Advantages and Disadvantages of Global

Warming
Positive and Negative Effects of Global Warming to People
and the Planet
By Matt Rosenberg
Updated April 04, 2010
In February 2007, the United Nations released a scientific report that concludes that global
warming is happening and will continue to happen for centuries. The report also stated with
90% certainty that the activity of humans has been the primary cause of increasing
temperatures over the past few decades.
With those conclusions and the conclusions of innumerable other scientists that global
warming is here and will continue into the foreseeable future, I wanted to summarize the
likely effects of global warming, into the advantages and disadvantages of global warming.
First, we will look at the many disadvantages of global warming and then follow with the
very small number of advantages of global warming.

Disadvantages of Global Warming

Ocean circulation disrupted, disrupting and having unknown effects on world climate.
Higher sea level leading to flooding of low-lying lands and deaths and disease from
flood and evacuation.
Deserts get drier leaving to increased desertification.
Changes to agricultural production that can lead to food shortages.
Water shortages in already water-scarce areas.
Starvation, malnutrition, and increased deaths due to food and crop shortages.
More extreme weather and an increased frequency of severe and catastrophic storms.
Increased disease in humans and animals.
Increased deaths from heat waves.
Extinction of additional species of animals and plants.
Loss of animal and plant habitats.
Increased emigration of those from poorer or low-lying countries to wealthier or
higher countries seeking better (or non-deadly) conditions.
Additional use of energy resources for cooling needs.
Increased air pollution.
Increased allergy and asthma rates due to earlier blooming of plants.
Melt of permafrost leads to destruction of structures, landslides, and avalanches.
Permanent loss of glaciers and ice sheets.
Cultural or heritage sites destroyed faster due to increased extremes.
Increased acidity of rainfall.
Earlier drying of forests leading to increased forest fires in size and intensity.
Increased cost of insurance as insurers pay out more claims resulting from
increasingly large disasters.

Aggressiveness will increase, leading to an increase in the murder rate.

Advantages of Global Warming

Arctic, Antarctic, Siberia, and other frozen regions of earth may experience more
plant growth and milder climates.
The next ice age may be prevented from occurring.
Northwest Passage through Canada's formerly-icy north opens up to sea
transportation.
Less need for energy consumption to warm cold places.
Fewer deaths or injuries due to cold weather.
Longer growing seasons could mean increased agricultural production in some local
areas.
Mountains increase in height due to melting glaciers, becoming higher as they
rebound against the missing weight of the ice.
Boundary disputes between countries over low-lying islands will disappear.

The IPCC explains... Human & Natural

Causes of Climate Change

IPCC FAQ 2.1

How do Human Activities Contribute to Climate Change

and How do They Compare with Natural
Influences?
"The differences...between the present day and the start of the industrial era for solar irradiance changes and
volcanoes are both very small compared to the differences...estimated to have resulted from human activities. As
a result, in todays atmosphere, the radiative forcing from human activities is much more important for current
and future climate change than the estimated radiative forcing from changes in natural processes."

Human activities contribute to climate change by causing changes in Earths atmosphere in

the amounts of greenhouse gases, aerosols (small particles), and cloudiness. The largest
known contribution comes from the burning of fossil fuels, which releases carbon dioxide gas
to the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases and aerosols affect climate by altering incoming solar
radiation and out-going infrared (thermal) radiation that are part of Earths energy balance.
Changing the atmospheric abundance or properties of these gases and particles can lead to a
warming or cooling of the climate system. Since the start of the industrial era (about 1750),
the overall effect of human activities on climate has been a warming influence. The human
impact on climate during this era greatly exceeds that due to known changes in natural
processes, such as solar changes and volcanic eruptions.
Greenhouse Gases
Human activities result in emissions of four principal greenhouse gases:
carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and the
halocarbons (a group of gases containing fluorine, chlorine and bromine).
These gases accumulate in the atmosphere, causing concentrations to
increase with time. Significant increases in all of these gases have
occurred in the industrial era (see Figure 1). All of these increases are
attributable to human activities.
Carbon dioxide has increased from fossil fuel use in transportation,
building heating and cooling and the manufacture of cement and other
goods. Deforestation releases CO2 and reduces its uptake by plants.
Carbon dioxide is also released in natural processes such as the decay of
plant matter.
Methane has increased as a result of human activities related to
agriculture, natural gas distribution and landfills. Methane is also released
from natural processes that occur, for example, in wetlands. Methane
concentrations are not currently increasing in the atmosphere because

growth rates decreased over the last two decades.

