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5 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Impacts of climate change |
Rising sea level (-ve) More frequent extreme weather events (-ve) Spread of infectious insect borne disease (-ve) Lengthen the growing season in certain regions (+ve) |
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Rise in sea level |
Due to climate change, there has been a rise in sea level ever since the 1800s. Due to global warming, the higher temperatures causes the glaciers in Greenland and antarctica to melt, increasing the melt water in the sea. In addition the higher temperatures also cause the water in seas and oceans to expand. These led to the rise in sea level The rising sea level threatens low lying areas and islands. For example, according to the intergovernmental panel on climate change, 33% of coastal land and wetland habitats will likely to be lost in the next 100 years if the sea level continues to rise at current rates. |
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More frequent extreme weather events |
Due to global warming, more frequent extreme events occur An extreme weather event is a severe and rare phenomenon that results in significant economic losses and loss of lives. These extreme weather events happen due to the higher land and sea surface temperatures which results in greater amts of water vapour and latent heat in the warmer atmosphere. For example, the heat wave is a type of extreme weather event. It is not visible nor violent. However, when people are subjected to it, their vital organs are at risk and death results when the body cannot cool down sufficiently. In August 2003, a heat wave in europe killed more than 70000 people. |
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Spread of some infectious insect borne disease |
Due to the increased temperature and rainfall in various parts of the world, insects can thrive in these parts and start to spread infectious insect borne disease. For example, heavier rainfall allowed the insects to grow in numbers in aquatic habitats. The dengue fever is spread by being bitten by a infected mosquito, causing the person to hve fever, headache and even severe bleeding. This is more commonly seen in cool climates such as Nepal and Bhutan where it was first spotted in 2004. |
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Lengthened growing season in certain regions |
Higher temperatures allowed for the growing season to be prolonged allowing more crops to grow For example, more crops cld be grown in the UK such as maize and blackberries. In Canada, the production of fruit soya bean and potatoes are projected to increase. (Disadvantage) However the increase temperatures caused crops such as apples, cherries, nuts such as almond and walnut to reduce in production as they require cooler climate |
