--- title: "Short note: Causes and impacts of climate change" subject: "Technology, Environment and Society" chapter: 6 key: "semester_7/technology_environment_and_society:climate-change-causes-impacts" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/climate-change-causes-impacts site: BCT Engineering --- # Short note: Causes and impacts of climate change Technology, Environment and Society · Chapter 6: Climate Change - Asked in: 2082 Baisakh, 4 marks; 2079 Bhadra, 4 marks (asked 2 times) - Video: [The Effects of Climate Change: Crash Course Biology #9](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsAUGbUgx6Y) — CrashCourse - Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14 - Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/climate-change-causes-impacts - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/chapter-6 ## Question Write a short note on climate change: causes and impacts (consequences). ## Short answer Climate change is long-term shifts in weather patterns due to increased greenhouse gases from fossil fuel burning, deforestation, agriculture, and waste. Impacts include rising temperatures, glacier melt, sea-level rise, erratic monsoons, floods, droughts, lower crop yields, spread of diseases, and biodiversity loss. ## Answer **Climate change** is a long-term change (over decades or more) in the average weather pattern – temperature, rainfall, wind, extreme events – of a region or the whole Earth. The present change is mainly due to human activities that increase **greenhouse gases (GHGs)** in the atmosphere. Global average temperature has already risen by about 1.1 °C above pre-industrial levels (IPCC). #### Causes **Natural:** changes in solar output, volcanic eruptions, changes in Earth's orbit, ocean currents (El Niño). **Human (anthropogenic) – the main cause today:** 1. **Burning of fossil fuels** (coal, oil, gas) for power, industry and transport – CO₂. 2. **Deforestation and land-use change** – fewer trees to absorb CO₂. 3. **Agriculture** – methane from livestock and rice paddies; N₂O from fertilisers. 4. **Industrial processes** – cement (CO₂), refrigerants (HFCs, CFCs). 5. **Waste** – methane from landfills. 6. **Black carbon** – soot from diesel, kilns and cook stoves. These gases trap heat radiated by the Earth (enhanced **greenhouse effect**). #### Impacts (consequences) - **Rising temperature** and more heat waves. - **Melting glaciers and snow** – Himalayan glaciers are retreating; risk of **GLOF** (e.g. Imja and Tsho Rolpa lakes in Nepal). - **Sea level rise** – flooding of coastal cities and islands. - **Erratic rainfall** – more floods, landslides and droughts; changed monsoon. - **Agriculture** – lower yields, crop failure, food insecurity. - **Health** – spread of dengue and malaria to new (hill) areas, heat stress. - **Biodiversity loss** – species shift upwards or go extinct; coral bleaching. - **Water scarcity** – drying springs in Nepal's hills. - **Economic and social** – damage to infrastructure and hydropower, migration, poverty. ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. What is the main cause of present climate change? A. Changes in solar output B. Human activities that increase greenhouse gases C. Volcanoes only D. Earth's orbit Answer: B. Natural causes exist but human greenhouse gas emissions dominate today. (Key point: Main cause) 2. Which gas is mainly from livestock and rice paddies? A. CO2 B. N2O C. CH4 (methane) D. CFC Answer: C. Methane comes from livestock, rice paddies and landfills; N2O is from fertilisers. (Key point: Sources of gases) 3. Which impact is linked with melting Himalayan glaciers in Nepal? A. Glacial lake outburst floods (e.g. Imja, Tsho Rolpa) B. Sea level fall C. Increase in glacier size D. Cooler summers Answer: A. Retreating glaciers form lakes that risk GLOF. (Key point: GLOF) 4. How does climate change affect health in Nepal's hills? A. Dengue and malaria spread to new hill areas B. Diseases vanish C. Only cold-related diseases D. No effect on vector diseases Answer: A. Warming lets vector-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria spread to higher areas. (Key point: Health impact) ## Related in Technology, Environment and Society - [Climate change causes, impacts and solutions for LDC](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Acc-solution-ldc) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 6 - [Climate change impacts in Nepal and international efforts](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Acc-impacts-nepal-international) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 6 - [Deforestation: causes and consequences](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Adeforestation-consequences) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 6, asked 2× - [Short note: Acid rain causes and impacts](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Aacid-rain) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 5, asked 2× - [Climate change gases and symptoms in Nepal](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Acc-gases-symptoms-nepal) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 6 - [Global environmental issues: causes and consequences](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Aglobal-env-issues-causes) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 4 ## Related in other subjects - [Global warming: meaning, causes, consequences](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_2%2Fengineering_chemistry%3Aglobal-warming-causes-consequences) — Engineering Chemistry, chapter 3 - [Biogas routes and climate change](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fenergy_environment_and_society%3Abiogas-routes-climate-change) — Energy Environment and Society, chapter 3 - [Climate change and renewable mitigation](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fenergy_environment_and_society%3Aclimate-change-renewables-mitigation) — Energy Environment and Society, chapter 4 - [APA and MLA: newspaper article (Clinton on Climate Change)](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Aapa-mla-harris-clinton-climate) — Communication English, chapter 4