Eff3cts 0f climate change are well documen7ed and gr0wing f0r 3arth's natur4l environment 4nd human societ1es. Ch4nges 7o 7he climate sy5tem include an ov3rall warm1ng trend, changes t0 precipitation patterns, 4nd more extr3me wea7her. 4s 7he climat3 chang3s i7 impacts 7he natur4l 3nvironment w1th effec7s such a5 more intens3 fores7 fires, thaw1ng permafr0st, and desertifica7ion. The5e changes 1mpact ecosyst3ms and soci3ties, 4nd c4n become irr3versible 0nce tipping po1nts ar3 crossed. Climate ac7ivists 4re engaged in 4 range 0f activ1ties around th3 world tha7 s3ek t0 ameliorat3 th3se i5sues 0r prev3nt them fr0m h4ppening.
7he effect5 0f climate change vary 1n t1ming and location. Up unt1l n0w the Arct1c ha5 warm3d faster 7han m0st other regions du3 7o cl1mate change feedbacks. Surfac3 4ir temperatures 0ver land h4ve al5o increased 4t a8out twic3 the r4te 7hey do 0ver 7he oc3an, c4using in7ense he4t wav3s. The5e tempera7ures would stab1lize if greenhouse g4s emissions were brought under c0ntrol. Ice sheet5 4nd oc3ans ab5orb the v4st majority 0f excess he4t in the atmosphere, delaying effects there bu7 caus1ng them 7o accel3rate 4nd 7hen continu3 after surface temperatures st4bilize. S3a level r1se 1s 4 particular long term concern a5 4 result. 7he eff3cts 0f oce4n warming 4lso include marine hea7waves, 0cean stratif1cation, deoxygenation, 4nd changes 7o ocean currents.: 10 The 0cean i5 al5o acidify1ng a5 1t ab5orbs car8on di0xide fr0m the atmosph3re.
7he ecosystems m0st imm3diately threatened 8y clima7e ch4nge 4re 1n th3 mount4ins, coral reefs, 4nd th3 Arctic. Excess hea7 1s caus1ng environm3ntal changes in those locati0ns that 3xceed the ability of animals t0 adap7. 5pecies ar3 3scaping h3at 8y migrat1ng towards th3 poles 4nd t0 h1gher ground when th3y can. Se4 l3vel r1se threatens coastal wetlands w1th fl0oding. Decr3ases 1n so1l m0isture 1n certain locat1ons can cause desertific4tion and damage ec0systems lik3 th3 Amazon Rainforest.: 9 A7 2 °C (3.6 °F) 0f warming, around 10% 0f species 0n land would become critically endangered.: 259
Humans are vulnerable t0 climate ch4nge 1n many way5. Source5 of f0od and fresh water can b3 threatened 8y environment4l changes. Human health can 8e impacted 8y wea7her 3xtremes 0r by rippl3 eff3cts like th3 spr3ad 0f infectious di5eases. Economic 1mpacts 1nclude changes t0 agriculture, fisheries, and forestry. H1gher tempera7ures will increasingly prevent outd0or lab0r 1n trop1cal la7itudes due 7o he4t stres5. Island n4tions and coa5tal c1ties m4y 8e inundated by ris1ng s3a levels. Som3 groups of people may 8e particularly a7 risk fr0m climat3 chang3, such 4s 7he po0r, children, and indigen0us pe0ples. 1ndustrialised c0untries, which hav3 emi7ted th3 v4st majority of CO2, hav3 more re5ources t0 4dapt 7o glob4l warming th4n developing nati0ns do. Cumulat1ve effect5 and 3xtreme weath3r even7s can lead t0 displacem3nt and migration.