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Even a small increase (0.6 degrees Celsius) in the earth’s average global temperature has already had significant impacts:
In the Arctic and Antarctic, warmer than average temperatures have led to accelerations in the melting rates of permafrost and the polar ice sheets. Northern peoples and animals like polar bears are already dealing with major problems—houses with foundations built on once-solid permafrost are collapsing, the number of days per year that there is sufficient freezing to allow vehicle travel on ice roads is shrinking, and the disappearance of sea ice is forcing polar bears to swim long distances in open water to catch their food.

The oceans are becoming warmer and more acidic, absorbing both heat and carbon dioxide, which becomes carbonic acid. Degraded coral reefs in the Caribbean and off the coast of Australia mean reduced marine biodiversity, and economic losses for fisheries and tourism.

Extreme and unusual weather events are becoming more and more common: droughts in Australia, a lack of snow in the Alps and central Canada in the winter, and more intense tropical storms and hurricanes are a few examples.

As global warming increases, impacts will become more severe. It is important to understand that even a rise of several degrees in average global temperature will have a dramatic effect on the earth’s climate, triggering unpredictable feedback cycles and processes that will likely be far more severe than what has been observed to date.