Abstract
Three major classes of human-induced changes in the atmosphere pose serious global problems for humanity’s future. These classes of problems are: the increasing atmospheric concentrations of gases, including CO2 and methane, leading to a “greenhouse” warming; the addition of chemicals that cause depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer and admission of increased UV-B radiation; and pollutants in the troposphere that damage life and property both directly and indirectly, as acid precipitation. The build-up of greenhouse gases in particular seems likely to lead to worldwide changes in climates, with the potential for seriously disrupting both agriculture and the functioning of already impaired natural ecosystems. The large and still rapidly growing human population is dependent on the health of both kinds of ecosystems for its sustenance and can little afford serious disruptions of them. Policies to address all these global problems must soon be developed and implemented worldwide if the consequences of atmospheric changes, especially climate changes, are to be averted or ameliorated.
Research in the past ten to twenty years has revealed not only many details of Earths climatic system and the circulation patterns and chemistry of the atmosphere, but also much about the atmosphere’s susceptibility to human-induced change and, in turn, the biosphere’s sensitivity to atmospheric changes. Findings about atmospheric and climatic changes during Earth’s long history are interesting in themselves and for their influence on the history and evolution of life (Schneider and Londer, 1984). The history of climatic change also illuminates changes that may occur or already are occurring and their effects on biota (COHMAP, 1988, Bryson, 1988). As a biologist, I am mainly concerned about the potential effects of current and anticipated atmospheric changes on life, including human life.
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Ehrlich, A.H. (1989). Climate Change: Effects on Biological Systems. In: Berger, A., Schneider, S., Duplessy, J.C. (eds) Climate and Geo-Sciences. NATO ASI Series, vol 285. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2446-8_42
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2446-8_42
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