The planet is warming, from North Pole to South Pole, and everywhere in between. Globally, the mercury is already up more than 0.8 degree Celsius, and even more in sensible polar regions, And the effects of rising temperatures are not waiting for some far-flung future. They are happening right now. Signs are appering all over, and some of then are surprising. The heat is not only melting glaciers and sea ice, it is also shifting precipitation patterns and setting animals on the move.
Some impacts from increasing temperatures are already happening:
- Ice is melting worldwide, especially at the Earth's poles.
-Sea level rise became faster over the last century.
-Some butterflies, foxes, and alpines plants have moved farther north or to higher, cooler areas.
- Precipitation (rain and snowfall) has increased across the globe, on average.
- Spruce bark beetles have boomed in Alaska thanks to 20 years of warm summers. The insects have chewed up 4 million acres os spruce trees.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
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