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Dramatic Disruptions Seen from Climate Change

Global changes in temperature due to human-induced climate change have already impacted every aspect of life on Earth from genes to entire ecosystems, with increasingly unpredictable consequences for humans, according to a new study published in the journal Science.

The study found a staggering 80 percent of 94 ecological processes that form the foundation for healthy marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems already show signs of distress and response to climate change.

Impacts to humans include an increase in pests and disease outbreaks, reduced productivity in fisheries, and decreasing agriculture yields.

"Policymakers and politicians must accept that if we don't curb greenhouse gas emissions, an environmental catastrophe is likely," said senior author Dr. James Watson of WCS and the University of Queensland.