Final answer:
Climate change is driven by both natural events and human activities, with the latter causing more rapid increases in greenhouse gases and thus having a greater impact on ecosystems. The effects can be catastrophic, including extreme weather, habitat loss, and food shortages. Reducing carbon emissions is essential to mitigate these impacts.
Step-by-step explanation:
Climate change is a significant and persistent change in the state of the climate patterns on Earth, and can be influenced by both natural and human-induced processes. Natural processes that influence climate change include volcanic eruptions, solar variations, and natural changes in greenhouse gas concentrations. On the other hand, human-induced climate change is predominantly due to the burning of fossil fuels which releases significant amounts of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, into the atmosphere.
While natural processes occur over millennia and have been part of the Earth's history, human-induced changes are much more rapid and have led to an unprecedented increase in greenhouse gases since the industrial revolution. This has resulted in an enhanced greenhouse effect, causing more heat to be trapped in the Earth's atmosphere and leading to global warming. The effects of this accelerated climate change on ecosystems can be both short-term, such as extreme weather events, and long-term, including rising sea levels, changing precipitation patterns, and habitat losses.
If carbon emissions from fossil fuels continue to rise, we can expect more severe consequences, such as increased coastal flooding, food and water shortages, and higher rates of extinction for various species. To mitigate these effects, a shift towards cleaner sources of energy and a reduction in our overall carbon footprint is crucial.