Abstract:

Since the late 19th century, the planet has risen approximately 2.12 degrees Fahrenheit. This is primarily due to an increase in human activity and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the atmosphere. Annually, more than 43 billion tons of this poisonous gas is dispersed into the earth’s atmosphere which has devastating effects on our climate. To date, the most notable heat record for the warmest years has been 2016 and 2020. Without intervention, our climate will continue to go downhill worldwide and become unsustainable for life. Further, projected climate change reports show that it will affect specific groups of people more than others depending on location and their ability to cope with different climate hazards. Gradually, the threat of climate change is supposed to worsen over time. This is not good for people that live near climate change hotspots. Over the course of the past four decades, people have been moving to coastal areas and the southern/western regions of the country. These areas are most sensitive to coastal storms, drought, air pollution, and heatwaves. Settlements in the western third region of the U.S. will face more water shortages, wildfires, and food chain shortages in the future. In addition, along with the population increasing and climate changes, it has bolstered the need for transportation, water, and energy infrastructures along the coast. Scientists and engineers produce many critical observations using satellites, weather balloons, and thermometers to monitor the earth’s climate and weather. Using these instruments and other methods, scientists have evidence that natural drivers of our climate do not explain the most recent observed heat waves. Examining reconstructions of past climates indicated by tree rings, ice cores, and corals proves that global surface temperatures over recent decades are highly unusual. Also, climate models used to predict the heat index prove that solar and volcanic activity without human activity would have slightly cooled the planet. Different groups have varying capacities to cope with climate change impacts. Lower socioeconomic status families are particularly vulnerable to such changes. Because of their limited financial resources, it is quite challenging to cope with heat, evacuation, relocation, or respond to rising costs of food. Senior citizens may be among the most vulnerable. Increasingly, senior citizens are comprising a larger share of the population in warmer areas of the U. S. These areas will likely experience higher temperatures, tropical storms, or extended droughts in the future. It is evident that something has to be done in order to preserve and save our planet.

The research questions that were developed for this study are:
1.) What are some implications of climate change and the continued erosion of coastlines' rising sea levels?
2.) What are some impacts of climate change on the food supply chain in the U. S.?
3.) What are some impacts of climate change on the physical facilities of schools? and
4.) What are some impacts of climate change and population health in the U.S.?

A qualitative design was devised for the execution of this study. The specific qualitative research design was a multiple case study analysis. Major findings indicate that the continued advance of negative outcomes from climate change will adversely impact our society and environments around the world.

Keywords:

Climate change, food chain, environment, built environment, human health, immune system.