6 Ways Your Life Will Change Because of Climate Change
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Climate change will make life more complicated.
The good news is that we can fix this. By decreasing emissions, switching to renewable energy, and voting in this election, we can do something about climate change and get life back to normal.
But what would happen if we don't act on this situation? Our already heated planet is going to get a lot hotter—and life is going to be very, very different. How so? Here are six ways that your life will change because of climate change.
1. You’ll be having less sex.
Economists have found that warmer weather leads to less sex and lower birth rates. What does that mean for you? Feeling a lot less in the mood on a much warmer planet. While studies on this subject are still developing in relationship to humans, scientists have noticed animals already having trouble having getting it on. Climate change is making it more challenging for turtles to reproduce, causing lizards to change their gender, and rendering the sperm of cheetahs defective.
2. You'll be getting sicker, too.
Thanks to a perfect storm of issues, we're more likely to be under the weather. Climate change is enabling longer pollination seasons, which means stronger, more abundant allergens which, paired with pollution, will cause more asthma. Yeesh. Rising temperatures are also creating environments for mosquito populations to thrive, causing malaria and zika to become bigger threats than they already are. Even crazier, allergies, asthma, malaria, and zika are just a few of the myriad health issues climate change will gift us.
3. There won’t be any french fries either.
Pour out some ketchup, fast food fans: your side dish of choice will probably disappear because of climate change. Fluctuating climates will make it too hot for potatoes to grow unless they're moved to higher elevations. Otherwise, we'll have to figure out how to grow potatoes on Mars.
4. And Pumpkin Spice Lattes will disappear.
Though the autumnal drink of choice might seem so ubiquitous that it's invincible, unfortunately, two of the main ingredients for the drink are in jeopardy because of climate change: pumpkin and coffee. As noted last year, record-setting rain and abnormal weather have caused pumpkin shortages. It’s even more drastic for coffee: rising global temperatures will cause us to lose half of all suitable coffee growing land by 2050. By 2080, wild coffee could go extinct, and varied weather and temperature are enabling fungus and pests to thrive.
5. No more guacamole.
Get excited about naked tacos because avocado crops are projected “to yield 40 percent less than current harvests.” As a result, prices are going to rise by 28 percent. Enjoy guacamole while you can because it’s starting to seem like production won’t be able to keep up with the demand.
6. Your pets will be really, really uncomfortable as well.
Yes, global warming is a threat to Arctic animals but rising temperatures mean the world’s pet population is going to be at risk for lots of bad things. Warmer temperatures will mean more fleas and ticks as heartworms and Lyme disease will become bigger threats to everyone. Moreover, your dog is going to be depressed and bored due to a lack of exercise since extreme weather will keep him locked indoors.
Climate change is going to effect everyone is many different ways, all of which are not good for anyone. If having less sex or losing your Pumpkin Spice Latte doesn't motivate you to take action, keep in mind that these are pretty tiny issues compared to the trillions of dollars it would cost us, the global instability that would arise, and the dangers facing coastal cities. Either way, we have to do something to stop the problem. Start by pledging to vote.