Nitrous oxide is also emitted by human activities such as fertilizer use
and fossil fuel burning. Natural processes in soils and the oceans also
release N2O.
Halocarbon gas concentrations have increased primarily due to human
activities. Natural processes are also a small source. Principal halocarbons
include the chlorofluorocarbons (e.g., CFC-11 and CFC-12), which were
used extensively as refrigeration agents and in other industrial processes
before their presence in the atmosphere was found to cause stratospheric
ozone depletion. The abundance of chlorofluorocarbon gases is decreasing
as a result of international regulations designed to protect the ozone layer.
Ozone is a greenhouse gas that is continually produced and destroyed in
the atmosphere by chemical reactions. In the troposphere, human
activities have increased ozone through the release of gases such as
carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide, which chemically
react to produce ozone. As mentioned above, halocarbons released by
human activities destroy ozone in the stratosphere and have caused the
ozone hole over Antarctica.
Water vapour is the most abundant and important greenhouse gas in the
atmosphere. However, human activities have only a small direct influence
on the amount of atmospheric water vapour. Indirectly, humans have the
potential to affect water vapour substantially by changing climate. For
example, a warmer atmosphere contains more water vapour. Human
activities also influence water vapour through CH4 emissions, because
CH4 undergoes chemical destruction in the stratosphere, producing a
small amount of water vapour.
Aerosols are small particles present in the atmosphere with widely
varying size, concentration and chemical composition. Some aerosols are
emitted directly into the atmosphere while others are formed from emitted
compounds. Aerosols contain both naturally occurring compounds and
those emitted as a result of human activities. Fossil fuel and biomass
burning have increased aerosols containing sulphur compounds, organic
compounds and black carbon (soot). Human activities such as surface
mining and industrial processes have increased dust in the atmosphere.
Natural aerosols include mineral dust released from the surface, sea salt
aerosols, biogenic emissions from the land and oceans and sulphate and
dust aerosols produced by volcanic eruptions.

Radiative Forcing of Factors Affected by Human Activities

The contributions to radiative forcing from some of the factors influenced

by human activities are shown in Figure 2. The values reflect the total
forcing relative to the start of the industrial era (about 1750). The forcings
for all greenhouse gas increases, which are the best understood of those
due to human activities, are positive because each gas absorbs outgoing
infrared radiation in the atmosphere. Among the greenhouse gases, CO2
increases have caused the largest forcing over this period. Tropospheric
ozone increases have also contributed to warming, while stratospheric
ozone decreases have contributed to cooling.
Aerosol particles influence radiative forcing directly through reflection and
absorption of solar and infrared radiation in the atmosphere. Some
aerosols cause a positive forcing while others cause a negative forcing.
The direct radiative forcing summed over all aerosol types is negative.
Aerosols also cause a negative radiative forcing indirectly through the
changes they cause in cloud properties.
Human activities since the industrial era have altered the nature of land
cover over the globe, principally through changes in croplands, pastures
and forests. They have also modified the reflective properties of ice and
snow. Overall, it is likely that more solar radiation is now being reflected
from Earths surface as a result of human activities. This change results in
a negative forcing.

FAQ 2.1, Figure 2. Summary of the principal components of the radiative forcing of climate change. All these
radiative forcings result from one or more factors that affect climate and are associated with human activities or
natural processes as discussed in the text. The values represent the forcings in 2005 relative to the start of the
industrial era (about 1750). Human activities cause significant changes in long-lived gases, ozone, water vapour,
surface albedo, aerosols and contrails. The only increase in natural forcing of any significance between 1750 and 2005
occurred in solar irradiance. Positive forcings lead to warming of climate and negative forcings lead to a cooling. The
thin black line attached to each coloured bar represents the range of uncertainty for the respective value. (Figure
adapted from Figure 2.20 of this report.)

FAQ 2.1, Box 1: What is Radiative Forcing?

