Effects of Global Warming on the Climate of Europe

Living in the 21st century, we are familiar with the phenomenon of global warming. It is responsible for adversely affecting the climate and posing a serious threat to the social and economic development of countries across the world. Since Europe is located in the northern part of the globe, there are peculiar changes in its climate in the past decade. This article will provide details about global warming-caused weather changes on the continent.

What is Global Warming?

To put it simply, it means that our Earth’s atmosphere and oceans are getting warmer each year. This is due to the rise in greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, which absorbs the heat of the sun more than the required amounts and causes our planet to get warmer. These gases are emitted because of human activities like pollution, deforestation and the likes.

What Does It Do?

Global warming has a very severe impact on our lives.

It creates floods, droughts, famines and even devastating hurricanes. Its long-term impact is even worse: rising levels of seawater, extreme weather changes, unbalanced ecology, and a lot more. For instance, the weather forecast in London predicted in 2010 was that UK would experience the coldest winter to date, and one of the main reasons behind this was global warming.

How Does It Affect Europe?

Being in the temperate zone, Europe usually has extreme and dry climate with less rainfall. However, UK and Ireland are strongly influenced by the sea.

Hence, their climate is more humid and erratic as compared to North America, which is located around the same latitude.

But, global warming has changed this scenario considerably. The heat wave of 2003 and the chilly winters of 2010 have severely affected London, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds weather, amongst others. As each year sees more erratic weather, there has been a significant loss in the national economy. Agriculture, tourism, and industrial development have really taken a hit.

Studies show that as compared to the global average, Europe is warmer, and the last decade (2001-2010) has seen a rise of 1.2 degree Celsius as compared to the previous decade. It is predicted that along with other cities, Bristol weather is going to experience frequent extremes, including frost days, dry spells, and heat waves. This time around, they will be more intense and last for longer periods of time.

This issue is affecting people on a very large scale and international norms are being put into place to ensure that companies reduce their carbon footprint. On an individual level we all need to do our bit to save the ecology.

environment|global warming & climate change

Global warming, as well as climate change, is a subject which demonstrates very little sign of cooling down.   Here's the lowdown on why it's happening, precisely what is causing it, and the way it might modify the planet.

Is It Taking place?


Truly. Earth is presently screening numerous symptoms of worldwide climate change.


• Average temperatures have climbed 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degree  Celsius) around the world since 1880, a lot of this in current decades,  in accordance with NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies.


• The rate of warming is increasing. The 20th century's last twenty years  have already been the hottest in 400 years plus possibly the warmest for several  millennia, relying on a range of climate studies. And the United  Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that  11 of the past 12 years may be among the many dozen warmest since 1850.


• The Arctic is feeling the results by far the most.

Average temperatures in  Alaska, western Canada, plus eastern Russia have risen at twice the  global average, according to the multinational Arctic Climate Impact  Analysis report compiled between 2000 and 2004.


• Arctic ice is speedily disappearing, and then the region may have its first of all completely ice-free summer by 2040 or earlier. Polar bears and even indigenous cultures are already tormented by the sea-ice damage.


• Glaciers and mountain snows are quickly melting—for example, Montana's Glacier National Park currently possess solely 27 glaciers, versus 150 in 1910. Within the Northern  Hemisphere, thaws additionally come a week earlier in spring plus freezes initiate one week later.




Is Human beings Inflicting It?

The report, based on the work of some 2,500 scientists in more comparing to 130  nations, concluded that humans have triggered all or most of the most present  planetary warming. Human-caused global warming often is called  anthropogenic climate change.

• Industrialization, deforestation, as well as pollution have enormously extended  atmospheric concentrations of water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, plus  nitrous oxide, entirely greenhouse gases which help entrap heat around Earth's  surface.


• Human beings are pouring carbon dioxide to the surroundings much quicker in comparison with plants plus oceans is able to absorb it.


• These gases persist inside the atmosphere for years, which means that even if such emissions are already eradicated today, it would not directly stop global warming.


• A few specialists point out that organic cycles in Earth's orbit is able to alter  the planet's exposure to sunlight, that may clarify the current trend.  Earth has actually experienced warming and cooling cycles generally every  hundred thousand years because of these orbital shifts, however the mentioned alterations  have occurred over the span of several centuries. Today's changes have  taken place in the last hundred years or fewer.





What is Going to Occur?


A follow-up describe warned that global warming could lead on to large-scale food and water shortages and also have catastrophic effects on animals.


• Sea level could climb among 7 and 23 inches (18 to 59 centimeters) by means of  century's end. Rises of only 4  inches (10 centimeters) may flood a number of South Seas islands and swamp  huge parts of Southeast Asia.





• Glaciers world wide could melt, causing sea levels to rise while  creating water shortages in parts depending on runoff for clean  water.


• Robust hurricanes, droughts, heat waves, wildfires, as well as other natural  disasters may turn out to be conventional in many parts on the planet. The growth  of deserts may also trigger food shortages in many different places.


• Over a million species face extinction from disappearing habitat, shifting ecosystems, and acidifying oceans

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