How Does Global Warming Affect Your Life?

Earth's climate is changing. In the past 50 years, the average temperature in the United States has gone up by 2 degrees F, precipitation has increased amost by 5 percent. Extreme weather events have become more frequent and intense, according to a recent report by the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Global warming doesn't just impact nature; your daily life is affected, too. Food Food prices are rising because climate change makes it trickier to maintain the specific conditions crops need to grow. As the climate warms, the air holds more moisture and rainstorms become more intense. Crops are damaged. Overall precipitation patterns are also changing, which causes more droughts in some areas of the world and floods to other parts of the world. A recent study published by Stanford University showed that global wheat production decreased by 5.5 percent as a result of an unstable climate. Additionally, world corn production was down by nearly 4 percent. So far, North American farmers haven't seen the same drop in productivity, but that is expected to change. The EPA reports that an additional increase of 3.6 degrees F in the global temperature could decrease production of American corn by 10 to 30 percent. Fresh Water Fresh water is becoming scarcer in some regions. Many mountainous states rely on snowmelt to replenish their water sources, and snowpacks are declining. Additionally, melting earlier in the season. Severe droughts, increased evaporation, and changes in precipitation patterns are effecting water levels in streams, rivers and lakes. Almost 18 percent of the world's fresh water is found in the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes supply drinking water to a large region. Scientists expect lake levels to drop as the climate continues to warm up. Lake Superior, the largest of the five Great Lakes, is 4.5 degrees F warmer than it was in 1980. Furthermore, water levels in all of the Great Lakes have declined since 1986 .