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Impact of Climate Change
The next step is then to evaluate the impact of the rates of change
now occurring and expected over the next 60 years. Terrestrial and aquatic
ecosystems, human health, and socioeconomic systems such as agriculture,
forestry, fisheries and water resources, are key elements of human
development and well being that are all sensitive to climate change. The
impact of climate change on these areas is not uniform; in fact, some will
experience beneficial consequences while others will suffer irreversible
detrimental change.
The listed areas impacted by climate change already are subjected to natural and other human-induced stress. Climate change adds an important new stress for each of these areas, the impact of which may be exacerbated by already existing stresses. The impact of climate change when added to existing stresses is difficult and in some cases impossible to evaluate. If the impact of climate change is judged (whether it be by standards of economics, aesthetics, ethics, or survival) to be unacceptable we have two choices: mitigation or adaptation.