Global warming has wide-ranging impacts on the seas, with a variety of negative consequences. This global problem has the potential to profoundly affect not only marine ecosystems but also human communities, economic activity and life on Earth in general. Therefore, it is vital for the whole world to develop adaptation strategies to mitigate global warming.
This year’s delay in monsoon rains has caused thermometers in parts of the United States in particular to reach over 43 degrees Celsius, negatively impacting daily life, increasing health problems and loss of wild vegetation. This situation, which also maximized the use of air conditioners, strained electricity grids. As heat waves increase to a level that threatens human life, 2024 is set to be the hottest year on record. So the problem is increasing, not decreasing. Cities are in need of cooling roads and sidewalks that reflect sunlight, and while new technologies are being developed, tree plantations are planned to increase shade. In other words, neither central nor local governments have the luxury of turning their heads away from this issue. It seems inevitable that private sector institutions that talk about sustainability will act in cooperation with public administrations. The World Meteorological Organization, which collects and publishes annual average data from meteorological institutions, states that the temperature level has been steadily increasing since the beginning of the 20th century, and that the El Nino hurricane might cause extreme heat like in 2016.
The impact on the general public is limited when news about global warming focuses on specific issues such as cacti in Arizona, Peruvian fishermen or rice paddies in Bangladesh. Yet The Economist has been reporting since the beginning of the year that the threat is heading straight for the home. The global average temperatures of the last two years have reached a level that is pushing the threshold set by the Paris Climate Agreement.
From the point of view of sea lovers, the picture is also grim. There are two factors that raise sea levels. The first is the most widely known: global warming is causing large ice masses such as Greenland and Antarctica to melt. The other factor is thermal expansion. Water expands as it warms, and as the average temperature of the oceans rises, sea level rises. Increased levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere are absorbed to some extent by the oceans, but when CO2 combines with water, carbonic acid is formed, which lowers the pH level of the oceans and causes acidification. Ocean acidification is expected to have serious negative impacts on marine species and ecosystems. In particular, organisms that use calcium carbonate, such as shellfish and corals, are under strong threat. Rising seawater temperatures are also stressing corals and destroying symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae, a process that can lead corals to bleach and dye.
Rising water temperatures are also causing marine species to change their habitats. Some species migrate to cooler waters, while others spread to new areas. This is a development that can lead to major changes in local ecosystems and cause some species to become extinct. A similar situation is being seen in ocean currents. Changing currents are among the most important factors affecting weather and climate around the world. As a result of the sudden and unexpected changes in regional climates, current regimes are being cited as the cause. Warmer sea surface also has the ability to increase the intensity of tropical cyclones and typhoons. This leads to more frequent and intense stormy weather and its devastating effects in coastal areas.
The phenomenon we are experiencing also has implications for fisheries and food security. Any change in marine ecosystems directly affects fish populations and the fishing industry, threatening the food security of millions of people around the world.
One of the most important measures is the renewable energy transition. While everyone agrees on this, it is clear that what is being done is not enough. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), renewable sources such as solar and wind power will overtake coal-fired power plants as the world’s largest source of electricity in 2025. In fact, even this projection shows that humanity is only at the beginning. EU countries have been significantly increasing their solar capacity since 2022. Coal use in America is also expected to decline sharply, but the world is not just about these two continents. The spotlight is now shifting to Asia, where the impact of the transformation will really be felt. The energy needs of the fast-growing economies in Southeast Asia are expected to increase by thirty percent in 2050. The same countries have committed to reducing emissions to zero, but their use of renewable energy is still only 15 percent. So coal reigns supreme in that part of the world. For countries that do not have enough space to generate their own renewable energy, they are expected to turn to energy transfer with other countries via underwater cables. China and Russia are the two most critical countries in the global energy transition. While China is working on different options, Russia’s political disconnect raises questions about the implementation of global decisions.
The most vulnerable places to climate change are low lying oceanic islands, but in fact every house where the smell of the sea can be smelled and every boat anchored in the safest harbor are under threat. Tornadoes, hailstorms the size of tennis balls, winds of unprecedented strength pay an increasingly high price. The global financial system has no foresight as to who will pay these costs. It is certain that the following three bills will come before governments more often: Damage repairs, investments in protection and attempts to limit climate change. This is as true for the Netherlands as for India, for the UK as for Japan. No one has yet seen the full impact of climate change, but governments must develop collective action plans. The projected global damage is estimated at 25 trillion dollars, and this potential bill is so heavy that it will cause other problems around the world. It is imperative that every individual who considers themselves an earthling puts pressure on those who ignore the situation.
