#058 Twelve Unexpected Consequences of Climate Change
Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast
Episode #58
Twelve Unexpected Consequences of Climate Change
Did you know there is a direct link between our melting polar ice caps and increased volcanic activity? There is also a link between shrinking buffalo, faster growing trees, and fewer tasty beers coming out of Belgium. And why is the King Crab invading Antarctic when they have never been there before?
Almost on a daily basis we hear about the affects of climate change: heat waves, droughts and flooding, increased intensity and frequency of storms. These are just some of the more obvious affects of climate change. But there are also a whole host of other less obvious affects of climate change. And that is what I want to discuss in this episode called 12 Unexpected Consequences of Climate Change.
Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E58 which is called 12 Unexpected Consequences of Climate Change.
In some of my previous episodes, I discussed in depth about our use of fossil fuels and the conversion to renewable energy sources. But what most people do not realize, much less think about is that fossil fuels are actually renewable. It’s just that in geological time scales, those fuels are not renewable during the lifespan of anyone on this planet.
In my last episode, Life According to the Weather, I talked a little bit about our need to make some changes in our culture. Specifically what I said was, “But like the tanker ship that takes 15 minutes to stop, the locomotive that takes over a mile to come to a stop, the inertia of our society is not going to stop in an instant. Yet we need to desperately take steps to put the brakes on because it will likely take decades to come to a full stop.
Similarly, and I quote directly from the NASA website on The Effects of Climate Change, “The effects of human-caused global warming are happening now, are irreversible on the timescale of people alive today, and will worsen in the decades to come.”
Now that adds a lot more meaning to something I said back in E6, which is the fact that sustainability comes down to the kind of future we are leaving for the next generation.
But other than the obvious affects of climate change such as more intense storms and more frequent heat waves, there are also a lot of lesser known and very interesting consequences of warmer temperatures. Some of which you will actually find surprisingly pleasant, others not so.
1) Increased Volcanic Activity
Most likely all of us have heard about the melting polar ice caps which results in rising sea levels. But much fewer people realize that glacial melt on such a scale has resulted in more volcanic activity.
Now the Antarctic ice cap contains about 85% of the world’s ice which is about 80% of all the fresh water on Earth. The estimated weight of this ice is 27 million billion tons. So, take a billion tons and multiply that my 27 million.
That is substantial enough to actually weigh down the earth’s crust and it prevents underground volcanic magma from reaching the surface. But as the ice caps melt, all of this weight shifts from land to water. What this means is that eventually the oceans could weigh more than the actual land masses. Consequently, this shifts the weight and pressure on underground magma which could result in more magma reaching the surface and thus more volcanic activity. There is evidence of this phenomenon in rock records at several points in Earth’s history, with rock remnants showing more abundant volcanic activity correlating with periods of glacial melt.
But the good news is that people in the 21st century probably will not experience this shift since there seems be a lag of about 2,500 years.
2) Faster Growing Trees
But what about the trees that are growing faster? Researchers from a university in Germany have noted that the trees in Europe are growing faster. Apparently tree growth has increased by as much as 70%. Now there are several possible explanations for this phenomenon, most researchers agree that this could be due to increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Additionally, warmer temperatures are another factor, up to 1 degree Celsius which is about 1.8 degree Fahrenheit. The warmer temperature also result in a longer growing season.
Certainly one beneficial affect of this is that the trees absorb more carbon dioxide.
3) Shrinking Buffalo
But what about the shrinking buffalo?
Joseph Craine, as well as other researchers have been documenting bison diets on the Great Plains region and on Conservancy preserves. What they have noticed is that bison in more northern climates on average weigh 227 kgs more than those that live in more southern regions. Now that is roughly about 500 pounds difference in weight.
What they do know is that when grassland warm, the grasses and other plants accumulate less protein. Consequently, the bison are forced to eat a diet that is less nutritious. The end result is that the average bison could begin to weight much less.
This same phenomenon has been noted in Chamois, which is a sort of a goat-antelope is you will, that is native to the mountains of Europe. But they have also been introduced to the south island of New Zealand.
Researchers have noticed that since the 1980s these alpine goats lost an average of 25% of their body mass. Apparently over the last 30 years the alpine range for the Chamois have warmed by 4 degrees Celsius, so about 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit. Consequently, they spend more time enjoying the nice sunshine and less time looking for food. The co-author of this study, Dr Stephen Willis, stated that this could also affect agricultural production.
4) Fewer Belgian Beers
But how can climate change actually affect the beer production in Belgium? Well, for the beer connoisseurs of the world, I have some bad news because it can and does.
There is a centuries old tradition for brewing beer in Belgium through a process of spontaneous fermentation. This is done by leaving the brew exposed to the natural air so that it is exposed to wild yeast. This is much of the same process when it comes to making a sourdough starter. You simply leave it open and exposed to the air so that it is “contaminated” so to speak with the local yeast of that particular area.
