Research Paper: Climate Change Human impact: ● Explanation of Climate change: ○ Climate change is a long-term shift correlated with temperature & weather patterns. ● How long has this been an issue?: ○ Climate change has been an issue since we first started burning fossil fuels on a regular basis, however, its effects may have only been felt after the first industrial revolution. ● Why do humans do this?: ○ Humans did this as a byproduct of burning fossil fuels, starting fires, and the first industrial revolution. ● Where in the world does this happen? What biomes does it affect?: ○ Climate change affects all environments, biomes and is a problem for every person and society on Earth. ● Positives: ○ Longer growing seasons. ○ Milder temperatures. ○ Fewer harsh winter deaths. ○ More water vapor. ● Negatives: ○ Hotter temperatures. ○ More severe storms. ○ Increased drought. ○ Rising ocean levels. ○ Coral bleaching. ○ Loss of species. ○ More health conditions. Environment Impact ● Impact on biotic factors: ○ Exposes plants to abiotic stresses (elevated CO2, UV radiation, etc). ○ Affects agriculture production at lowlands. ○ Alters species habitat/environment productivity. ○ Impacts biological timings. ○ Food web disruptions. ○ Causes diseases to plants. ○ Species extinction. ○ Poverty/displacement. ● Impact on abiotic factors: ○ Increases carbon dioxide. ○ Causes rise of radiation, droughts, salinity. ○ Ice affection. ○ Increase in temperature. ○ Change of water/oxygen in marine life. ○ Humidity. ○ Impacts soil. ● Real life situations: ○ One real life situation that includes climate change is when the temperature gets warmer in a cold place which causes the ice that Polar bears typically depend on to melt away; in result decreasing their prey. ○ Another real life situation that includes climate change is when its temperatures increase & this affects the zooplankton species’ environment by leading to a significant decrease in their reproductive rate/their diversity. It causes instability in their nutrition, & creates a causation where their future community organizations change their diets. Possible solutions: ● At home solutions: ○ Individual (At school or home.): ■ Climate change is mainly caused by pollution, so one thing we can do is start adding recycling bins and advocate to increase recycling. ■ You should try to repair things instead of throwing them away. ■ Solar panels are a slightly expensive option, but in the long term help you save money, and steer clear of electricity gained through fossil fuels. ■ If you can, bike or walk to places instead of using gas cars. ○ Community ■ Organize fairs to help spread awareness about climate change. ■ Start a public garden, and let everyone know and help out. ■ Start a compost bin with other people, and throw away compostable items there. Consequences of the solutions: ● Environmental ○ Biotic ■ Our first solution is recycling. Recycling would allow a heavy decrease in pollution which in return clears air/oxygen levels, and surrounds the areas of biotic species with healthier environments to live in & work in . ■ The next solution is in regards to repairing items. Repairments would cause a decrease in earnings because it would lessen sales. ■ ○ Abiotic ■ Solar panels could damage roofs if installed incorrectly, and in turn cause other things to decrease, making you use more energy, and cause more fossil fuels to be burnt. ■ Starting gardens takes up space, and you could possibly damage the environment, such as the abiotic factors of your backyard. ■ Compost bins are usually made of plastic bins, which if you stop composting will probably go to waste which is bad for the environment, however it is generally better, because it gives old containers a new use. ● Humans ○ Individual ■ Adding recycling bins would allow for people to recycle more often, and would in turn, help reverse climate change. ■ Repairing things would help us stop throwing away things, however, it could be time consuming and take a long time. So, this should be done minimally, only whenever it is easy to repair or the item costs a lot. (But try to do this as often as you can. ■ Solar panels would help you spend less on your electricity bills, and help you use less fossil fuel generated energy. However, the installation might be a bit expensive, so this should only be done if you have enough extra cash on hand. ■ Biking and walking would help prevent carbon emissions, however it is much more time consuming than driving, so if you are going long distances this would not be optional. ○ Community ■ Organizing fairs would be great and have a large impact, however they can be hard to do, and would take up a lot of time. ■ Starting a public garden would allow people to access more food, and be good for the environment, however the only problem is that getting permission for it might be hard, and it would once again, take a lot of time. ■ Starting a compost bin is quick and easy, however if you do it improperly it will smell bad and you will have to throw it away. ● Long term ○ Long term, if all these things are done, it will allow for a better environment, and help fight climate change. These simple things have a big impact on the world around us, and it is greatly appreciated.
