The Effects of Climate Change What are some possible effects of climate change resulting from a warmer earth? What are the major harmful effects of ozone depletion on each of the following: - Human health - Crop yields - Forest productivity - Materials such as plastics and paints - Plankton productivity

Human health: A warmer climate would possibly not have much effect on human health - rather it would rather work in favour of it. The reason is that most of the populated areas of the earth, especially in the northern hemisphere, are colder than what would be ideal for human inhabitation. Those living in tropical regions, however, would have to deal with increased incidents of diseases carried by bacteria and germs which would flourish in a warmer environment. Early puberty and consequently a larger reproductive age can also be geared by a warmer climate, thereby putting pressure on the already overcrowded tropical areas of the earth and decreasing the overall quality of life.

Crop yields: Some crop yields are supposed to o down like wheat, fruits etc which apparently flourish in a cooler environment. However, tropical crops and fruits like rice, millet, bananas, mangoes, and melons etc. would flourish in a warmer climate.

Forest productivity: The forest productivity would increase in terms of wood and timber in several areas whilst decrease in many other areas. Tundra and colder regions of the earth would probably become more conducive for forest growth, whereas desert areas of Africa, middle-east and Australia would probably observe a decline in their forests due to higher rates of evaporation from the soil.

Materials such as plastics and paints: These materials are produced chemically and are usually unresponsive to minor fluctuations in temperature, so we wouldn't expect much change in their behaviour. However, larger temperature variations on the hotter side may cause melting or over-drying which can be easily addressed to by incorporating chemical changes in the composition and manufacturing procedures of plastics and paints.

Plankton productivity: Plankton activity would flourish both in the tropical and colder regions of the earth's oceans, which would give rise to many problems. Algal blossoms due to excessive plankton available as food source can destroy the local microenvironments of aquatic ecosystems, thereby throwing the bio-diverse makeup of our oceans out of gear. However, certain other species that survive of phytoplankton would thrive as well because of increased food resources.