A Literature Review on the Effects of Global Warming By TM

1 TEM STEAM Frontiers 08 June 2020

A Literature Review on the Effects of Global Warming

What do the effects of global warming have on ecosystems? This question will be answered in this paper with emphasis on the Grand challenge three which states that “Sea waters are getting warmer, sea-level rise is accelerating and the oceans are becoming increasingly acidic” (Frontiers 2013). This investigates problems caused by global warming known as rising sea levels. Rising sea levels are caused by large amounts of ice melting which causes flooding in the ocean. This affects animal habitats and even causes significant destruction to communities that are based around large bodies of water. This is something that is dangerous for many reasons. It is essential that we, as a society, understand the impacts that our daily habits have on marine life and ecosystems. Throughout this paper, we will investigate what others are saying on this issue and investigate questions regarding the future of these issues and how, or if they can be reversed or even stopped.

To put it into simple terms, sea levels are rising because the ocean is absorbing copious amounts of excess water from melting structures like icebergs. As stated in an article by The National Ocean Service, “​The two major causes of global sea level rise are thermal expansion

2 caused by warming of the ocean (since water expands as it warms) and increased melting of land-based ice, such as glaciers and ice sheets” (2018). As thermal expansion gets worse and worse, the rate of rising sea levels is also becoming faster and faster each day. This is confirmed by Nunez when she states that, ​“​Average sea levels have swelled ​over 8 inches (about 23 cm) since 1880,

with about three of those inches gained in the last 25 years. ​Every year, the sea ​rises another 0.13 inches” (​2019).

Understanding how this happens is equally as important as discovering the effects. With rising sea levels, some of the first casualties to get affected are wildlife habitats. In the words of Harvey, “​Many forms of wildlife make their home on the beach. As the rising ocean erodes the

shoreline and floods the areas in which coastal animals live, animals like shorebirds and sea turtles will suffer” (2015). As you can see, animals are directly affected immediately because their homes are destroyed with no way of repairing them. This is scary to think about animals such as sea turtles who are endangered. They cannot afford to lose any offspring. As stated before, wildlife endangerment is one of the many things that will be affected with rising sea levels. Another concern caused by rising sea levels is that freshwater will be contaminated. This not only affects humans but this also will affect farming and agriculture. In an article written by Mambra, he ​states that, “​Higher sea levels mean the surge of to farther inland areas and contaminating drinking water sources. Similarly, the contamination of freshwater sources would also affect irrigation and farming, eventually leading us to a food crisis” (2019. This is a classic domino effect because this will naturally hurt the economy as well.

3 There are countless effects of rising sea levels on the planet and our economy. As a society we also need to ask ourselves the question, is it possible to slow this process down? Is there anything we can do? There are very mixed opinions on this topic. Some think that the rise of sea levels are so bad that it is irreversible. While others are more optimistic about change and how we can get there. In an article published by First Street Foundation states ​“One solution that cities employ to decrease flooding from tides and storms is ​constructing seawalls​. These barriers are often built to a height of five to six feet above sea level and cost approximately $600 to $2,000 per linear foot” (2018). This is an option that many cities have implemented like New York City for example. This is a way to slow down the process and only takes 4-5 years to construct. In another article written by students from MIT, they said that, “Theoretically, sea level rise is reversible. Reducing and stabilizing emissions would halt and maybe reverse the sea level rise, but removing CO​2​ from the atmosphere would reverse it more quickly” (2015). This method would be very challenging but not impossible as you can see.

In another perspective, the department of Earth Sciences at Oregon State University suggests that yes it is possible, but change is not going to happen as fast as we think it will. They stated the following: “When we pump more carbon into the atmosphere, the increase in temperature is almost immediate. But sea level rise takes a lot longer to respond to that warming. If you take an ice cube out of the freezer and put it on the sidewalk, it takes some time to melt. The bigger the ice cube, the longer it takes to melt” (2019).

4 Many of the points made have similar ideas but just may not agree on the timeline of things.

What does our future look like? This is something that is also important to look at. What will society look like if we stay on this path, or if we change? In conclusion sea levels rising is inevitable at the moment, but it is up to us to educate our youth and peers so that we can learn about ways to slow down the process. In an article published by Climate Change, they stated that, “​Over the course of the twenty-first century, global sea levels are projected to rise between about 2 and 7 feet, and possibly more. The key variables will be how much warming pollution humanity dumps into the atmosphere and how quickly the land-based ice sheets in Greenland and especially Antarctica destabilize� (2019).

Ultimately it is up to the human race to decide whether or not we want to continue polluting or come together to create change.

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Works Cited -

US Department of Commerce, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“Is Sea Level Rising?” ​NOAA's National Ocean Service,​ 27 Oct. 2008, oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sealevel.html.

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Nunez, Christina. “Sea Level Rise, Explained.” Sea Level Rise, Facts and Information, 27 Feb. 2019, ​www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/sea-level-rise/​.

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Harvey, Chelsea. “Sea-Level Rise Will Cause More than Flooding - These 5 Other Impacts of Rising Oceans Are Just as Bad.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 17 Feb. 2015, www.businessinsider.com/5-terrifying-impacts-of-rising-sea-levels-2015-2.

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“Report: Flooded Future: Global Vulnerability to Sea Level Rise Worse than Previously Understood.” Climate Central, 29 Oct. 2019, www.climatecentral.org/news/report-flooded-future-global-vulnerability-to-sea-level-rise -worse-than-previously-understood​.

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“Global Environmental Science and Politics.” Is the Rise in Sea Level Reversible? | Global Environmental Science and Politics, 23 Nov. 2013, esd110.mit.edu/blog/rise-sea-level-reversible.

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