Catastrophic flooding caused by intense downpours will be more frequent, as will late summer drought that can trigger fires. Global warming will also contribute to the spread of infectious diseases from the tropics to more temperate regions as warmer temperatures allow bugs to survive farther north. A rising sea and altered weather patterns will translate into higher taxes and utility bills - to move coastal roads inland, resize stormwater facilities, cope with decreased water supply, provide disaster aid and more. One mega-storm hitting a major city could devastate the global insurance industry, sending shockwaves through the financial markets. Global warming will increase conflict and war in the world by disrupting critical water and food supplies, create millions of refugees from the rising sea, and harm the miraculous ecology of the Earth.
All life depends on the natural presence of greenhouse gases.
Without them, the planet's surface would be encased in ice. But the planet has broken out with a fever. Each of the last 20 years has been warmer than the long-term global average. The past 10 years have seen the eight hottest years in an instrumental record going back over a century. The 1990s were the hottest decade in at least the last 1,200 years, an analysis of ice cores and other natural records shows.