What is radiative forcing? The influence of a factor that can cause climate
change, such as a greenhouse gas, is often evaluated in terms of its
radiative forcing. Radiative forcing is a measure of how the energy
balance of the Earth-atmosphere system is influenced when factors that
affect climate are altered. The word radiative arises because these
factors change the balance between incoming solar radiation and

outgoing infrared radiation within the Earths atmosphere. This radiative

balance controls the Earths surface temperature. The term forcing is
used to indicate that Earths radiative balance is being pushed away from
its normal state.
Radiative forcing is usually quantified as the rate of energy change per
unit area of the globe as measured at the top of the atmosphere, and is
expressed in units of Watts per square metre (see Figure 2). When
radiative forcing from a factor or group of factors is evaluated as positive,
the energy of the Earth-atmosphere system will ultimately increase,
leading to a warming of the system. In contrast, for a negative radiative
forcing, the energy will ultimately decrease, leading to a cooling of the
system. Important challenges for climate scientists are to identify all the
factors that affect climate and the mechanisms by which they exert a
forcing, to quantify the radiative forcing of each factor and to evaluate
the total radiative forcing from the group of factors.

Aircraft produce persistent linear trails of condensation (contrails) in

regions that have suitably low temperatures and high humidity. Contrails
are a form of cirrus cloud that reflect solar radiation and absorb infrared
radiation. Linear contrails from global aircraft operations have increased
Earths cloudiness and are estimated to cause a small positive radiative
forcing.
Radiative Forcing from Natural Changes
Natural forcings arise due to solar changes and explosive volcanic
eruptions. Solar output has increased gradually in the industrial era,
causing a small positive radiative forcing (see Figure 2). This is in addition
to the cyclic changes in solar radiation that follow an 11-year cycle. Solar
energy directly heats the climate system and can also affect the
atmospheric abundance of some greenhouse gases, such as stratospheric
ozone. Explosive volcanic eruptions can create a short-lived (2 to 3 years)
negative forcing through the temporary increases that occur in sulphate
aerosol in the stratosphere. The stratosphere is currently free of volcanic
aerosol, since the last major eruption was in 1991 (Mt. Pinatubo).
The differences in radiative forcing estimates between the present day and
the start of the industrial era for solar irradiance changes and volcanoes
are both very small compared to the differences in radiative forcing
estimated to have resulted from human activities. As a result, in todays
atmosphere, the radiative forcing from human activities is much more
important for current and future climate change than the estimated

radiative forcing from changes in natural processes.

Source

This "frequently asked question" appears as originally published by the IPCC:

Forster, P., V. Ramaswamy, P. Artaxo, T. Berntsen, R. Betts, D.W. Fahey, J. Haywood, J. Lean, D.C. Lowe, G. Myhre, J. Nganga, R.
Prinn, G. Raga, M. Schulz and R. Van Dorland, 2007: Changes in Atmospheric Constituents and in Radiative Forcing. In: Climate
Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.)].
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.

Climate Impacts on Coastal Areas

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impactsadaptation/coasts.html
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) projects that sea level rise
will increase flooding in Charleston, South Carolina. Source: NOAA Coastal Services Center
(2012)
The coastline of the United States is highly populated. [1] Of the 25 most densely populated
U.S. counties, 23 are along a coast. [1] Coastal and ocean activities, such as marine
transportation of goods, offshore energy drilling, resource extraction, fish cultivation,
recreation, and tourism are integral to the nation's economy. [2] Coastal areas are also home to
species and habitats that provide many benefits to society and natural ecosystems.
Climate change could affect coastal areas in a variety of ways. Coasts are sensitive to sea
level rise, changes in the frequency and intensity of storms, increases in precipitation, and
warmer ocean temperatures. In addition, rising atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide
(CO2) are causing the oceans to absorb more of the gas and become more acidic. This rising
acidity could have significant impacts on coastal and marine ecosystems.
The impacts of climate change are likely to worsen many problems that coastal areas already
face. Shoreline erosion, coastal flooding, and water pollution affect man-made infrastructure
and coastal ecosystems. Confronting existing challenges is already a concern. Addressing the
additional stress of climate change may require new approaches to managing land, water,
waste, and ecosystems.
To learn about how natural resource managers are helping coastal areas adapt to climate
change, please visit the Coasts Adaptation section.

