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Climate Change climatechange - Coggle Diagram
Climate Change 
Causes
Fossil Fuel Burning
Smokestacks, cars, etc. are examples of places where fossil fuels are burned. (ENERGY)
The industrial revolution caused much more burning
The burning of fuels like natural gas, oil, and coal causes the release of greenhouse gases.
Agriculture
Fertilizer is very dangerous when it appears in runoff - it can cause toxic algal blooms that kill marine life and can be harmful towards humans.
Too much arable land is used for agricultural purposes, which leads to deforestation. (LAND AND WATER USE)
Many farm animals release methane - since livestock is an extremely successful industry, these animals exist in extreme numbers and cause a spike in methane emissions.
Urbanization
Urban sprawl is increasing cities' land use, leading to deforestation and the decrease of agricultural land.
Cities are the home of factories, cars, and a lot of people - virtually endlessly many pollutants together packed in one place. The increase of cities leads to the increase of these pollutants, not to mention their construction.
Air pollution runs rampant in urban areas - the worst air quality in the world belongs to Kathmandu, Nepal, which is a very large city. (POLLUTION)
Volcanic Eruptions
Volcanic eruptions don't occur very often, and since they are natural, they aren't the most pressing cause of climate change.
During an eruption, volcanic gas, aerosol droplets, and ash are released into the stratosphere.
Volcanic gases like sulfur dioxide can cause global cooling and volcanic carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas.
Environmental Impacts
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Loss of biodiversity
Rising global temperatures can cause many organisms to migrate, as they can only survive within certain temperatures.
The migration of organisms due to temperature can be detrimental to ecosystems and food webs. Those who don't migrate are forced to find new sources of food, and the prey of the migrated species may become overpopulated. (ECOLOGY)
Loss of habitat won't only force species to migrate, but it may even cause the extinction of some species, especially polar species.
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Ocean Currents
As fresh water is released from melting ice, global ocean currents shift.
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In particular, the thermohaline circulation could be shut off, causing Europe to experience much colder temperatures. (EARTH SYSTEMS)
Economic Impacts
Natural Disasters
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Recent increases in global ocean temperatures have already increased the severity of some hurricanes, such as Hurricane Harvey - Harvey cost Texas an estimated $125 billion.
The increase in severity of storms means that more money will have to go towards the recovery effort.
Rising sea levels
Global warming causes ice caps to melt, leading to the rising of global sea levels.
Rising sea levels will cause coastlines to recede, leading to the people and buildings on the coast to be destroyed or displaced.
Homes will need to be built further inland to house those who have been displaced and relief programs will cost a large sum. (POPULATION)
Agriculture
Many states, countries, and people rely heavily on the agriculture industry to make money.
Global warming causes increased rainfall, which leads to flooding - this is a huge threat to the agriculture industry, as flooding can wash away crops and drown livestock.
If the agricultural industry experiences too many losses, this could mean that many Midwest states will suffer - Nebraska alone has already lost $1.6 billion in losses from flooding.
Productivity
Decline in productivity means that there will be a decline in production, leading to less money brought in.
Rises in global temperatures can severely impact workers - a hot harvest season means that workers will need to rest more and drink more water.
The International Labor Organization has predicted that if the global temperature rises by 1.5 degrees by 2030, then losses in productivity will reach 2.2%, losing $2,400 billion globally.
Solutions
Renewable Resources
The use of fossil fuels has been one of the biggest contributors to climate change. If we reduce our use of fossil fuels (which are already nonrenewable and running out) and increase the use of renewable resources, we will be able to slow climate change. (ENERGY)
Resources like solar energy and wind energy are great places to start - while they are a bit more expensive and harder to use, they will benefit us greatly environmentally.
More work needs to be done technologically to increase the capacity of nonrenewable questions so that we can use them globally.
Education
The more people know about the dangers of climate change, the more they will want to help.
Education campaigns help tremendously - especially for the younger generation in school.
Programs like the Zinn Education Project, Campaign against Climate Change, and UNESCO are great for climate change education.
Legislation
Government regulation of emissions can help tremendously - regulations and emissions taxes discourage corporations from over-polluting.
In large countries that produce a lot of emissions like the U.S., legislation is extremely important.
The Kyoto Protocol is a global example while the Global Warming Solutions Act is more local (California).
Recycling
Recycling is a simple tactic that anyone can do to help the planet, and it is very easy.
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State and federal governments need to do a better job at maintaining their recycling programs, however - many are underfunded and underutilized.
Evidence
Rising temperatures
Both land and ocean temperature on the Earth has been shown to be increasing in recent years - according to the NOAA, combined land and ocean temperature has increased at a rate of .13 degrees F per decade since 1880.
The average rate of temperature increase since 1981 has been much larger - .18 degrees F per decade.
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Ocean pH
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The EPA reported that ocean acidity has increased about 25% from preindustrial times to the 21st century.
This is dangerous, particularly for shelled organisms, as the acidic water can break down shells faster than they can be rebuilt.
Rising sea levels
When global temperatures rise, ice caps melt, and sea levels subsequently rise.
In 2014, global sea level was 2.6 inches above the 1993 average.
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