Sunday, January 29, 2023

Geology (1)

The future of our planet lies within our hands. The earth is 4.5 billion years old and yet it is now in the most troubled condition it has ever been. Just a slight increase of global temperatures by 1 degree celsius could be catastrophic.

Temperature increase is predicted to be at least 1 degree celsius but some scientists believe that we can stop this increase at 2 degrees celsius. Some scientists say that we can avoid a 2 degree celsius increase if we cut down on carbon emissions and use know more than 2.9 trillion tonnes. We as all living species have already used 1.9 trillion leaving only 1 trillion left for us to use between now and forever. At the rate will are predicted to use it all within 20 years. . With just a 1 degree celsius temperature increase could eliminate ⅓ of the water from our planet in just 85 years. Mountains will lose their glacias and also their rivers. 40% of our arctic sea ice has melted in the last 30 years. As the ice melts it increases the ocean’s surface area which means more heat will be absorbed making it harder for ice to reform. Low lying countries will be emerged if sea levels continue to rise and tropical storms will be more dangerous than ever. By 2100 sea levels could rise by 1 meter displacing 10% of the world’s population with a 2 degree celsius increase. With just a 2 degree celsius increase plant growth will slow down and finally stop and so they will no longer use carbon dioxide as efficiently they will expel it into the earth’s atmosphere. Ecosystems collapse as species migrate and ⅓ of life on earth could become extinct.

A global temperature increase of 2 degrees celcius will make it near to impossible to avoid a 3 degree celsius increase. The warmer the sea temperatures the less carbon dioxide is absorbed and so it starts to accumulate in the are contributing to global warming which helps increase the earth’s temperatures. 40% of the amazon rainforest could be destroyed with a 2 degree celsius as it’s the most affected place on the planet. With a 3 degree celsius increase to the earth’s temperatures plants start to stop absorbing carbon dioxide and only emitting it. As the soil increases in temperature there is more dead vegetation and more and more carbon is released. Snow will disappear from mountains cities and farms loose rivers and reservoirs run dry. Salt water will poison groundwater. The last time the earth’s temperature was at this point was 3 million years ago trees grew in the arctic and sea levels were 25m meters higher.

With the temperature increase of 4 degrees celsius the planet would become unrecognisable. Ice would be non-existent in both the north and the south poles, rainforests would have turned to desert and rising seas reach deep into continents. Crops will be extremely hard to grow in these weathers meaning there will be nothing to buy and nothing for producers to sell. Migrants force themselves into the few habitable places on earth meaning civil wars are inevitable as there are many different culture all in one small habitable area on earth. The last time the earth’s temperatures where at this level, alligators lived in the arctic and spain was a desert.

Source: https://edubirdie.com/examples/the-future-of-our-planet/