The Environment is the place where we live: the air, water and land around us, and all the plants and animals in it, including us. Changes to the environment can seriously affect our lives, and global warming is already changing some parts of the environment.

Climate change may alter the different places where animals and plants live all over the world. Life in many of these places depends on a balance of rainfall, temperature, and soil type. A change in climate could upset this balance and put many living things in danger. For example, if global warming causes an increase in rainfall in a particular forest, the soil may become too wet, making it difficult for trees to grow.

In the past, most climate changes have happened slowly, allowing plants and animals to adapt to their new environment or move somewhere else. However, if future climate changes happen as quickly as some scientists predict, plants and animals may not be able to react quickly enough to survive. This is not only a danger on land, but also in the oceans.

Global warming may cause the sea level to rise. This is because higher temperatures could cause glaciers and ice caps such as the Arctic (North Pole) to melt. A glacier is a large sheet of ice that moves very, very slowly. As they melt, they can add more water to the ocean. An increase in water temperature could also make the oceans expand. When an ocean expands, it takes up more space and the level of the sea rises.

The sea level has risen 15-20cm in the last 100 years, and could rise between 50cm and as much as 1m over the next 100 years. This will effect both wildlife and humans living near the coast. Flooding could cause salty seawater to flow into areas where salt is harmful, killing plants and animals in those areas. Saltwater could also get into our water supply, ruining our drinking water. Cities, towns and houses near the coast would be affected by flooding, and could be even more at risk from massive storm waves.

Global warming may cause the temperature in cold areas to increase. Although this could be an advantage, allowing the people there to grow better crops, the temperature increase could also cause droughts in other areas. Droughts mean that people don't have enough water to grow crops, and can starve because they can't grow the food that they need.

How will global warming affect the future?