“What are the effects of climate change?
Climate change destabilises the Earth’s temperature equilibrium and has far-reaching effects on human beings and the environment. During the course of global warming, the energy balance and thus the temperature of the earth change, due to the increased concentration of greenhouse gases, which has a significant impact on humans and the environment.
It is not scientifically possible to assign individual weather events to the current climate change, however, it can be statistically proven that global warming will increase the probability of extreme weather events.
The direct consequences of man-made climate change include:
rising maximum temperatures
rising minimum temperatures
rising sea levels
higher ocean temperatures
an increase in heavy precipitation (heavy rain and hail)
shrinking glaciers
thawing permafrost
The indirect consequences of climate change, which directly affect us humans and our environment, include:
an increase in hunger and water crises, especially in developing countries
health risks through rising air temperatures and heatwaves
economic implications of dealing with secondary damage related to climate change
increasing spread of pests and pathogens
loss of biodiversity due to limited adaptability and adaptability speed of flora and fauna
ocean acidification due to increased HCO3 concentrations in the water as a consequence of increased CO₂ concentrations
the need for adaptation in all areas (e.g. agriculture, forestry, energy, infrastructure, tourism, etc.)”
