Concept, Causes, Effects and Consequences

We explain what is the climate change and what are the causes of this variation, its effects, consequences and possible solutions.

The weather is not a fixed instance, rather it varies over time.

What is climate change?

We call climate change to the variation of stable weather patterns over an extended period of time , which can range from a few decades to millions of years.It is usually accompanied by climatic rearrangement processes that often involve extreme meteorological phenomena, with a high impact on the ways of life of flora, fauna and humanity.

The geological exploration of different terrains of our planet has revealed that their weather conditions in earlier times were quite different: current deserts were underwater, lush meadows were desert, etc..This has confirmed the fact that the climate is not a fixed instance, but varies with time and it has been possible to determine the factors that hasten this change.

In recent times, the term climate change has become valid to also refer to the impact of human activities on the chemical and physical balance of the planet , which would have affected global warming (due to the so-called “greenhouse effect” produced by the abnormal accumulation of gases in the atmosphere) and, indirectly, in the changing weather conditions of the globe.

At the beginning of the 21st century the debate on climate change is constant : there are sectors that turn on the alarm of the impending climate disasters to come (some of which would have already been perceived: seasons of hurricanes longer than normal, earthquakes, floods and unforeseen droughts, etc.), accusing the hand of man and industry as directly responsible for the rise in planetary temperature.

Other sectors, on the other hand, believe that the real impact of humanity is minimal in terms of planetary history and that simply an ice age comes to an end, so that global warming and Climate change is part of a natural stage in the meteorological process of the planet.According to these sectors, it is not true that a radical change in the ways of life and energy obtained from humanity becomes imperative.

Causes of climate change can be classified into two groups, according to their origin, external and internal:

See also: Greenhouse Effect.

External causes of climate change

The impact of meteorites on earth is enough to change the weather.

Those that come from outside the planet Earth, such as:

• Solar variations. Changes in heat and energy emissions from the Sun, according to its stellar cycles (11 years).


• Orbital variations. The Earth orbit presents very slight variations that, accumulated over time, alter the distribution of solar radiation on its surface, thus allowing the appearance or end of glacial and interglacial eras.


• Meteorites. The impact of massive objects coming from space against the Earth is powerful enough to alter the climate, raising large amounts of dust, ash and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, thus blocking the access of sunlight for years (an artificial glaciation) or destroy the atmosphere and allow direct entry.

Internal causes of climate change

Those due to factors within planet Earth, such as:

• Continental drift. The movement of tectonic plates on the planet alters the position of the continents and causes climatic changes in them.


• The atmospheric composition. The presence of gases that destroy the ozone layer (allowing direct solar entry) or prevent the removal of heat from the atmosphere (greenhouse effect) affect global warming.


• Human intervention. According to some specialists the human industrial activity of a century and a half would have thrown enough polluting gases into the atmosphere and water global warming process.

Effects and consequences of climate change

A worrying phenomenon is the melting of the planet's poles and ice reserves.

Climate changes usually have a direct impact on life , since it adapts to your environment and varies along with the weather, gradually.

However, drastic and immediate changes are the most worrying : violent and destructive weather phenomena can be generated by the imbalance of temperatures and atmospheric pressures, such as cyclones, hurricanes, storms, or prolonged droughts.

Another worrying phenomenon is the melting of the planet's ice poles and reserves , whose content would add to the water of the oceans and submerge an important portion of the mainland, thus destroying entire cities.

Does the climate change have a solution?

The solutions to this effect of meteorological change are not clear. If it were a natural cycle, there would not be much to do ; But if it is really due to the polluting effects of man, urgent measures are imposed such as:

• Reduction in the burning of fossil fuels that release CO2 into the atmosphere, by replacing clean (green) energy.


• Development of sustainable alternatives for energy production (solar, wind, geothermal energy).


• Development of sustainable agricultural patterns that do not involve the accumulation of large quantities of cattle (and methane from their emanations).