Impacts of Sea Level Rise

Observed changes in sea level relative to land elevation in the United States between 1958
and 2008. Source: USGCRP (2009)
During the 20th century, global sea level rose by roughly seven inches. [3]
In a particular location, the change in sea level that is observed will be affected by the
increase in global sea level as well as land movement up or down. The motion of land can be
caused by melting ice or tectonic movement. The terms "local" or "relative" sea level refer to
both the global change in sea level and the effects of land motion.
Where the land mass is sinking, relative sea level rise rate is larger than the global rate. Some
of the fastest rates of relative sea level rise in the United States are occurring in areas where
the land is sinking (or subsiding), including parts of the Gulf Coast. For example, coastal
Louisiana has seen its relative sea level rise by eight inches or more in the last 50 years, [2]
which is slightly faster than twice the global rate. Subsiding land in the Chesapeake Bay area
is also projected to worsen the effects of relative sea level rise, increasing the risk of flooding
in cities, inhabited islands, and tidal wetlands. [2]
Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has developed a tool to visualize the
potential impacts of sea level rise on coastal communities. The viewer is currently operational
for Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, and Florida, with additional coastal counties to be added in
the near future.
Due to differences in land motion, estimates of future relative sea level rise vary for different
regions. Climate change models project that global sea level rise will accelerate in the 21st
century. Models based on thermal expansion and ice melt estimate that global sea levels will
rise approximately 20 to 39 inches by the end of the century. However, due to uncertainties
about the response of ice sheets to warmer temperatures and future emissions of greenhouse
gases, higher values are possible and cannot be excluded. [4]
For more information on recent and future sea level rise, please visit the Science section.
Sea Level Rise in the Mid-Atlantic Region

In 2009, the U.S. Global Change Research Program produced a report that discussed possible
impacts of sea level rise and how governments and communities can respond to rising waters.
The report focuses on the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States and found that:

Rates of relative sea level rise in the mid-Atlantic region were higher than the global
average and generally ranged between 0.1 and 0.2 inches per year.
Many tidal wetlands in the United States are already on the decline, in part from rising
sea levels.
If sea level rises 39 inches (one meter) in the next century, most wetlands will be lost
and many narrow barrier islands may disintegrate.

Growing populations and development along the coasts increase the vulnerability of coastal
ecosystems to sea level rise. Development can change the amount of sediment delivered to
coastal areas, worsen erosion, and remove or damage wetlands. For example, coastal
Louisiana lost 1,900 square miles of wetlands in recent decades due to human alterations of
the Mississippi River's sediment system and oil and water extraction that has caused land to
sink. As a result of these changes, wetlands do not receive enough sediment to keep up with
the rising seas and no longer function as natural buffers to flooding. [5]
Rising sea levels could also increase the salinity of ground water and push salt water further
upstream. This salinity may make water undrinkable without desalination, and harms aquatic
plants and animals that cannot tolerate increased salinity. [3] In the mid-Atlantic region, sea
level rise is making estuaries more salty, threatening aquatic plants and animals that are
sensitive to salinity. [2]

Impacts of Changes in Storm Surge and Precipitation

Coastal areas are also vulnerable to increases in the intensity of storm surge and heavy
precipitation. Storm surges already flood low-lying areas, damage property, disrupt
transportation systems, destroy habitat, and threaten human health and safety. Sea level rise
could magnify the impacts of storms by raising the water level that storm surges affect. [6] For
example, with projected rates in sea level rise, areas of New York City (portions of lower
Manhattan and the southwest shores of Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island) could be
flooded by several feet of water during strong storms. [3] [7]
Climate change will likely bring heavier rainfall and more precipitation to some coastal areas.
This could lead to increases in runoff and flooding. In addition, warmer temperatures in
mountain areas could lead to more spring runoff due to melting of snow. In turn, increases in
spring runoff may also threaten the health and quality of coastal waters. Some coastal areas,
such as the Gulf of Mexico and the Chesapeake Bay, are already experiencing "dead zones"-areas where bottom water is depleted of oxygen because of pollution from agricultural
fertilizers, delivered by runoff. As increases in spring runoff bring more nitrogen,
phosphorus, and other pollutants into coastal waters, many aquatic species could be
threatened. [2]
Decreases in precipitation could also affect the salinity of coastal waters. Droughts reduce
fresh water input into tidal rivers and bays, which raises salinity in estuaries, and enables salt
water to mix farther upstream. [1]

