The Heat is On: Understanding Global Warming and Its Impact

Do you feel like summers are hotter than they used to be? Or that every time you turn on the TV, a new natural disaster risks people’s lives and homes? You’re not imagining it. It’s the reality of global warming. While we’re seeing global warming’s effects, there’s still time to mitigate it.

Here’s what you need to know about global warming and what you can do to stop it.

What Is Global Warming?

Global warming is the gradual temperature rise caused by more greenhouse gases accumulating in the atmosphere. These earth-warming gases are made of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, tropospheric ozone, and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

The gases allow shortwave radiation from the sun to pass through the atmosphere and warm Earth’s surface. Longwave radiation, the energy that radiates from the planet’s surface, then becomes trapped by the same greenhouse gases, warming the air, oceans, and land. This process is called “the greenhouse effect.”

Is the Greenhouse Effect Harmful?

The greenhouse effect is not harmful in itself. In fact, Earth wouldn’t be warm enough to sustain life without it. However, the cumulative impact of greenhouse gases in conjunction with fossil fuels makes the effect dangerous.

When coal, oil, and natural gas are burned, they release enormous amounts of greenhouse gases—especially CO2. The released gases add up faster than the atmosphere can absorb, disrupting our planet’s ability to maintain a stable temperature.

Combined with exploding population growth, the expansion of industries, and extensive deforestation, our planet is seeing atmospheric gas concentration levels never seen before. ^[1]

What are the Effects of Global Warming?

Global warming can cause long-term, irreparable damage, like food shortages and animal extinction. If we don’t work to mitigate global warming, these 13 effects will become more extreme and worsen over time:

1. Extreme Weather

As the earth warms, we’ll experience more extreme weather and climate events such as heat waves and droughts. Over the last fifty years, the U.S. has seen prolonged periods of record-high temperatures, heavy storms, and floods and droughts.^[3]

2. Heat Waves

Heat waves are abnormally hot weather, lasting from days to weeks. These have increased in recent years, and the number of intense heat waves is almost triple the long-term average.^[3]

3. Polar Vortexes

Global warming does more than warm the Earth. It can also cause frigid air typically trapped in the poles to reach more temperate climates, a phenomenon known as a “polar vortex.”

While polar vortexes aren’t new, it’s happening more frequently. The “vortex” refers to the counter-clockwise flow of air that helps keep the colder air close to the poles. As warming reduces the amount of Arctic sea ice, more heat escapes from the ocean. This disrupts and weakens the polar vortex, sending that cold, polar air southward.^[4]

4. Heavy Downpours

Since 1991, the amount of rain falling in heavy precipitation events has been well above average. Extreme events like these would occur twice as less if we reduce our emissions. But if they continue to increase, extreme precipitation events will occur five times as often from 2081 to 2100.^[5]

5. Glacial Melting

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projects that the temperatures at Earth’s surface will increase by almost 12ºF over the next 100 years. This means snow and permafrost will be lost entirely in many places and sea ice at the poles will keep melting.^[1]

6. Rising Sea Levels

Warmer climates cause sea levels to rise in two ways:

1. Melting glaciers and ice sheets (ice on land) add water to the oceans
2. Ocean water expands as it warms, increasing its volume and raising the sea level.

In the 20th century, the sea level rose about four to eight inches. Thermal expansion and melting ice contributed to about half of that rise.

By 2100, the sea level is projected to rise another eight to 20 inches. Thermal expansion of seawater is predicted to account for 75% of this rise.^[6]

7. Ocean Acidification

Rising sea levels will also lead to more acidic ocean water. Earth’s oceans act as buffers against climate change by absorbing excess heat and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. While this is beneficial in the short term, it can spell disaster in the long term.

