17 Signs That Doomsday Is Closer Than You Think
As citizens of this planet, we have failed miserably.
Mountains of toxic garbage, large-scale deforestation, contamination of water, eroding mountains, ravaging the earth¡¯s core, we have done everything fuelled by greed and the urge for profit. We've tested our planet's limit, produced beyond our capacity and caused irreversible damage.
While climate change has been a problem for decades now, policymakers continue to deny it or relegate it to the back burner, and the countdown to doomsday may have officially begun.
Don¡¯t believe us? Here are some scary facts about the world you now live in.
1. Trapped diseases are waking up
LIBERTATEA.RO
You can thank global warming for waking up ancient viruses and bacteria that have been lying dormant for centuries.
Although we have been around bacteria and viruses for as long as mankind has existed, our body is still susceptible to viruses that existed some 1,000 years ago. With the earth¡¯s surface warms up and melts the permafrost, these viruses that have been buried for thousands of years are being released in the air.
2. Giant crack in Antarctica's ice shelf
BRITISH ANTARCTIC SURVEY
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has recently released a video showing a massive crack in the Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica. The video confirms perilous effects of global warming on this shaft and how it is breaking into pieces.
3. Snow fall in the Sahara Desert
Owing to climate change, it snowed in the Sahara Desert for the first time in 38 years.
A little #GlobalWarming fell in the Sahara Desert today. First time in 37 years.
¡ª Dr. Milton Wolf (@MiltonWolfMD) December 20, 2016
In other news: @AlGore is still chasing #ManBearPig. pic.twitter.com/XPcwseYG2V
Arguably, the biggest problem in the world right now is climate change. Whether we talk about it or not, it's slowly seeping into our lives and there's no way you can ignore it any further.
4. Death of 60,000 farmers
AFP
Now you may wonder how can global warming cause farmer deaths. Well, 60,000 farmers have committed suicide since 1980 because of a direct effect on their livelihood. Climate change results in crop failure which led to suicide. Suicide is a heart-breaking indicator of human hardship, and the finding that this phenomenon is affected by a changing climate implies that it is essential to quantify its effect and consider this relationship as we build climate policy for the future.
5. Sea ice around Antarctica has shrunk to the smallest size
REUTERS
We recently learnt that ice in Antarctica has shrunk to an unprecedented level as a result of the extreme human activity.
Around February, floating ice in the region does melt to its smallest size for the year before expanding again as the autumn chill sets in. However, this year sea ice extent contracted to 2.287 million square kilometres (883,015 square miles) on February 13, according to daily data from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).
6. Water shortage in the mountains
ADVENTURE NATION
Home to myriad waterfalls, can you imagine people in the mountains running short of water? With a backdrop of the snow-capped Himalayas stretched out across a brilliant blue sky, the world's highest village in Spiti is suffering acute water shortage for the first time.
7. To hot to fly
REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE
Rising temperatures caused by global warming will make it difficult for aircraft to take off in coming decades, according to a new study. During the day, with temperatures soaring, 10-30% of fully loaded planes may have to remove some fuel, cargo or passengers, or else wait for cooler hours to fly, researchers said.
8. Reservoirs turning dry
GETTY IMAGES
Southern Spain, the most recent victim of climate change is going through a terrifying transformation. Once thriving with mighty reservoirs and water bodies, the region is now slowly turning into a dry-dotted-landscapes. Water levels are constantly dropping, resulting in a dramatic change.
9. Forest dying due to heat waves
THEBLACKVAULT
Australia's vast kelp forests are being devastated by heat waves - all thanks to the escalated global warming. Once thriving in that area, the kelp has now been completely wiped out. The situation is getting worse by the day and it has almost come to a point where the disappearance of the natural reserve is not far.
10. Glaciers in Greenland melting to the point of no return
HICOMM
In what looks like irreversible damage, Greenland's climate change has led to a drastic and terrifying effect. The coastal glaciers and ice caps have officially melted past the point of return.
11. Countries will be wiped off the map
AP
Home to some awe-inspiring locations, the planet is standing at the threat-pedestal of climate change. The list clearly states 15 places that won't be around in the next 10 decades, all due to climate change.
12. Depletion of mangrove forest
SUNDERBANS
A recent study by scientist revealed that mangrove forest in the Sunderbans in India are depleting at a rapid pace due to climate change. The study also revealed that from 1986 to 2012, more than 124 sq.km of mangrove forest cover has eroded.
13. 52,000 people will die a year by 2100 due to climate change
REUTERS
Other than accidents, starvation, predictable calamities and natural causes, people will die from global warming. The death toll from weather disasters is expected to increase 50 fold, especially in Europe. Over 150,000 people a year will die by 2100 if steps aren't taken to counter climate change.
14. Uncontrolled production of food
REUTERS
With climate change comes rampant over production and changes in crop schedules. A study claims that climate change will drop the production of rice in Punjab but will weirdly increase the production of potatoes.
15. Plummeting agricultural growth
BCCL
Not only will production plummet, but to be able to keep up with growing demand, India will spend $9-10 billion annually. If farmers do not adapt to the disruptions caused by climate change and alter their practices, there will be huge losses.
16. Ice sheets breaking into lakes
BCCL
We have already learnt that climate change has been contributing to the melting of glaciers, and here's one more example to validate that. Antarctica, the white desert, is supposed to the largest ice mass on Earth, and now global warming is the ice melting into lakes. A clear sign of change has been observed in the region, between 2000 to 2013.
17. A warmer Earth by 2 degrees
Global temperature is likely to rise more than 2 degrees Celsius by 2100, two different studies have revealed. There is only 5% chance that the Earth will not heat, but if it does, we are doomed.
Another study claims that there is a 95% chance that Earth will warm more than 2 degrees at the century's end, and a 1% chance that it would be below 1.5 degrees.