Impacts of Coastal Water Temperature

Coastal waters have warmed during the last century, and are very likely to continue to warm
by as much as 4 to 8F in the 21st century. [2] This warming may lead to big changes in coastal
ecosystems, affecting species that inhabit these areas.
Warming coastal waters may cause suitable habitats of temperature-sensitive species to shift
northward. Some areas have already seen range shifts in both warm- and cold-water fish and
other marine species. Pollock, halibut, rock sole, and snow crab in Alaska and mangrove trees
in Florida are a few of the species whose habitats have already begun to shift. [2] [3] Suitable

habitats of other species may also shift because they cannot compete for limited resources
with the southern species that are moving northward. [2] Invasive species that had not been
able to establish populations in colder environments may now be able to survive and start
competing with native species. [2]

Climate Ready Estuaries Program

Estuaries are particularly sensitive to many projected impacts of climate change,

including erosion from rising seas, changes in storms frequency and intensity, and the amount
of precipitation. EPA's Climate Ready Estuaries program works with National Estuary
Programs and other coastal managers to:
Assess climate change vulnerabilities.
Engage and educate stakeholders.
Develop and implement adaptation strategies.
Share lessons learned with other coastal managers.

Impacts of Ocean Acidification

Higher sea surface temperatures and ocean acidification would increase the risks of coral
bleaching events that can lead to loss of critical habitat. [2] The rising concentration of carbon
dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere has increased the absorption of CO2 in the ocean, where a
chemical reaction that reduces the pH and makes the oceans more acidic occurs. This trend
will likely continue in the coming decades. A more acidic ocean would adversely affect the
health of many marine species, including plankton, mollusks, and other shellfish. In
particular, corals can be very sensitive to rising acidity, as it is difficult for them to create and
maintain the skeletal structures needed for their support and protection. Corals in the Florida
Keys, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories could be lost if CO2 concentrations in
the atmosphere continue to rise at their current rate. [2]

References
1. CCSP (2009). Coastal Sensitivity to Sea-Level Rise: A Focus on the Mid-Atlantic Region .
A Report by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global
Change Research. Titus, J.G. (Coordinating Lead Author), K.E Anderson, D.R. Cahoon, D.B.
Gesch, S.K. Gill, B.T. Gutierrez, E.R. Thieler, and S.J. Williams (Lead Authors). U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA.
2. USGCRP (2009). Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States . Karl, T.R., J.M.
Melillo, and T.C. Peterson (eds.). United States Global Change Research Program.
Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, USA.
3. Nicholls, R.J., P.P. Wong, V.R. Burkett, J.O. Codignotto, J.E. Hay, R.F. McLean, S.
Ragoonaden and C.D. Woodroffe (2007). Coastal systems and low-lying areas. In: Climate
Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability .
Contribution of Working
Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change Parry, M.L., O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson
(eds.). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
4. NRC (2011). Climate Stabilization Targets: Emissions, Concentrations, and Impacts over
Decades to Millennia . National Research Council. The National Academies Press,
Washington, DC, USA.
5. CCSP (2008). Impacts of Climate Change and Variability on Transportation Systems and
Infrastructure: Gulf Coast Study, Phase I. A Report by the U.S. Climate Change Science
Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research. Savonis, M. J., V.R. Burkett,
and J.R. Potter (eds.). Department of Transportation, Washington, DC, USA, 445 pp.
6. NRC (2010). Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change .
Council. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC, USA.

National Research

7. Field, C.B., L.D. Mortsch, M. Brklacich, D.L. Forbes, P. Kovacs, J.A. Patz, S.W. Running
and M.J. Scott (2007). North America. In: Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and
Vulnerability .
Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment
Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Parry, M.L., O.F. Canziani, J.P.
Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden, and C.E. Hanson (eds.). Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, United Kingdom.