Climate change is transforming natural systems around the world. Still, the rise of sea levels by a couple of millimeters or average temperature by half a degree may not seem like a big deal to you. Unless you’re caught in a big storm or drought, those impacts can be hard to detect. But in the future, we will start seeing more dramatic changes.

Our Health

Even though a warming planet is increasing the frequency of extreme weather events like major floods and storms, there’s still some good news: In the last 100 years, deaths from natural disasters have dropped by more than 75 percent relative to the global population. This steep decline is the result of the improved warning systems and more durable infrastructure that we continue to develop. Infrastructure is a broad term that includes things like buildings, roads, bridges, and power lines.

While these trends are promising, we know that disaster prevention and relief are often expensive. Wealthy countries like the United States will be well-equipped to deal with natural disasters. On the other hand, the world’s poorest nations lack the resources to prepare for disasters and to respond effectively when they occur. They will continue to suffer the most extreme impacts of climate change.

Climate change will likely increase the spread of disease as warmer temperatures push species into new areas. Tropical bats seeking cooler temperatures may introduce a new virus to animals hundreds or even thousands of miles away. It’s not just bats. Scientists predict climate change will cause thousands of animals to shift their ranges. Diseases like malaria and dengue, which today are primarily confined to the tropics, could affect more people in new areas in the coming decades.

We also know that climate change will make most places hotter. Today, around 8 million Americans experience temperatures above 125 degrees Fahrenheit (51.7 degrees Celsius) at least once a year. Scientists predict that by midcentury, over 100 million Americans will see that level of extreme heat.¹ That level of heat affects human health and will lead to more deaths and illnesses. It also changes the types of plants and animals we can raise for food. Extreme heat can lead to crop failure and food shortages, which increase the price of food. This will be bad for everyone, but it will be devastating for the hundreds of millions of people who already spend more than half their income on food. Mass starvation is not unavoidable. Thanks to innovations like drought-tolerant seeds and new farming methods, we may be able to prevent it.

Our Jobs

Addressing climate change will impact nearly every aspect of our economy, and already presents new opportunities for the workforce. Of course, some companies and jobs will go away. Climate change is primarily caused by the burning of carbon-based fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas, and as a result, there will be many job losses in the fossil fuel industry as we move away from these fuels. We will see a massive expansion of jobs in renewable energy. Demand for zero-carbon electricity will likely create new industries around green hydrogen and nuclear fusion. Nuclear and hydroelectric plants will require large workforces to build and maintain them, and there will be more jobs for scientists in climate-related fields.

New job opportunities created by climate change will not be limited to scientific and technical fields. Business leaders and lawyers will play a key role in adapting the economy to climate change.

Our Systems

Climate change will touch nearly every aspect of the complex human systems that govern our modern world. It will require a complete rethinking of our energy, transportation, infrastructure, and food systems. These systems will have to change so they can operate without creating carbon pollution.

As we respond to climate change, we will transform our energy systems. You’ve probably already seen signs of this transformation in renewable energy sources like solar and wind. To meet future climate goals, we need to increase our ability to produce zero-carbon electricity. This will mean expanding renewables like offshore wind and geothermal power. It will likely include other zero-carbon sources like advanced nuclear fission or fusion.

Clean energy transformation will have widespread effects as we electrify industries that previously ran on fossil fuels. Take electric vehicles (EVs), for example. Today, EVs make up around 18 percent of all the cars sold globally. Experts predict that by 2030, they will make up two-thirds of new car sales.²

Climate change will also affect where people live. Just as animal species are migrating in search of more livable habitats, humans will move, too. By 2050, scientists predict sea-level rise will push 150 million people from their homes.³ These people are becoming known as “climate refugees.” The majority of them relocate within their own countries, often to big cities. However, climate change increasingly pushes people across international borders.

Our Role In Shaping The Future

While this article has laid out some of the likely outcomes, our future is by no means set in stone. Already, our planet has warmed enough to cause serious changes in our environment. But the future doesn’t have to be one of chaos and suffering. The impacts of a changing climate are just one part of the story. The other is our response to climate change — the ways we adapt, innovate, and cooperate to build a livable future. Climate change presents some of the biggest challenges humanity has ever had to face, but history has shown that we can solve hard problems. It’s up to us to take the urgent action needed to shape the future we want to see.

1 First Street, “2022 Heat Model Launch,” 2022 (press release). https://firststreet.org/press/2022-heat-model-launch
2 RMI, “EVs to Surpass Two-Thirds of Global Car Sales by 2030, Putting at Risk Nearly Half of Oil Demand, New Research Finds,” 2023 (press release). https://rmi.org/press-release/evs-to-surpass-two-thirds-of-global-car-sales-by-2030-putting-at-risk-nearly-half-of-oil-demand-new-research-finds/
3 New York Times Magazine, Jul. 23, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/23/magazine/climate-migration.html