Last year Cantillon, which is considered by many to be one of the world’s greatest breweries, was forced to stop production of this annual process due to night time temperatures being too warm.
5) King Crabs Invading Antartica
So, why are the king crabs invading Antartica?
Little did I know, the king crab inhabits all of the world’s oceans except Antartica. That is until now. Researchers have now documented for the first time the presence of king crabs on the Antarctic’s continental shelf.
But the problem is the Antarctic shelf has been isolated for millions of year and it is home to some unique marine habitats. But since waters are warming, the king crab is truly invading and could do substantial damage to the ecosystem.
6) Other Changes to the Oceans
But while the king crab is busy invading, there are other changes occurring in the oceans. As the sea ices melts earlier and earlier, more sunlight reaches the ocean floor for longer periods of time. This means the inhabitants of the seafloor such as worms, sponges, and other invertebrates, which are accustomed to living in darkness, are thus exposed to more sunlight. The result of this is that more plant life will invade and crowd out and smother the invertebrates. Over time there would be a shift from an invertebrate dominated community to an algae dominated community. The end result would likely be a drastic decrease in biodiversity.
Another unexpected change is that more sediment and organic matter is making its way into the oceans. This is partially the result of run off from increased rain as well as sediment being dumped from glacial melt. The increased murkiness would likely happen along coastal regions and estuaries. But the challenge is that this is the are where many fish and birds find food. Less visibility means a decrease in the ability to hunt by sight. This means fish and bird populations will decline as has been seen in some parts of Norway.
7) Changes in the dessert soil
Now you would not think that warmer temperatures would alter the dessert soil in any way. But it has. Furthermore, you would never think there could possibly be endangered dirt. But there is.
What I am talking about in Crytobiotic soil. This is a type of soil crust that takes 5,000 to 10,000 years to form. It looks sort of like a bumpy layer of crust. This crust is formed by cyanobacteria which is one of the oldest forms of life know to man. As the slow growing bacteria move through wet soil, it forms a complex web of sticky fibers which helps to hold the soil together. After a while, other organisms such as lichen, moss fungi and other bacteria also begin to set up house and thrive.
This layer of crust prevents erosion, hold in moisture, and improves nutrient cycles. Without it, plant and animal life cannot survive. When damaged, as happens with human invasion such as with recreational vehicles or just hiking, the soil takes hundreds and even thousands of years to recolonize and re-form.
Despite their ability to survive in harsh conditions, the cyanobacteria may not be able to survive the heat of global warming. One of the functions of Cryptobiotic soil is to actually slow down the spread of the dessert. If this type of soil actually dies, we could see the desserts around the world start to expand.
8) Loss of Coffee Production
Now that I have mentioned the loss of beer production, I have to mention the loss of something else. I have few vices in life but one of them if coffee. Every morning I so enjoy starting my day with a couple of cups of coffee. I even have several different coffee blends in my cabinet so I can pick and choose what I want.
But all of that could someday come to an end. I know it sounds silly but I hope that does not happen in my lifetime. But, here is the problem.
Latin America is home to 5 out of the world’s top ten coffee producers. This is due to the perfect combination of temperature, light and humidity in what is known as Latin America’s coffee belt. Now this is good for their economy because demand for coffee is growing. The coffee industry employs more than 14 million people across Latin America. However, due to decreasing coffee prices and invading pests due to climate change, all of that could be changing.
It is predicted that rising temperatures may reduce the area suitable for coffee production by as much as 50% by the year 2050. Furthermore, due to the invasion of a fungus called “rust” , coffee production may decrease even more.
This problem was first noted in Sri Lanka in 1869. This country used to be a major world coffee power until the island was invade by a fungus which causes coffee leaf rust and ruins that plants. In less than 20 years the fungus spread around the world. By 1970 it had spread to Brazil and Latin America. By 2012 and 2013, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala declared a state of emergency. More that half of the coffee planted areas were destroyed.
Now there is no cure for the rust fungus. But, it is possible to prevent it. However, that is becoming more and more difficult to do as temperatures rise.
9) Creation of tick paradise
But while the loss of coffee certainly will not be the end of the world, there are other things that can and will affect people in more serious ways. Due to warming temperatures, some scientist are now worried about the creation of a tick paradise.
One study revealed that warmer temperatures increased tick production by two to five times in Canada and up to twice as much in the United States. Lyme disease has also expanded dramatically over the past 15 years. This was once thought to be the result of an over abundant white tail deer population. But more recent studies have focused on the loss in predator populations that eat the white footed deer mice that are a prime host for the ticks.
Warmer temperatures means more ticks which in turn means more tick related disease such as Lyme disease.
