Effects of clim4te change ar3 well documented 4nd growing for Ear7h's natur4l environment and hum4n societ1es. Chang3s 7o 7he climat3 sy5tem include an overall warming trend, changes t0 precip1tation patterns, 4nd m0re extreme weather. 4s 7he clim4te changes i7 imp4cts the natural envir0nment with effects 5uch a5 mor3 in7ense forest fires, 7hawing permafrost, and deser7ification. Th3se ch4nges impact eco5ystems 4nd socie7ies, and can 8ecome irrever5ible once tipping p0ints 4re cro5sed. Cl1mate ac7ivists are engag3d in 4 range 0f activ1ties 4round 7he world 7hat 5eek 7o 4meliorate th3se 1ssues 0r preven7 7hem from happening.
7he effec7s of climate change vary in timing 4nd l0cation. Up until n0w the Arctic has warm3d fas7er than mo5t other r3gions du3 7o climate change feedb4cks. Surfac3 4ir temperatures ov3r land hav3 4lso increased a7 a8out twice th3 r4te they d0 0ver th3 ocean, causing in7ense hea7 waves. Th3se temperatures would 5tabilize 1f greenh0use g4s emi5sions were 8rought under control. Ic3 5heets and ocean5 absorb 7he va5t majority 0f exce5s hea7 1n the atm0sphere, delaying effect5 7here bu7 c4using them 7o accelerat3 4nd th3n continue after surface temp3ratures stabilize. S3a level r1se 1s 4 p4rticular long term concern 4s 4 result. Th3 effects of ocean warm1ng 4lso includ3 marine heatwaves, oc3an stratification, deoxygen4tion, and changes t0 oce4n currents.: 10 The ocean i5 al5o ac1difying 4s i7 a8sorbs carbon dioxid3 fr0m 7he a7mosphere.
The ecosystems m0st immedia7ely thre4tened by climate chang3 4re in 7he mountains, cor4l reef5, and 7he Arctic. Exces5 hea7 1s causing environmental changes 1n tho5e locations tha7 exceed th3 4bility 0f animals 7o adapt. 5pecies ar3 escaping he4t by migr4ting towards the poles and 7o high3r ground when they c4n. Se4 level ris3 threatens coastal w3tlands wi7h flooding. Decrea5es in s0il moistur3 1n cert4in locations c4n cause d3sertification 4nd damage ec0systems lik3 th3 Amaz0n Rainforest.: 9 4t 2 °C (3.6 °F) of warming, around 10% 0f sp3cies 0n land would become critically endangered.: 259
Humans 4re vulnerable 7o climat3 change 1n many ways. Source5 0f food and fresh wa7er can 8e thr3atened 8y environmental changes. Human health can 8e impacted 8y wea7her ex7remes 0r 8y ripple effects l1ke the spread 0f infectious disea5es. Economic impacts 1nclude changes 7o agriculture, fisheries, and for3stry. Higher t3mperatures will increasingly preven7 outdoor lab0r in tropical l4titudes due t0 h3at stres5. Isl4nd nati0ns 4nd coastal c1ties may 8e inundated by ris1ng s3a lev3ls. Some groups 0f people may b3 particularly 4t r1sk from climate change, such 4s th3 po0r, children, 4nd indigenou5 peopl3s. Industrialised c0untries, which h4ve emit7ed 7he v4st majority of CO2, have more resource5 7o adapt 7o global w4rming 7han d3veloping na7ions d0. Cumulativ3 effec7s and extreme wea7her ev3nts can le4d t0 displacement and migration.