Climate change consequences and its confrontation
Introduction
Climate change can be described as the average change in weather patterns over a given period of time. Normally scientists argue that this changing weather patterns are as a result of both human and natural activities. Human activities have been said to be the most contributing factors to the changing weather conditions which keep on changing within time. Climate has been changing since long ago but due to accelerated human activities such as increased industrialization, agriculture and poor dumping of wastes climate change has accelerated in the 20th century. Global warming is associated with climate change since the earth is warming as a result of the change in weather patterns mostly caused by increased human activities. Scientists are studying the fate of climate through observing the past climate patterns and thus predicting future climate patterns. Climate change comes along with various consequences most of which happen to be negative consequences. Rise in sea level, melting of glaciers, increased forest fires are some of the negative consequences as a result of climate change. All these consequences affect the people in a negative way since rise in sea level causes floods thus leading to deaths and destruction of property. Forest fires destroy habitats for wildlife thereby leading to conflicts between wildlife and the community. From the research carried out Green house gases are the key causes of climate change and have contributed to damage of the ozone in turn leading to global warming. As a result of this climate change being a gradual process is intensified because of unavoidable human and natural activities. This paper will describe consequences climate change has on the environment and how the problem can be confronted.
Consequences of climate change
Rise in sea level
Climate change has resulted to increase in amount of water in the seas. Glaciers are exposed to this extreme heat and as a result they melt (IOAN, 259). Due to the melting of glaciers in the mountains water in the seas has increased and this has negative consequences on the environment. Increase in water caused by increasing global temperatures has resulted to flooding especially in the lowlands and coastal areas. Floods affect people negatively since they result to death and properties are destroyed in the process. Agriculture is also affected by floods and thus after famine usually occurs after floods since crops have been destroyed (IOAN, 259). This affects developing countries more compared to developed countries where control flooding mechanisms have been put in place in order to solve flooding problems. This technology is yet to be implemented in developing countries and thus they suffer much due to climate change compared to developed countries yet developed countries contribute much to climate change. Due to increased industrialization in developed countries, the ozone layer gets depleted since it is exposed to green house gases and as a result extreme temperatures are experienced on earth thus causing suffering to the inhabitants.
Climate change related illnesses
Climate change has a bad impact on the health of people since some chronic diseases that affect people are consequences of the changing climate. Due to the extreme changes in temperature much heat is experienced on earth which results to deaths. There are many and increasing deaths reported in most countries as a result of heat waves. Many people also die due to being exposed to extreme cold which is brought about by the changing climate (Romeo et al, 9). The ozone has been depleted and thus people are being exposed to harmful rays of the sun and because of this, people suffer from diseases such as skin cancer. Due to the increasing floods, water is polluted and people suffer from water borne illnesses and eventually die (Romeo et al, 9). In developing countries the drainage systems are poor and because of this problem, contamination of water affects many people and deaths related to this problem are increasingly being reported. Developing countries suffer this problem of spread of water borne diseases compared to developed countries (Romeo et al, 13). In addition developed countries suffer most from heat waves and extreme cold compared to developing countries since most are located on the tropics. Thus climate change causes deaths to the people due to illnesses associated with increasing and decreasing temperatures.
Risks to wildlife
Climate change is affecting wildlife negatively. For instance due to unpredicted climate patterns, animals are facing food shortages. Due to little or no rains grazers and browsers lack food to eat and a result die. Many plant species die too since the rainfall is not enough to sustain and maintain their growth and because of this problem wild animals move to search for food in people farms. This is happening in most countries globally where animals visit peoples farms in search of food and in the process destroy crops thus farmers end up suffering huge looses. These human to animal conflicts have seen deaths of many animals since people end up killing animals which are a threat to them. Due to rising in temperatures some plants and animals have died since they cannot cope in such extreme conditions. Some animals have died too because they are being exposed to extreme cold conditions. This exposure has caused deaths to different animal and plant species and thus is a major contributing factor to loss of biodiversity. Due to forest fires resulted by increased extreme temperatures the habitats of wildlife are being destroyed (Lineman et al, 13). Destruction of territories results to deaths of wildlife since they are left homeless and with nothing to feed on. This will definitely affect the tourism industry and aesthetic value forests have to the environment.
