What it is, causes and consequences

The predictable climate and well -defined seasons are becoming more and more part of a distant past. One of the main causes of this new reality is global warming, which currently affects all regions of the Earth and generates worrying changes in the planet’s ecosystems.

According to the World Meteorological Organization (OMM), 2024 was the hottest year ever recorded, with the highest temperatures observed in the last ten years, since 2015. According to a report released by the entity in January 2025, the average global temperature by 2024 was more than 1.5 ° C above 1850 and 1900.

The consequences of increased global temperature are catastrophic, causing significant damage to the environment and human life. The impact is so alarming that António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, classified the phenomenon as a “global boiling” in a speech held in New York in July 2023.

Next, learn more about the causes and consequences of this problem, which already affects the whole world at varying degrees of intensity.

Global warming is a serious environmental problem, characterized by the gradual increase in Earth’s average temperature over the years. This phenomenon occurs in practice due to increased concentration of polluting gases in the atmosphere.

As shown in the chart above, its intensification began from the 1980s. However, historical records indicate that the planet’s temperature began to rise faster since the second industrial revolution, which began in the mid -nineteenth century.

Although the advent of industry brought a new economic order to the world, the environment began to feel the effects of new production methods. At the time, the machines began to be fed on a large scale by coal, oil and electricity. At the same time, there was an increase in car circulation in cities, which also depend on fossil fuels.

Each of these sources of energy, in its own way, causes serious environmental impacts, as we will see below.

One of the main causes of global warming is the combination of the greenhouse effect with deforestation of large green areas of the planet. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the main greenhouse gases, but other gases also play important roles in this phenomenon, such as methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

It is important to highlight that the greenhouse effect alone is not harmful to the environment. On the contrary, it is essential for the earth to absorb solar radiation at the proper intensity. Without it, it is believed that the continents would be covered by dense layers of ice. That is, greenhouse gases (GHG) play a key role in controlling and maintaining life on the planet.

The problem arises when the concentration of these gases increases in the atmosphere, mainly due to the human activities that degrade the environment. For example, to get coal (a carbon source), many trees have begun to be destroyed and burned, increasing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere over time. In addition, the extraction of oil and natural gas, as well as the creation of large herds of ruminants (such as cows and sheep), releases large amounts of methane in the environment, contributing to the intensification of the greenhouse effect.

CFCs, in turn, are released by equipment such as refrigerators, air conditioning systems (air conditioning and thermal insulation materials), aerosols, among others. These are just a few examples of factors that lead to the increase of GHGs in the atmosphere.

This effect is aggravated by deforestation of large green areas. Forests have a natural ability to absorb CO2 and convert it to oxygen through photosynthesis. However, when there is excess CO2 in the environment, the oxygen produced by plants becomes insufficient, as the plants themselves have carbon in their constitution. In other words, deforestation intensifies the greenhouse effect.

This dynamic also causes another significant damage: the destruction of the ozone layer in the Earth’s stratosphere. With less ozone, the sun -emitted ultraviolet rays reach the planet with greater intensity, contributing to the increase in global warming.

The increase in temperature on the planet causes various transformations in the environment and the life of society as a whole. Among the most serious, they stand out:

• Melting of glaciers and polar hubcaps: This causes elevations at ocean levels and climate change in various regions of the world.
• Acidification of the oceans: Water warming contributes to the alteration of the pH of the oceans, impairing marine life.
• Extinction of animal and plant species: Many species cannot adapt to higher temperatures, causing environmental imbalances.
• Changes in agricultural cycles: More intense and out -of -season rains and droughts can compromise food production, leading to scarcity.
• Increased diseases and epidemics: Climate change favor the emergence and dissemination of disease.
• Climatic catastrophes: Events such as floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and dried become more frequent and intense, generating climate refugees in different parts of the world.

As we have seen, global warming results from the combination of several factors and affects the entire planet. Therefore, your control requires strategies ranging from simple and local actions to more sophisticated and costly initiatives. Increasingly (environmental, social and governance) to mitigate damage to the environment.

One of these initiatives is the Urban Reforestationwhich helps combat high temperatures and can avoid so -called “heat islands”. This phenomenon occurs when there are expressive temperature differences in the same city on the same day. A study by Mackenzie’s Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism demonstrated this by comparing the Morumbi and Paraisópolis neighborhoods in São Paulo. Although they are close geographically, they have very different characteristics.

The research revealed that Paraisópolis has temperatures about 8 ° C higher than Morumbi. According to Professor Renato Anelli, responsible for the study, this difference is due to the configuration of the neighborhoods: Paraisópolis has fewer trees and a greater density of constructions, while Morumbi has more green areas and more spaced and smaller buildings.

Another essential measure would be the Change of world energy matrixprioritizing renewable and non -polluting energy sources rather than fossil fuels. Examples of clean energies include the winda hydraulic (generated by the force of waterfalls), the solar and biomass.

In addition, the recycling and Reduction of waste production These are fundamental actions that can be promoted through social awareness campaigns. Less garbage in the environment means less methane gas emission in the landfills of cities, contributing to the reduction of the greenhouse effect.

Several countries are signatory to agreements that seek solutions to the problem of global warming. The first official meeting of world leaders to treat the climate took place in 1972, during the Stockholm Conference. This meeting resulted in the establishment of 26 principles that should be followed by nations to ensure sustainable development and protect the environment.

In the following years, the advances in relation to environmental preservation were shy. The theme of global warming began to gain prominence only in the early 1990s, when Brazil hosted the ECO-92in Rio de Janeiro. One of the main results of this event was the creation of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)which gave rise to the first agreements aimed at reducing polluting gases, taking into account the socioeconomic profile of the countries involved.

From 1995, the Unfccc began to perform annual forums to discuss climate change. These meetings, known as Parts Conference (COP)were the scene of important advances. A milestone was the creation of Kyoto protocolin 1997, which set goals for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Subsequently, the Kyoto Protocol was replaced by the Paris Agreementsigned in 2015 by 196 countries, including Brazil. Among its guidelines, the Paris Agreement states that developed countries invest US $ 100 billion per year In measures to contain global warming in developing countries, promoting a more equitable and collaborative approach to combating climate change.