NASA's analysis revealed that 2020 was the hottest ever year.This article was first published by The Conversation. Space.com's Expert voices: Op-Ed and Insights was contributed by the publication.(Image credit: The Conversation).Michael A. Michael A.William D. MacDonald is Professor Emeritus at the Department of Geological Sciences at Binghamton University. State University of New YorkCurious Kids is an educational series that appeals to children of all ages. If you have a question youd like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.Scientists can predict the future with some accuracy. It is difficult to predict what the Earth will look like in 500 years because of many factors. Imagine Christopher Columbus trying to predict America's future in 1492!Two main types of changes occur on our planet. One is natural cycles like how the planet moves around the sun. The other is caused by living organisms, particularly humans.The Earth is moving.The Earth is always changing.It wobbles, its tilt changes, and its orbit changes to bring it closer or further from the sun. These changes occur over thousands of years and are responsible for the ice ages.Geology isn't that long at five hundred years.The planet is being changed by humansLiving things are the second biggest influence on the planet. It is difficult to predict the effects of life on the planet. A disruption in one aspect of an ecosystem can cause havoc in many other parts.Particularly humans are changing the Earth in many different ways.They clear forests and destroy important wildlife habitats in order to build cities or grow crops. They spread invasive species all over the globe, disrupting ecosystems.They also contribute to global heating. The climate is changing because of humans. This is mostly due to the release of greenhouse gases from fossil fuels into the atmosphere that are more harmful than the planet can handle.Normally, greenhouse gases trap heat from sunlight in the same way that glass does. This keeps Earth warmer than it would otherwise be. This can be very useful until it becomes too much.Too much carbon dioxide can cause temperatures to rise. This can lead to dangerously high summer days and melting Greenland and Antarctica ice. Flooding of coastal areas is caused by melting ice sheets.This is what Earth faces right now. These changes could result in a different planet in 500-years, depending on how willing people are to change their ways. Extreme weather such as heat waves, storms, and droughts can be caused by a warming planet. All life forms on Earth are at risk.Learn from the past 500 YearsThe biosphere is the living part of Earth that has seen dramatic changes over the past 500 years.Human population has grown from approximately 500 million to more than 7.5 billion people today. Human activities have led to the extermination of more than 800 animal and plant species. Other species are less able to roam as the human population increases. Sea level rise will mean more land and rising temperatures will cause many species to migrate to warmer climates.While not all changes to the Earth are caused by humans; however, some have been made worse by humans. It is difficult to get people to stop creating problems like burning fossil fuels, which contributes to climate change. This is a global problem that demands countries and people all over the world to work together towards the same goal.Recall Christopher Columbus. He probably could not have imagined a highway filled with cars or a phone on his back. Technology will undoubtedly improve in the next 500 years. However, technology solutions have not been able to scale up fast enough in order to address climate change. It would be risky and costly to keep doing the same thing and expect someone else will fix it later.In 500 years, it may not be possible to recognize the Earth. If humans are willing and able to change their behavior, the Earth may continue with its vibrant forests, oceans and fields for many centuries more, with its most successful inhabitants, Humankind.This article was republished by The Conversation under Creative Commons. You can read the original article.Follow Expert Voices to keep up with the debates and issues. You can also join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. These views are the author's and may not reflect those of the publisher.
