Climate change and our future

Climate change is one of the most complex long-term challenges facing modern society because it is not limited to one country, one industry, one generation, or one type of environmental problem. Changes in the climate system can influence temperature patterns, rainfall, drought, floods, storms, ecosystems, agriculture, water availability, infrastructure, public health, energy demand, and economic activity. These effects are interconnected. A period of extreme heat is not only a weather problem if it also increases health risks, reduces agricultural productivity, raises electricity demand, damages infrastructure, and affects people who work outdoors. A drought can begin as an environmental event but later become an economic and social problem if food production falls or water becomes more difficult to manage. …