We are so busy thinking of our lives, that we forget how this life will be looking 20 years from now. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that the temperature of the earth’s surface will increase by 1.1 to 6.4 °C by 2100.

According to many scientists this increasing temperature is the result of natural causes. However, other scientists say human activities are the reason behind the rising concentrations of the carbon dioxide ( CO2) and many other gases in the atmosphere that tend to warm the earth. For example: the ever increasing use of cars, trucks, and airplanes all over the world produces large amounts of CO2, which is produced by burning gasoline in internalcombustion engines. In addition, coal and fossil fuels are burnt for electricity production. Moreover, cutting  thousands of trees allows more CO2 to stay in the atmosphere because it is not being absorbed by the green leaves of plants. And burning those trees puts more CO2 into the air. Other dangerous gases in the atmosphere are Methane and Nitrous Oxide. According to the IPCC, Methane is more than 20 times as effective as CO2 at trapping heat in the atmosphere.

Scientists say the number of deaths due to climate change will increase, because a warmer climate could create a better atmosphere for mosquitoes to spread their fatal diseases into new regions. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 160,000 people die every year from the effects of global warming, and this number will double by the year 2020.
 
The warming of the atmosphere will lead to more severe rainstorms, tornados, hurricanes and floods. The sea level will rise and threaten low-lying cities and islands. Ocean life will be affected by the warmer water temperatures with many species threatened with extinction.

Another consequence of global warming will be bigger wildfires. The burning of 7 million acres a year in the forests of Canada, Alaska and Russia will leave the earth with a huge amount of CO2.

Furthermore, the warming of the Arctic and Antarctica will have many consequences. The breaking up of icebergs and ice lakes will raise the sea level between 9 and 88cm. Many animals including whales, penguins and polar bears will be affected.
 
How can we avoid the damaging effects of global warming? We can start by teaching the younger generations the bad effects of global warming on our life on earth. And in the short term, we can start demanding the use of clean power, more environmentally friendly cars, and start planting as many trees as we can.

Sources:
www.climatehotmap.org, www.ecobridge.org, www.greenfacts.org, www.ucsusa.org, www.wikipedia.org