We read and hear so much about protecting the environment, because many different environmental issues are beginning to make a profound impact on Earth. One of those environmental issues is Climate Change. However, one question that we constantly ask is, ‘Why is this so important?’. Climate change is already beginning to transform life on Earth. Around the globe, seasons are shifting, temperatures are climbing and sea levels are rising. And meanwhile, our planet must still supply us – and all living things – with air, water, food and safe places to live. If we don't act now, climate change will rapidly alter the lands and waters we all depend upon for survival, leaving our children and grandchildren with a very different world. Along with the alteration of our land and many other negative transformations, climate change comes with numerous other threatening consequences. Examples of these include endangerment of wildlife, increase of heat related diseases and illnesses, stronger storms and increased storm damage, and economic losses. Each and every one of these effects can cause numerous intense impacts to the way we live today, and as mentioned, for our descendents in the future.

Gases emitted by power plants, automobiles, deforestation and other sources are warming up the planet, and contributing to rising temperatures. In fact, according to scientific records and meteorologists, the five hottest years on record have all occurred since 1997 and the 10 hottest since 1990, including the warmest years on record – 2005 and 2010. High temperatures are the primary culprit to blame for an increase in heat-related deaths and illness, rising seas, increased storm intensity, and many of the other dangerous consequences of climate change. These same facts have been mentioned in the controversial Al Gore movie, “An Inconvenient Truth”. In fact, if the globe continues to warm up this century, as predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), heat-related deaths will increase and cold-related deaths will decrease. Unfortunately, that's about the most intelligent thing one can say about the matter. The 2007 IPCC report does not attempt to estimate the numbers, saying, "Additional research is needed to understand how the balance of heat-related and cold-related mortality could change under different socio-economic scenarios and climate projections.". As the Earth continues warming up, extreme heat waves¹ are becoming more common than ever before, primarily in the United States. Heat waves are another effect of rising temperatures. The choices we make now and in the next few decades will determine how much the planet's temperature will rise. While we are not exactly sure how fast or how much the Earth's average temperature will rise, we know that if individuals continue either adding greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere or continue partaking in bad habits that increase carbon emissions (i.e.: Deforestation, Excessive amounts of carbon emissions, etc.) at the current rate that they are, the average temperature around the world could increase by about 4 to 12°F by the year 2100. In addition, Higher temperatures mean that heat waves are likely to happen more often and last longer, too. Heat waves can be dangerous, causing illnesses such as heat cramps and heat stroke, or even death. Warmer temperatures can also lead to a chain reaction of other changes around the world. That's because increasing temperatures also affects the oceans, weather patterns, snow and ice, and plants and animals. The warmer it gets, the more severe the impacts on people and the environment will be.
In addition to higher temperatures as a result of rapid climate change, there is the risk of the decline of wildlife, which leads to the endangerment of different species, which eventually leads to mass extinction of wildlife. There are numerous effects of decline of wildlife, which can even affect humans. The most immediate impact would likely be on the food chain. For example, as sea surface temperatures continue to rise, many species of plankton are beginning to decline. If the plankton, such as diatoms and krill, were to go entirely extinct, it would have a profound impact on larger creature, such as fish and whales, who consume it as a major food source. In turn, if those larger marine animals have less to eat, as their own population begins to decline, it would cause a chain reaction through the food chain, ultimately reducing human food sources. In addition, many medicines are derived from plants, which rely on insects for pollination. As the insect population decreases, such plants would face a struggle to reproduce. The fewer plants there are available, the more difficult it would be for the remaining insects to locate a food source, creating a cause and effect loop, that would harm all species involved. Some medicines are also created from the skin of amphibians, which are also under the threat of extinction. Moreover, some animals are resistant to certain types of diseases, such as the opossum's ability to ward off Lyme diseases. Such buffer species help contain outbreaks from spreading to other animals, and even humans. As buffer species lose habitat space to urbanization or even climate-induced ecosystem changes, their ability to create the buffer declines. As this ‘buffer’ species goes extinct, the animals that move in to take ‘their place’ are, more often than not, less adept at containing the spread of diseases and will most likely contract these diseases, putting humans at a much higher risk for disease. However, one of the most direct impacts that will be made on humans because of the decline of wildlife will be the economic impact it leads to. This is because extinction has an impact on the world economy. Food chain disruption can lead to job losses as animals such as tuna and swordfish decline, leaving deep-sea fishermen high and dry, or without a form of income. The loss of insect life, such as bees, will also have an impact on plant-based industries such as medicine and agriculture, which depend on pollinators. In addition, if large animals such as tigers and elephants began to go extinct despite conservation efforts, ecotourism² in certain countries (i.e; Asia, Africa) may experience economic decline. In addition, economic impact also includes economic losses. According to a British government report, climate change is affecting businesses and economies at home and around the world. If action is not taken to curb global carbon emissions, climate change could cost between 5 and 20 percent of the annual global gross domestic product.