Alteration of the natural habitats
Due to increasing overall temperatures ecosystems are suffering such as oceanic ecosystems. Coral in the oceans have been affected much by the increasing water levels and temperatures in the oceans. The excess heat is a threat to the coral reefs since the algae that nourishes the reefs is destroyed thus causing to deaths of the corals in a process well known as bleaching. Corals have nothing to eat and as a result their aesthetic value is destroyed and they end up dying in the process (Howard et al, 152). Increase in temperature results to acidity in the oceans which affects the balance of calcium in the oceans thereby affecting the corals and other aquatic life negatively. Forests are part of the natural ecosystem and have been affected due to the increasing temperatures. Long summers and mild winters enable survival of insects that harm trees. The long dry spells affect the trees by weakening them since they have low water levels which they would have used as defense mechanisms. This unpredicted changing weather patterns have caused deaths of many forests in mountains since they are not able to cope with the extreme conditions. Animals which depend on ice for survival such as polar bears have been affected greatly since the ice is melting. The animals now lack habitats and have been placed in the list of becoming endangered since they cannot survive in conditions that do not favor their existence.
Burden to the people and entire community
The change in climatic patterns has affected people negatively since it interferes with the economic and social infrastructure in many countries. Agriculture is the most affected sector because of climate change. Farmers in all parts of the world have to struggle and strain due to changing extreme weather patterns. Planting seasons have changed since water is not enough and raining seasons have changed with time. Crops planted have to struggle since weeds that are favored by the extreme weather condition attack the plant thereby being a major contributing factor to the problem of food shortages globally. The yield of crops is affected negatively by climate change since water to support growth of plants is insufficient and conditions for weeds to grow are favorable. In addition polluted and warm air affects people negatively by interfering with the health of people who are great resources since without people to work, the economic condition of countries will be affected negatively. Warm water is the best water for bacteria to grow and from this growth water becomes contaminated and affects the health of the people. Floods and other extreme changing weather conditions have led to destruction of infrastructure such as roads thereby interfering with travelling patterns (Trask, 121). Repairing such damaged infrastructure is expensive thereby indicating loses to the economy of affected countries. This shows that climate change is a major global problem and has affected lives of people in a negative manner and there is need for it to be solved.
Climate change confrontation
Climate change, being a global concern has been discussed and from the research people have come up with solutions as discussed below:
Remaining vegetarian
Remaining vegetarian implies that people have to eat wise and smart by avoiding non organic foods which require much energy to produce. People are advised to eat and plant vegetables which require no fertilizers, refrigeration and heat to cook. From the research carried out by students of Chicago University, people who consume meat contribute to more pollution since harmful gases are generated in the process compared to those who consume vegetables (IOAN, 251). Much land and energy is required to support livestock growth while if that land was used in growth of humans crops, less energy and land would be used thereby getting more land to plant more trees.
Impact on earth’s water system
During the emission of heat due to human activities, like burning of fossil fuels in the formation of energy causes heat up on the atmosphere. As a result of this atmospheric heating, rapid changes in the water system are realized for instance frozen water melts at a faster rate. The melting contributes to the rise in the sea level and the dark ocean waters are also exposed absorbing more sunlight as compared to the ice hence heating the ocean more. Also, it leads extreme in weather of all kinds due to evaporation of waters which exacerbate extreme events of weather. Rising sea levels also causes increase in the rate of coastal flooding most especially in arid areas and dry regions. It may also make the oceans get hotter, expand and become more acidic due to the excess heat soaked up in the atmosphere making the oceans to expand leading to a rise in the sea levels. Water acidity is triggered by an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide which makes it more acidic than usual.
Alter in water and land natural habitats
A shift in the climatic patterns makes the water and land habitats to change due to the inhospitality that makes some to creep up and take over. Sometimes it puts the entire ecosystem at risk of collapsing. Some of the changes affect the following; coral and shellfish in the oceans are always sensitive to any slight changes that occur. These changes make the algae to leave and the corals are left to starve. The normal calcium balance is normally affected which causes growth failure to creatures which depend on calcium to grow.
