Patrick Varuzza

Mrs. St. John

AP English Language
22 January 2016
The Effect of Future Climate Change on Society
As the climate continues to change, the relatively extravagant standard of living that
citizens of wealthy nations experience will diminish as society will have to adapt to its changing
surroundings. In the coming decades it is likely that the habits of everyday life will once again
become similar to a time when oil was not used as commonly as today and where thrift and
resourcefulness must replace tendencies of high waste and consumption. The future holds a
change in the conditions on this planet that will significantly affect society, causing people to
adapt their lifestyle and requiring increased attention to address and work in order to reduce
climate change.
The world is getting hotter. For millions of years carbon has been distributed across the
planet through the carbon cycle in an even manner but recently the cycle has become off
balanced with large accumulations of carbon collecting in the atmosphere. In current times, the
effects of increased CO2 levels in the atmosphere are apparent with global mean temperatures
rises, melting icecaps, higher sea levels, and more extreme weather patterns. The increasing
amount of carbon that is trapped within Earths atmosphere prevents heat from escaping the
atmosphere and thus, increases the temperature on the surface. At this rate, future years will
continue to show increasingly higher temperatures that will not decrease unless society takes
action in climate change mitigation (Chivian et al).

This heating will lead to more than just uncomfortably hot days ahead. Permafrost, a
thick layer of frozen soil that exists around arctic regions, contains large quantities of organic
carbon within the soil and has previously remained in its frozen state, acting as a huge reservoir
of carbon within the carbon cycle. As temperatures rise, the frozen soil will continue to thaw and
the organic matter in the soil will be exposed to microbial decomposition releasing the immense
amount carbon into the atmosphere. This process has not been previously accounted for in
models that predict levels of carbon in the atmosphere but will significantly expedite the rate of
emissions and global warming (Schuur et al). The amount of carbon stored in permafrost and its
potential to greatly increase carbon emissions is only beginning to be realized and understood by
the general public. As the understanding of this carbon pool grows the true threat of climate
change will undoubtedly be realized motivating countries to devote resources to reducing the rate
of change.
There has been an accumulation of greenhouse gases that will continue to exist even if
humans reduce emissions. Due to this, the greenhouse effect is difficult to reverse and will
continue to be responsible for rising temperatures that contribute to the melting of arctic ice
shelves. Currently, the average American contributes to seventeen tons of carbon dioxide being
released into the atmosphere each year (Bucher). This has been going on for many years already,
and a large reduction in this number is needed to minimize the future green-house effect. With
the U.Ss large population, this one country is a major contributor to these gases collecting in the
atmosphere. At this rate, it is projected that by 2100 there will be a global rise in sea level of 4.8
ft to 7 ft; a minimal estimate of future sea level rises. As the global sea level continues to rise
coastal regions and shorelines begin to erode along with saltwater intrusions into bays, rivers,
and aquifers (Hoffman). The environmental impact of this inescapable scenario will be

significant as wetlands and low lying areas would potentially be flooded away, but a large
economic impact will also be felt by humans who will have to invest in protecting against these
hazards. Many people exist who deny the reality of global warming; as low-lying cities and
towns such as in much of Florida, New York City and Venice all experience increased accounts
of flooding, those individuals will have no choice but to address the issue.
Accompanying the temperature rises expected in future decades, strains on the
agricultural industry will become apparent. With over seven billion people on this planet an
efficient production of food is absolutely critical to sustain such a population. Because of how
delicate the process of cultivation is, future changes in temperature will negatively affect the
agricultural production and will lead to further negative effects such as unbalancing the
hydrological cycle that also will damage rates of food production. With this expected change in
food production, countries will need to dedicate more effort to maintain the production rate but
governments will need to work to reduce the effects of climate change in order to ensure their
countries have ample food (Chivian et al). There have been times in the past where it was
difficult to support the Earths population based on the level of food production but
breakthroughs in science had allowed for higher efficiency and production. With the human
population still growing, and scientific discoveries in this field being tapped out as the demand
for additional food sources grow, the fact that it will become harder to maintain current rates of
production will add to the hardships that the species will experience in future years.
The expected rise in temperature will also contribute to increased cases of infectious
diseases. Temperature rises can lead to changes in weather patterns and is contributing to the
climate getting hotter and wetter. Many diseases such as Malaria, the Avian Flu, Lyme disease,
and Dengue Fever are all able to spread more quickly and are beginning to be found in areas

