Environmental Studies and Climate Change (eBook)

Currently, anthropogenic activities have caused unprecedented destruction of the environment at alarming rates, leading to undesirable alterations in air, land, and water. The process of environment degradation has been accelerated by industrial processes, which result in waste as well as over-consumption of natural resources. The ecological balance has been disturbed, and resources have shrunk. All this has resulted in climate change, which has emerged as a major concern in the 21st century. Changes in the environment are driven by demand for energy, water, and food to raise the standard of living. These are also responsible for climate change, with contributions from deforestation and CO2 emissions from fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum.The present volume discusses some of the main issues regarding environmental degradation and the causes as well as the impact of climate change, which is impacting the ecosystem. The effects of various pollutants, causes of climate change with case studies on geochemistry and glaciers, etc., and measures to reduce the impact on biodiversity, health, etc. are discussed in detail in its chapters. In a nutshell, this volume discusses in detail the following issues:* Anthropogenic and natural factors in environmental degradation* Climate change history, causes, and threats to abiotic and biotic systems* Case studies on the impact of climate change and living systems* Mitigation and preparedness for the future