The Union of Concerned Scientists separates the effects of global warming in five categories: people, freshwater, oceans, ecosystems and temperature.

There are three major ways in which global warming will make changes to regional climate: melting or forming ice, changing the hydrological cycle (of evaporation and precipitation) and changing currents in the oceans and air flows in the atmosphere.

Global Warming is important since it helps determine future climate expectations. Through the use of latitude, one can determine the likelihood of snow and hail reaching the surface. You can also be able to identify the thermal energy from the sun that is accessible to a region.

Global warming stresses ecosystems through temperature rises, water shortages, increased fire threats, drought, weed and pest invasions, intense storm damage and salt invasion, just to name a few. Some of Australia’s great natural icons, such as the Great Barrier Reef, are already threatened.

Global warming will primarily influence economic growth through damage to property and infrastructure, lost productivity, mass migration and security threats. The balance between winners and losers turns increasingly negative as temperatures rise.

Humans impact the physical environment in many ways: overpopulation, pollution, burning fossil fuels, and deforestation. Changes like these have triggered climate change, soil erosion, poor air quality, and undrinkable water.

More importantly, perhaps, global warming is already putting pressure on ecosystems, the plants and animals that co-exist in a particular climate zone, both on land and in the ocean. Warmer temperatures have already shifted the growing season in many parts of the globe.

Humans and wild animals face new challenges for survival because of climate change. More frequent and intense drought, storms, heat waves, rising sea levels, melting glaciers and warming oceans can directly harm animals, destroy the places they live, and wreak havoc on people’s livelihoods and communities.

Increases in water temperatures as a result of climate change will alter fundamental ecological processes and the geographic distribution of aquatic species. Populations of aquatic organisms are sensitive to changes in the frequency, duration, and timing of extreme precipitation events, such as floods or droughts.

Wetlands, rivers, lakes, and coastal estuaries are all aquatic ecosystems—critical elements of Earth’s dynamic processes and essential to human economies and health. Rivers, lakes, and estuaries serve as important transportation, recreation, and wildlife hubs. …