Rigid analysis of all available evidence demonstrates that most observed climate changes cannot be explained solely by natural causes. Scientists can often detect human involvement through elevated carbon dioxide levels and signature atoms left by fossil fuel combustion, among other indicators of human influence on climate. Man-made intervention has unquestionably caused warming across the atmosphere, ocean and land, due to an increase in greenhouse gases produced from human activities since their exploitation of fossil fuels during the Industrial Revolution. 1. Loss of Agriculture Climate change poses a grave danger to those who depend on particular weather patterns and natural resources for survival: smallholder farmers. Climate change endangers their crops, livelihoods, food security and increases disaster risks which could worsen impacts from its impacts. Climate change is caused by human activities which release additional heat-trapping greenhouse gases into Earth's atmosphere, such as burning fossil fuels for energy purposes, clearing land or forests, farming activities or burning fossil fuels to generate power. These gases, including carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane, absorb sunlight to increase temperatures in warmer climates and raise temperatures rapidly. As temperatures heat up over time, more extreme heat waves should develop each year, shortening plant-growing days significantly and altering rainfall patterns accordingly. Farmers will also need to adjust to heat stress, which causes livestock productivity to decline due to higher temperatures and decreased feed intake. To combat its negative impacts, farmers can provide easy access to water, shift feeding times to cooler parts of the day and provide shelter with good air circulation; additionally they can increase crop resistance by planting varieties tailored specifically for climate change. 2. Rising Sea Levels Sea levels are gradually rising worldwide due to two causes: thermal expansion of ocean water and melting glaciers and ice sheets. These changes place coastal and low-lying regions at risk from flooding and erosion, endangering infrastructure such as roads, bridges, utilities as well as natural ecosystems which provide recreation, fisheries and habitat for wildlife. Furthermore, rising sea levels threaten freshwater aquifers which provide municipal, agricultural water supplies as well as habitat for wildlife - in turn endangering coastal environments, low-lying regions at risk from flooding and erosion - endangering infrastructure as well as natural ecosystems providing recreation, fisheries or habitat for wildlife - endangering infrastructure as well as natural ecosystems providing recreation, fisheries or habitat for wildlife alike. Human activities have led to our current warming climate, such as burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) to produce greenhouse gases which act like blankets that trap heat from the sun's rays resulting in higher temperatures and more extreme weather events that have profound ramifications on society as a whole. Though climate has fluctuated throughout history, scientists believe that recent warming since 1850 can largely be attributed to human activities due to its unprecedented rate of temperature change - something natural causes cannot account for. 3. Flooding As climate change warms, flooding is predicted to increase, particularly in low-lying areas. According to the Fourth National Climate Assessment, high-tide floods have already doubled in frequency. Mississippi River Valley, Northeast and Midwest regions are particularly susceptible to extreme floods while warmer temperatures in Southwest regions could result in extreme droughts. Drier climate conditions are also leading to more frequent wildfires, which can pose significant threats to homes. When these fires burn at higher intensities they produce smoke, increased heat and reduced moisture, leading to further property damage and higher insurance premiums for affected homeowners. People living in high-risk flood and wildfire zones will likely see their homeowners insurance rates increase as insurers assess risk according to climate change. Lower-income households in particular will feel this pinch; multiple studies show they are especially impacted because they tend to reside in areas more susceptible to climate change while having limited financial flexibility and living on fixed incomes with limited financial flexibility - which makes flooding an especially dangerous risk because standard home policies don't cover damages from water damage. 4. Wildfires Since time immemorial, fluctuations in temperature and precipitation have contributed to climate change; however, recent shifts are unprecedented and much faster than their natural counterparts. Scientists have linked global warming with human activities like burning fossil fuels such as oil and coal, deforestation, agriculture, land-use changes and livestock production - activities which emit heat-trapping greenhouse gases into our atmosphere, warming it further while altering weather patterns. Researchers are reporting an increase in frequent, larger and more destructive wildfires due to three primary factors: more fuel for fires; lower rainfall rates; and warmer temperatures that encourage non-native species such as bark beetles to thrive despite seasonal cold spells that normally kill them off. Wildfires threaten public health, biodiversity, water quality and infrastructure in many ways. They contaminate drinking water with sediment and toxins while creating unhealthy smoke pollution which affects humans and animals alike. When forests burn they release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the air which exacerbating global warming further. Homeowners insurance may become unavailable in regions at high fire risk which leads to people moving out reducing tax bases that support schools, fire departments and other local services in communities thereby impacting tax bases that support schools, fire departments and local services while also impacting tax bases that support schools, fire departments or services provided locally by eliminating tax bases that support schools, fire departments or services within communities reducing tax bases that support schools, fire departments or services provided locally by tax bases which support schools schools fire departments etc. 5. Hurricanes Climate change caused by human activities is another source of extreme weather events. Burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas generates greenhouse gases which act like blankets to trap sunlight's warmth and warm the planet more. Warmer air can hold more moisture, leading to wetter storms - something which scientists credit climate change for contributing to. Research also indicates that climate change slows tropical cyclone movement over land, prolonging their stay at certain spots - something seen with Hurricane Ida and Ian recently. Slower forward motion can exacerbate flood-inducing storm surge events, particularly coastal ones, while sea level rise is only compounding this issue as we saw in Katrina and Harvey's aftermaths. Climate change also intensifies rainfall carried by these storms like Ida and Ian did, perhaps accounting for why hurricanes have increased since 1990 although Klotzbach says year-to-year variability makes it hard to know whether any relationship exists between their rise and climate change. 6. Heat Waves Climate change is marked by increasing heat waves that cause discomfort or even death for elderly and very young populations, especially when combined with high humidity levels. While the exact impact of certain natural disasters like tornadoes remains uncertain, strong scientific consensus exists that any increase in severity and intensity can be directly attributed to global warming. Climate change encompasses more than just temperature increases; all aspects of Earth's systems - including sea level rise, weather patterns like drought and flooding, agriculture, energy production, ecosystem health and human wellbeing are affected. Some effects result from carbon dioxide's initial warming effect alone while many have multiplicative feedback effects - for instance soil drying out due to warmer temperatures. According to the National Climate Assessment, evidence suggests that extreme heat events are becoming hotter and lasting longer, as well as increasing in frequency (high confidence). Heat waves are increasing in frequency; days with an index temperature over 100 will double by mid-century (pg 20-21). Extreme temperatures often result from atmospheric patterns - like warm air ridges that sit over regions - rather than specific weather events themselves. 7. Water Supply Climate change affects everything from temperatures and sea levels, wildfires, agricultural yields and ecosystem health to property values and human health. "Climate change impacts every stage in the water cycle," according to Upmanu Lall of Columbia's Water Center. As climate change intensifies, more regions will experience water stress. For example, warming temperatures cause glaciers and snowfields to melt earlier and reduce the amount of water they provide even in good years. Higher temperatures cause plants to release (transpire) more water into the air which worsens drought conditions further. Water shortages can have far-reaching implications for humans, from reduced access to clean drinking water to increasing concentrations of harmful pollutants. They may also bring food insecurity and exacerbate poverty in low-income communities more susceptible to climate change - just like their exposure was by redlining (when banks or mortgage lenders designated neighborhoods and communities as too risky for investment). A healthy aquatic ecosystem may help lower greenhouse gas emissions by acting as a carbon sink.