Effects of Global Warming on Humans

Global warming is one environmental issue which needs no introduction―after all, it has been in the news for all the good and bad reasons over the last few years. What needs an introduction though, is the impact that it will have on mankind ... on our lives to be precise.

Its effects on us have always been downplayed, probably because most of them are based on climatic models which the critics allege, are too crude to rely on.

In what can be best described as domino effect on the Earth's environment, one thing will lead to another as a result of global warming, and in matter of time, several species will be wiped off the planet.

When we talk about species, it includes humans as well. Though we don't face the direct threat of extinction, quite a few effects of this environmental issue are bound to affect us directly or indirectly.

Elementary science teaches us that water expands when heated. When ocean water will be heated as a result of global warming, it will naturally expand and contribute to sea level rise. Rising sea will encroach on land, and low lying areas as well as tiny islands will start submerging.

That will turn out to be disastrous, considering that a significant portion of the world population resides in these very coastal areas which are threatened by encroaching sea.

Some of the major rivers of the world originate in these glaciers, so glacial melting will sound the death knell for these rivers. At the end of the day, we will end up facing a severe water crisis and the prophecy about World War III may even come true.

Other than using river water for drinking, we are also dependent on it for agriculture. If there are no rivers, it is bound to affect the agriculture sector and result in food shortage for us.

At the same time, all this occurrences will disturb the water cycle, hamper the normal pattern of precipitation, and trigger environmental issues, like droughts and famines, on the planet. Sooner or later, most of the regions on the planet will become barren and we won't have land to cultivate.

End result, no water to drink, no food to eat; courtesy, global warming.

The steady rise in frequency of hurricanes over the last few years is an apt evidence of global warming. These devastating hurricanes will rip across the residential areas in coastal regions of the world, which will result in huge loss in terms of human lives as well as property.

One of the most obvious effects of this phenomenon on the Earth will be the change in climatic conditions of different regions. If the planet becomes warm, it will become a heaven for disease spreading insects.

These insects, which cannot survive in cold regions beyond the tropics today, will begin to flourish in these regions, as the environment will be conducive for them. As they start spreading out, they will also spread diseases attributed to them, which will affect more people and result in more casualties.

If the phenomenon was not convincing enough all this while, its effects on humans are bound to come as an eye-opener for all those people who thought it was a myth.

At the end of the day, we need to understand that we are a part of the ecosystem, and anything which threatens the ecosystem is a threat for us―either directly or indirectly. If we don't act now, the loss will be too much and revival may turn out to be impossible.