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[The greenhouse effect and human health]
1Institut d'Astronomie et de Géophysique G. Lemaître, Université catholique de Louvain-l-N.
Bulletin Et Memoires De L'Academie Royale De Medecine De Belgique
|January 1, 1991
Summary
Future human activities could significantly disrupt Earth's systems, causing widespread climate change and sea-level rise. Urgent policy changes are needed to mitigate these environmental perturbations and ensure human survival.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Climate Science
- Earth System Science
Context:
- Future human activities and developmental policies will shape the environmental system.
- Predictive models forecast significant perturbations to the Earth system within the 21st century.
- Current trajectories indicate substantial environmental changes if developmental policies remain unaltered.
Purpose:
- To predict the components of the future environmental system based on potential human activities.
- To model the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on global climate and sea levels.
- To highlight the need for immediate action to counteract detrimental environmental changes.
Summary:
- Greenhouse warming is projected to cause profound shifts in climatic zones and regional climates.
- The Business-as-Usual emission scenario predicts a 3°C warming by the end of the century.
- Sea levels are estimated to rise by 60 cm due to ocean thermal expansion and glacial melt.
Impact:
- Profound changes in agricultural, economic, social, and health infrastructures are anticipated.
- Significant environmental perturbations threaten the basis for human life on Earth.
- Human ingenuity must be redirected towards environmental preservation and improvement.