When carbon dioxide mixes with seawater, it forms a weak acid called carbonic acid. Scientists believe this process has reduced the pH of the oceans by .1pH since pre-industrial times. By 2100, further acidification could range from 0.14 to 0.35, making life for marine organisms difficult.^[7]

8. Health Issues

Global warming also puts human health at risk. Areas experiencing wildfires and severe drought conditions suffer from reduced air quality. This results in respiratory and cardiovascular hospitalizations for lung illnesses, bronchitis, and other breathing problems.^[8]

Other ways climate change threatens human health:

• Diseases from disease-bearing insects: Malaria, dengue, encephalitis, hantavirus, Rift Valley fever, Lyme disease, Chikungunya, West Nile virus
• Increasing allergens: Respiratory allergies, asthma
• Water quality impacts: Cholera, cryptosporidiosis, campylobacter, leptospirosis, harmful algal blooms
• Water and food supply impacts: Food shortages, malnutrition, diarrheal disease
• Extreme heat: Heat-related illness and death, cardiovascular failure

9. Animal Migration and Extinction of Species

Of course, humans aren’t the only ones who are in danger from global warming and climate change. Some biologists predict that around 35% of plants and animals could be extinct by 2025 because of climate change.^[9]

Coral reefs are also in danger from warming water. Corals provide vital fish spawning habitats and support for thousands of marine species. If the reefs die, so could 25% of marine life.^[10]

10. Rising Costs in Coastal Cities

With rising sea levels come rising threats—and costs—for large coastal cities. For instance, in 2016, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development spent nearly $50 million to relocate about 100 residents of a Louisiana village, Isle de Jean Charles, that lost 98% of its land to the sea. Louisiana is expecting more communities to be affected as time goes on.^[7]

In Japan, they’ve built tunnels that divert water away from the region’s most vulnerable floodplains, costing them $2 billion for the underground flood prevention system.^[7]

11. Food Shortages

As we experience more severe droughts and floods, agriculture becomes more challenging, threatening our food security. Climate change and global warming will make it more challenging to grow crops, raise animals, and catch fish in the same ways and places that we have before.^[11]

Increases in temperature and carbon dioxide can increase crop yields in some places, but to see these benefits, certain conditions must also be met, such as nutrient levels, soil moisture, and water availability.^[11]

12. Shifts in Energy Consumption

In a warmer climate, we will use more electricity for air conditioning. If the nation’s climate warms by almost 2ºF, the demand for energy used for cooling will increase by 5% to 20%, while the demand for energy used for heating will decrease by about 3% to 15%.

This will affect greenhouse gas emissions, but the net effect will depend on which energy sources are used for electricity and heating.

Energy also relies heavily on water systems. Hydroelectricity is an important source of power in the U.S. Changes in precipitation, increased drought, reduced snowpack, and snowmelt timing in the spring will influence energy and water use patterns.

What are Ways to Mitigate Global Warming?

Installing solar panels, upgrading to a smart thermostat, and installing energy-efficient appliances are just a few things that can make a big impact in mitigating global warming.

You may not think your actions alone can affect the earth’s climate, but most of us generate tons of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere when using the necessary resources.

Here are some ways you can help lessen the effects of global warming:

1. Drive Less: Choose public transportation, carpooling, or take your bike.
2. Switch to a (used) electric or hybrid car: Investing in an electric vehicle can help save the planet by using less fossil fuels and save you money in the long run.
3. Travel smart: You can save 720 pounds of carbon emissions by avoiding 1,600 miles of air travel. Try a greener travel option, such as a road trip or a train ride.
4. Switch to renewable energy: Power plants are the single largest source of greenhouse gases. Just Energy offers green energy options in all markets we serve, so consider sustainable energy when choosing your next energy provider.
5. Install solar panels: The sun will continue to shine for billions of years, but today, it’s a carbon-neutral source of light and heat. While solar panels might initially be an investment, federal and state governments often offer tax incentives for the carbon offsets created by renewable energy.
6. Make your home efficient: Seal air leaks with caulking, insulation, and weather stripping. Upgrade to energy-efficient LED lighting. You’ll save money on your energy bill and reduce your carbon footprint!
7. Upgrade to a smart thermostat: Smart thermostats allow you to automatically adjust temperature settings in your home for peak energy efficiency. Some state and local governments even offer tax rebates when you install one.
8. Get energy-efficient appliances: Look for the EPA’s ENERGY STAR label when buying new appliances. If every home in the U.S. used energy-efficient appliances, we could eliminate 175 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions and save $15 billion in energy costs yearly.
9. Reduce, reuse, and recycle: You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually by recycling half of your household waste.
10. Consider carbon offsets: This is something you pay for to compensate for the carbon or greenhouse gas emissions that you generate. Programs like Terrapass fund projects that destroy greenhouse gases and produce renewable energy, countering your carbon footprint.

