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Climate SystemsThe Earth's climate is warming. Many components of the climate system—including the temperatures of the atmosphere, land and ocean, the extent of sea ice and mountain glaciers, the sea level, the distribution of precipitation, and the length of seasons—are now changing at rates and in patterns that are best explained by the increased atmospheric abundances of greenhouse gases and aerosols generated by human activity during the 20th century. See the AGU Position Statement
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AgricultureEffect on Agriculture – Crops and livestock face substantially more heat stress, which decreases crop yields and livestock productivity. Crop production is inhibited by changing rain patterns such as wetter springs (which delay planting and increase flood risk) and five percent less rain during the increasingly hot summers. See Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Midwest (pdf).
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HumansClimate change affects human health in several ways. One positive of warmer global temperatures is a decreased risk of cold-related morbidity or mortality, but with this benefit comes the negatives of an increased risk of heat-related morbidity or mortality, an increased risk of waterborne infectious disease, and an increased risk of vector-borne infectious disease. See Climate Change in Michigan and Climate Change and your Health
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EcosystemClimate changes and the impacts of climate change affect ecosystems in a variety of ways. For instance, warming could force species to migrate to higher latitudes or higher elevations where temperatures are more conducive to their survival. Similarly, as sea level rises, saltwater intrusion into a freshwater system may force some key species to relocate or die, thus removing predators or prey that were critical to the existing food chain.See Ecosystem Impacts & Adaptation
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