Pollution & Environment

  From the poles to the tropics, climate change is disrupting ecosystems. Even a seemingly slight shift in temperature can cause dramatic changes that ripple through food webs and the environment. The lake at Jökulsárlón, a glacial lagoon in Iceland, which has grown because of continued glacial melting Credit: Eskinder Debebe/UN Photo Melting sea ice The effects of climate change are most apparent in the world’s coldest regions—the poles. The Arctic is heating up  twice as fast  as anywhere else on earth, leading to the rapid melting of glaciers and polar ice sheets, where a massive amount of water is stored. As sea ice melts, darker ocean waters that absorb more sunlight become exposed, creating a positive feedback loop that speeds up the melting process. In just 15 years, the Arctic could be  entirely ice-free  in the summer. Sea level rise Scientists predict that melting sea ice and glaciers, as well as the fact that warmer water expands in volume, could caus...

  As global temperatures climb, widespread shifts in weather systems occur, making events like   droughts ,   hurricanes , and   floods   more intense and unpredictable. Extreme weather events that may have hit just once in our grandparents’ lifetimes are becoming more common in ours. However, not every place will experience the same effects: Climate change may cause severe drought in one region while making floods more likely in another. Already, the planet has warmed  1.1 degrees Celsius  (1.9 degrees Fahrenheit) since the preindustrial era began 250 years ago. And scientists warn it could reach a worst-case scenario of 4 degrees Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100 if we fail to tackle the  causes of climate change —namely, the burning of  fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas) . Tokyo during a record-breaking heat wave, August 13, 2020 Credit: The  Yomiuri Shimbun  via AP Images Higher average temperatures This change in global a...

  Climate change is our planet’s greatest   existential threat . If we don’t limit greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, the consequences of rising global temperatures include massive crop and fishery collapse, the disappearance of hundreds of thousands of species, and entire communities becoming uninhabitable. While these outcomes may still be avoidable, climate change is already causing suffering and death. From raging wildfires and supercharged storms, its compounding effects can be felt today, outside our own windows. Understanding these impacts can help us prepare for what’s here, what’s avoidable, and what’s yet to come, and to better prepare and protect all communities. Even though everyone is or will be affected by climate change, those living in the world’s poorest countries—which have  contributed least  to the problem—are the most climate-vulnerable. They have the fewest financial resources to respond to crises or adapt, and they’re cl...