Global Warming is Happening, But You Can Make a Difference

Extreme temperatures, hurricanes, droughts, and wildfires are just a few examples of the effects of global warming. While these effects are serious, there’s much we can do to slow them down or eliminate them. From carpooling to work to making our homes more energy efficient, these are small changes that make a big difference when we work together.

Just Energy makes it easy for you to have a positive impact through our green energy options. Our JustGreen and JustClean solutions use sustainable energy to help improve your carbon footprint. Check out our home energy plans to see what’s available in your area.

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FAQs

Q. What is the difference between global warming and climate change?

1. Global warming refers to the Earth’s rising temperatures, whereas climate change includes not only the warming but the side effects of warming. This includes melting glaciers, heavier rainstorms, frigid cold snaps, or frequent droughts that lead to uncontrollable wildfires.[2]
   Another distinction between the two is when scientists or government leaders speak about global warming, they usually mean human-caused warming due to increased carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from people burning fossil fuels. On the other hand, climate change can mean human-caused or natural-caused, such as ice ages.^[2]

Q. Why do some people say climate change isn’t real?

1. Reasons why some people don’t believe in climate change are often a mix of political, economic, and cultural factors, as opposed to a genuine scientific debate. Nearly all scientists believe that climate change is happening and that we’re the cause.^[13]  

Sources

1. NASA. Graphic: The relentless rise of carbon dioxide. August 29, 2013. https://science.nasa.gov/resource/graphic-the-relentless-rise-of-carbon-dioxide/
2. USGS.gov. “What’s the Difference between Global Warming and Climate Change?” Accessed February 22, 2025. https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-qa/whats-difference-between-global-warming-and-climate-change.
3. National Climate Assessment. “Fourth National Climate Assessment.” Accessed February 22, 2025. https://nca2014.globalchange.gov/highlights/report-findings/extreme-weather.
4. UCAR. “Why Polar Air Keeps Breaking out of the Arctic.” Accessed February 22, 2025. https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/climate-change-impacts/why-polar-air-keeps-breaking-out-arctic
5. UCAR Center for Science Education. “Predictions of Future Global Climate.” Accessed February 22, 2025. https://scied.ucar.edu/longcontent/predictions-future-global-climate.
6. Center for Disease and Control. “Extreme Rain and Drought.” Accessed February 22, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/climate-health/media/pdfs/PRECIP-Final_508.pdf
7. National Park Service. “Climate Change Endangers Wildlife.” Accessed February 22, 2025. http://nps.gov/pore/learn/nature/climatechange_wildlife.htm
8. UN Environment Programme. “The world’s corals are bleaching. Here’s why and what it means for the ocean’s future.” June 06, 2024. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/worlds-corals-are-bleaching-heres-why-and-what-it-means-oceans-future
9. USDA. “Climate Change, Global Food Security, and the U.S. Food System.” Accessed February 22, 2025. https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/general-information/priorities/climate-solutions/climate-change-global-food-security-and-us-food-system
10. NASA. “Do scientists agree on climate change?” Accessed February 22, 2025. https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/faq/do-scientists-agree-on-climate-change/

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