possible causes of climate change.
Their conclusions showed that the sudden variations in the climate are associated with various industrial processes that require the burning of fossil fuels, the massive felling of forest mass and the use of fertilizers, among others.
Next, we will give you details of the causes and consequences of climate change.
Causes of climate change
The Earth’s atmosphere is made up of different gases whose function is to maintain an appropriate temperature for life. This natural phenomenon is called the greenhouse effect.
It is necessary that there is a balance in the emission of greenhouse gases to maintain their fair proportion. However, human activities have increased the production of these gases causing the so-called global warming, the main cause of climate change.
Human beings are responsible for climate change and their greenhouse gas emissions that warm the planet, as we will see later. The best known gas is CO2, which causes 63% of global warming, but there are other causes:
- Deforestation: The lumber industry, agriculture, mining and ranching are the main economic activities dedicated to cutting down trees.
- Disproportionate increase in greenhouse gases: caused by the use of fertilizers, chemical activity for wastewater treatment, the burning of fossil fuels, transportation, heating and urban planning.
- Accelerated population growth: the increase in the number of inhabitants influences the production of gases that exacerbate the greenhouse effect.
Consequences of climate change
The consequences are affecting natural processes of vital importance. In the case of ecosystems, wetlands, for example, are at risk of disappearing. Another important point is the increase in the average temperature and the decrease in rainfall, which is creating an ideal breeding ground for fires. Here are more consequences of climate change:
- Acidification and contamination of water due to the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air.
- Devastating weather events such as hurricanes, cyclones, rains, extreme droughts or floods.
- Death, migration and extinction of different species of animals. In the case of the sea, there are many species that are witnesses to the destruction of their habitat. The presence of plastics and other pollutants in the sea, overfishing and other destructive fishing practices contribute to their disappearance.
- Alteration of the water cycle.
- Rise in sea level and global temperature due to melting ice.
- Appearance of diseases such as dengue and malaria.
- Depletion of natural resources necessary for human life.
There is much scientific evidence that demonstrates the serious causes and consequences of climate change on our planet. That is why it is time to open our eyes to this imminent reality and start fighting to build a better world.
How to reduce the effects of climate change?
Planting trees is one of the actions that help mitigate the effects of climate change. Its functions include purifying the air, capturing water for aquifers and reducing soil temperature. Aware of this, at Foundation Aquae we encourage collective participation to combat climate change. We do this through projects and initiatives that contribute to moving towards a circular economy model.
The Sowing Oxygen project is the most important of our proposals for the fight against climate change. This plan was born in 2015, and since then we have planted more than 10,000 trees throughout Spain. Additionally, with the help of our talents in scientific research, we designed a campaign to reduce the carbon footprint in order to offset our CO2. We define a carbon footprint as all the greenhouse gases emitted, by direct or indirect effect, by an individual, organization, activity or product. You can discover your carbon footprint with our Aquae calculator.