where the diseases have not existed before. With countless infectious diseases sharing this trend,
as the climate continues to change, more action will be needed to protect the population from
contracting these debilitating diseases. Further research into the spreading patterns of these
diseases and how they are adapting will also be needed as increasing numbers of people are
expected to become infected and cases become more common (Dybas). Westerners in countries
that have cooler climates and have previously been distanced from high levels of these diseases
will begin to see increased cases as those climates warm and increasingly resemble equatorial
temperatures. Due to diseases becoming more prevalent in wealthier societies, more attention
will be needed in future years from governments in order to combat infection, which will hinder
economies that must invest increased funds in research to fight the diseases.
In subsequent years, the importance of alternative energy sources will continue to rise
with oil becoming less suitable for long-term use. People are aware of the unstainable future of
fossil fuels. The idea of developing and using biofuels as an alternative has been growing in
popularity especially as many devote research to decrease the demand for oil. A popular focus
has been put on cellulosic ethanol derived from grain and corn and has been attracting attention.
This potential source of biofuel however, may currently seem like a viable option but is
explained by the Tom Simpson, the Executive Director of a sustainable agricultural non-profit, to
have direct and indirect environmental impacts as large amounts of CO2 is emitted in the
cultivation and processing of grain, in addition to habitat loss and water degradation due to the
intensive farming needed to produce the required crops for this process. In future years, a more
effective biofuel method is needed that does not have the negative impact that corn and grain
ethanol have. A process called Pyrolysis involves the combustion of biomass that has been
compressed under high temperature and pressure to form liquid biofuel and char. This process

yields a viable biomass to energy conversion and the byproduct of char, rich in nutrients, can be
deposited into soil to regenerate its health (Simpson). With climate change becoming
increasingly obvious, people are quick to jump to ostensibly beneficial alternative forms of
energy resulting in many unsuitable ideas being presented. As this research exposes, in order for
society to adapt to biofuels and other alternatives, the adverse effects against the environment
must be proven to be less than of oil that will lead to the development of various efficient
processes like pyrolysis and a greater focus on these in the future. Countries that currently invest
substantially in agriculture production for food purposes could potentially devote further
resources into addition agriculture for alternative fuels that may even contribute to economic
growth through increasing the value of crop production. The goal of having efficient biofuel
alternatives to substitute for oil and gasoline is clear but working to meet this ideal scenario may
additionally benefit society as it could assist economically developing rural areas through
supplying jobs (Rosegrant). Though there are many risks and considerations that must be made
in the pursuit of producing biofuel, the demand for alternative energy in the future may
potentially lead to stimulating economies across the planet. Depending on the efficiency of the
production process of these energies the environment may be unintendedly further damaged but a
drop in unemployment can arise regardless of the impact of the environment that would
potentially propagate the issue at hand.
The effects of climate change will continue to be felt across the world in various ways
such as with temperature and sea level rises, but beyond the physical effects, the U.S. economy
will also notice a change. As stated by economics professor at McGill University, Christopher
Greens, likely damages from a 2.5 degree Celsius increase in temperature in the range 1% to
1.5% of U.S. GDP may ensue, indicating that the economy will be hindered by the rise in the

Earths temperature that is expected in the near future (Green). What exactly the future climate
will be like is not certain but if temperature rises exasperate extreme weather, costal erosion, and
prevalence of disease then profitable industries in leisure activities and agriculture will diminish.
As a result, aggregate cost increases on the economy through health issues becoming more
common and severe, energy becoming scarce and expensive, and damages to infrastructure will
appear and adversely affect the wealth of countries globally. As the environment and climate
continue to degrade, nations will be forced to rapidly change their way of life in order to slow the
damages against the climate as Mr. Bucher emphasized, People will have to deal with
commonalities have to understand that what they do affects everyone else. What you put in the
atmosphere affects everybody else (Bucher). Though previously unprecedented, people will
have to consider the environmental effects that their decisions to benefit themselves
economically and physically have, and if such a change in way of thinking doesnt occur the
human species may cause irreversible damage to the planet.
The environment is always changing but since the industrial revolution, rates of CO2
emissions and other greenhouse gas releases have rapidly increased and accumulated to a point
that is noticeably affecting the planet. In the future, the climate will be even more different but
the world that humans will live in will correspond to a different state of society where people
face more difficult lives, the economy is smaller, and people must be more aware of how their
actions affect the world around them. When considering the high rate of climate change and the
low rate of preventing climate change, the outcome of the future seems grim, however, it
irreversible damage has yet to happen and if humans respond quickly enough, then the species
may escape such a fate.

Works Cited
Bucher, Don. Personal interview. 10 Dec. 2015.
Chivian, Eric, et al. "Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events; Implications for Food
Production, Plant Diseases, and Pests." Global Change and Human Health: 90-104. Print.
Dybas, Cheryl Lyn. "Climate, Environment, and Infectious Diseases: A Report from the AIBS
2008 Annual Meeting." BioScience. Proc. of AIBS 2008 Annual Meeting, Oct. 2008. 79297. Print.
Green, Christopher. "The Impact of Climate Change on the United States Economy."
Marine Resource Economics: 175-77. Print.
Hoffman, John S., Dale Keyes, and James T. Titus. Projecting Future Sea Level Rise:
Methodology, Estimates to the Year 2100, and Research Needs. Washington D.C.: United
States Environmental Protection Agency, 1983. Print.
Rosegrant, Mark W., et al. "Global Scenarios for Biofuels: Impacts and Implications." Review of
Agricultural Economics: 495-505. Print.
Schuur, Edward A. G., et al. "Vulnerability of Permafrost Carbon to Climate Change:
Implications for the Global Carbon Cycle." BioScience: 701-14 Print.
Simpson, Tom. "Biofuels: The Past, Present, and a New Vision for the Future." Bioscience: 92627. Print.