10) Longer Allergy Season
Another unexpected affect of climate change is a worsening allergy season. According to a report published my the Union of Concerned Scientists, warmer temperatures acts like Miracle Gro for weeds. A combination of warmer temperatures and longer growing seasons, pollen producing weeds with thrive. With an earlier start to Spring like temperatures, there will be more pollen for longer periods of time. Ragweed in particular grew faster, flowered earlier and produced significantly more pollen. Scientist are now finding what they call mega-weeds growing as much as 20 feet tall. Some models suggest that pollen levels could more than double by the year 2040.
11) More Diarrhea
As if that is not enough, scientist also predict there will be a huge increase in the number of cases of E. coli related diarrhea. New research that was recently published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases found that E coli related diarrhea increased by 8 percent for every 1 degree Celsius increase in temperature. This is something that already affects millions of people around the world leading to severe illness and even death especially in infants.
12) Changes in Human Behavior
Now one last, but very interesting thing I want to mention is directly related to how increasing temperatures actually affect the way we function on a daily basis. The simply fact is that the weather affects how we go about our daily duties and how we go about our daily lives.
Recent research suggests that rising temperature and fluctuating precipitation are actually causing in increase in clashes between people such as fistfights and brawls. This is because heat changes the way people think and feel. It increases anger as well as thoughts of aggression.
Heat also affects our ability to focus. Increased heat actually reduces employee productivity. It also reduces test scores in certain subjects. It affects sleep quality, mood, mental health, and risk of suicide.
And with increased temperatures, the number of fatal traffic accidents also increase. But you will be happy to know, that one bit research on this topic also noted that with increased temperatures, it is much less likely that you are going to get stopped for a traffic violation.
Summary
You know, in producing this episode I of course looked at numerous articles on the unexpected affects of climate change. I came across so many interesting things but decided to limit my production to just twelve. But I do have links in the transcript to other articles that talk about fewer invasive ants, reptiles and amphibians ignoring their chromosomes, changing sexes half way through life and growing lady parts, deteriorating mummies, more lightning, and disappearing beaches.
As I have said before, I recall starting to hear about possible climate changes when I was a teenager. At the time, I thought that sounded really interesting but I will never see that in my life times. Once again I was wrong.
At this time, the trend is very clear. Most experts agree that global temperatures will continue to rise through the end of this century and beyond, possibly by as much as 4.5 degrees Celsius, which is roughy the equivalent of 6.2 degrees Fahrenheit. Now that may not seem like much of a difference. But what you have to realize is that this is a very unusual event in the history of Earth. Earth’s climate record, which is recorded in tree rings, ice cores, and even coral reefs, reveal that the average global temperature is relatively stable over long periods of time.
But that climate record also shows that small changes in temperature results in enormous environmental changes. For example, at the end of the last ice age, the average global temperatures were only 5 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than they what they are now. That is difference of about 2.3 degrees Celsius. However, this was also when the northeastern United States was covered with 911 meters of ice, which is roughly 3,000 feet. As you can see, even a small change produces a significant degree of difference.
There is no doubt that we live in a rapidly changing world. Even I learn more and more about this as I do research podcast topics. But what I try to encourage is further reading beyond what I present in each episode, which is why I typically have a long list of references.
One thing that I occasionally do in my episodes is to present a problem and then try to provide the solution. Obviously I cannot do that when it comes to climate change. This episode was primarily about some interesting and unexpected affects of what we now observe in our world.
But what I would encourage my listeners to do is to simply go back and listen to some of my previous episodes on the value of simplicity, self sufficiency, learning to do without so much excessive in your life, waste not, want not, carefully consider what you purchase, and always focus on being more sustainable and learning more about doing things for yourself and depending on someone else, especially the government, to take care of you.
I watched a very interesting documentary the other day. It was about an ancient culture from 1000 years ago that spent a couple of hundred years constructing buildings that were perfectly aligned with the cycles of the sun and moon. So in essence, it was their calendar. Yet these are the same people that in modern times would have been viewed as illiterate savages.
Yet it cannot be denied that they were far more attuned to the cycles of the natural world than anyone in modern times. Sometimes I think what we all need to do is take a step back in time and revert more closely to the practices of our ancestors. Maybe then we will pay more attention to the cycles of nature that sustain us all. But then again, unless we put the brakes on the direction in which our society is now traveling, there may come a time when you have no choice but to live with the cycles of nature or as I said before, live according to the weather.
This is your host Patrick signing off until next time. Always remember to live sustainably because this is how we build a better future.
Resources
The Affects of Climate Change by NASA
Unexpected Impacts of Climate Change
12 Unexpected Affects of Global Warming, by Audubon Society
Climate Change: Unexpected Effects, by Live Science
Most Unexpected Effects of Climate Change
24 Devastating Effects of Global Warming That Will Leave You Spellbound
10 Climate Change Impacts That Will Affect Us All
