#10 – Redrawing the Map of Earth
About 2% of water reserves in the world is stored in the form of ice. If it melts, sea levels will rise by about 70 meters. According to some estimates, by 2050 the Arctic will be ice-free in summer. Not only a metropolises like New York and Miami may be found to be under water, but also the whole countries like the Philippines.
#9 – The Threat Of Hunger
By 2050 the world population will overcome the mark of 9 billion people, and total demand for food will rise about 70%. It will be difficult to feed everyone. Earth inhabitants obtain more than half of the total volume of calories from corn, wheat, soybeans, and rice. It is expected that the yields of these crops will fall due to global warming and environmental pollution.
#8 – Leakage Of Carbon Dioxide in the Arctic
Carbon dioxide traps heat increasing the greenhouse effect. The Arctic acts as a giant repository of the world's carbon reserves - in frozen depths up to 1850 billion tons of carbon dioxide are stored. For comparison, as a result of human activities only since 1850 350 billion tons of carbon dioxide were allocated into the atmosphere. In the Arctic permafrost melts due to climate warming releasing carbon dioxide and thus warming the planet.
#7 – Ocean Acidification
About a third of the carbon dioxide produced by humans is absorbed by the oceans, causing it to oxidize. Since the industrial revolution the acidity of seawater increased by 30%, and it looks like the situation will worsen significantly by the end of this century. It is unlikely that the increased pH has beneficial effects on the aquatic inhabitants. Shellfish and corals suffer from the oxidation most of all.
#6 – Mass Extinction
Earth has experienced five mass extinctions, and researchers found a relation between disasters and climate change. Some experts sure that sixth mass extinction begins on the planet. The most vulnerable were amphibians - global warming has already been found guilty of the disappearance of the orange-toads and harlequin frog.
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