The Earth has been getting warmer for decades. Scientists say that this is due to human activity, which includes burning fossil fuels. This causes carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere to rise. Carbon dioxide traps heat in the atmosphere, causing temperatures to rise.
If we continue with business as usual, the planet will become uninhabitable by the end of the century. That means no more polar bears, coral reefs, rainforests, and other natural wonders.
The world has already warmed 1 degree Celsius since 1880, and scientists predict that the temperature could rise by 4 degrees Celsius by 2100 if nothing changes. In fact, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that the average global temperature will increase by 2.7 to 11.6 degrees Celsius by 2100.
The Arctic Ocean is melting at an alarming rate.
In fact, the Arctic ice cap has shrunk so much that scientists believe it could disappear completely within decades. This would mean that the sea level rise caused by the melting ice would cause coastal cities like New York City to flood.
As the Arctic ice melts, the ocean water expands, causing the land beneath the ice to sink. This sinking causes the ice to melt faster because there is less weight holding it back. If the ice continues to melt, the entire region could be underwater within a few years.
Deforestation is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. According to the World Wildlife Fund, more than half of the world’s tropical forests have been lost since 1970. Deforestation also contributes to soil erosion, water pollution, air pollution, and biodiversity loss.
In Brazil alone, there has been a 50 percent increase in deforestation between 2000 and
In fact, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), nearly 1 billion people lack access to clean drinking water. This means that millions of people are exposed to diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and typhoid fever.
The UNEP estimates that at least 2 million people die each year from illnesses caused by contaminated water. And while many countries have taken steps to improve sanitation, others still struggle to provide safe drinking water to their citizens.
Food security is one of the biggest challenges facing humanity today. According to the UN, more than 800 million people worldwide suffer from hunger. That’s roughly equivalent to the entire population of Canada.
The world’s food supply is under threat due to climate change, which has led to increased droughts and floods. In addition, there is growing concern about the impact of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on our food system. GMOs are crops that have been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These include corn, soybeans, cotton, canola, sugar beets, alfalfa, and many others.
