Question

Explain the relationship between humans and climate. (Site 1)

in paragraph

Answer 1

Humans and climate are tightly interconnected: climate shapes where and how people live, influencing agriculture, water supply, health, infrastructure and settlement patterns, while human activities—chiefly burning fossil fuels, deforestation, intensive agriculture and urbanization—alter the climate by increasing greenhouse gases and changing land surface properties. Those alterations drive global warming, sea-level rise and changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather, which in turn compromise food and water security, increase heat- and vector-borne illnesses, damage homes and infrastructure, and force migration and economic disruption. Social, technological and policy choices determine how vulnerable societies are and how well they can adapt or reduce emissions (mitigation), and unequal historical emissions mean impacts and adaptive capacity differ widely across regions and populations. Because of positive feedbacks and potential tipping points in the Earth system, human decisions now will strongly influence the magnitude and irreversibility of future climate changes and their consequences for people.