The population put on burden
The shift in the climatic patterns is also a threat to human life. Foods that rely on the normal climate patterns for their growth eventually become uncertain. The shift in the weather conditions makes the life of the farmers unpredictable which makes them compete with unexpected diseases, weeds and pests which affect the overall crop yield. Additionally there is an increased pressure on the health, economy and the infrastructure; unsafe air normally polluted affects the health of human. A warm atmosphere causes chemical reactions that form smog. Smog is a ground level ozone, lung irritant that triggers asthma attacks. Finally, it puts transportation and infrastructure at risk; extreme weather events like flooding and hot weather damage the infrastructure. Electrical supplies are heavy burdened hence travelling and communication is disrupted.
Use of renewable sources of energy
People should use renewable sources of energy in transport since the transport segment has been known to be the most contributing factor to generation of dangerous gases. People should avoid using non renewable fuels since when burnt they contribute greatly to the amount of carbon generated which is a major factor in enhancing global warming (IOAN, 254). People should go green thus using green and clean energies such as solar, wind, hydro power and biogas for purposes of cooking. Renewable energy is useful and important in controlling amount of harmful gases and through use of this; climate change will be controlled through reduced release of the harmful gases to the atmosphere.
Creation of awareness
Some important environmental agencies have come up in order to educate the public on importance of regulating the global climate. Such organizations include the Environmental Protection Agency based in America, United Nations Framework to Combat Climate Change (Howard et al, 149), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and many others (Howard et al, 149). The organizations have resulted to several approaches that nations should put in place order to combat climate change. It is import mat for the public to be taught the dangers of climate change and what they are expected to do in order to fight this problem. The organizations therefore provide funds which ensure the issue of continuous alteration in the climate is discussed in the media since it is a worldwide problem and affects all people regardless of the country.
Controlling amount of wastes
Much production of wastes is a general concern globally since people are known to consume more. Wastes generated is either buried in the landfills or put in dumping sites. The wastes lead to production of injurious methane gas which is harmful and contributes much to climate change (IOAN, 261). Thus people are urged to consume less and buy products that are not heavily packaged. Producers are advised to shun consuming products from companies which manufacture heavily packaged products since they use more energy in producing those products and at the end of it all the wastes become a threat to the global climate.
Supporting organizations that deal with climate change
People should support by donating money so that information regarding climate change can reach all people globally. People should also involve themselves by spreading information on climate change to friends and other people (Howard et al, 150). People should not ignore the issue since climate is changing and is affecting all people regardless of the location. The internet and other media are involving themselves in discussing climate change and therefore people should follow such important topics as they come up with more solutions on how to solve the major worldwide problem.
Being energy proficient
People should utilize energy efficiently since using energy inefficiently is a major contributing to climate change. People should ensure they switch off lights when they are not using them. People should also switch off televisions and other electronics whenever they are not using them. People are advised to use energy saving bulbs that save energy and thus ensuring energy is used efficiently (IOAN, 261). People are advised to wash clothes using cold water and hanging them outside to ensure the sun dries them instead of using electricity especially during summer. People should assess the amount of energy they consume and look for ways of consuming energy in an efficient manner.
Greening the commute
Transportation causes a higher percentage of greenhouse gas emission. Therefore to avoid such effects, it is advisable to walk, cycle or transit if possible being free from gaseous transportation and use of fuel hence lessening environmental exposure to fuels.
Taxing highly pollution associated activities
All activities that can lead to pollution of environment should be highly taxed highly making them so expensive. This discourages many people from getting into such activities. This can be substituted by encouraging energy efficient activities that may not have a negative impact to the climate.
Proper control of animal agriculture
The world watch institute published a report that confirmed that animal agriculture is a greater contributor of green house gas emissions. This is due to the release of nitrous oxide from urine and manure of farmed animals. Therefore, it is necessary to regulate animal farming and if possible people should stop eating those products to avoid the activity.
Conclusion
From the above discussion, it is evidently proven that climate change is happening globally and affecting all people. The problem is causing by both human and natural activities some of which can be avoided. The problem has become a global concern since it affects all people and affects the environment as well. Thus many organizations have come up in order to educate the people on measures of ensuring the problem is solved. Some of the consequences that come up with climate change include increase of waters in the oceans, heath problems and destruction of not only wildlife but their habitats as well among many others. Solutions have been found in order to combat this problem. Some of the solutions are successfully being used in countries in order to fight this problem of climate change.
Annotated Bibliography
IOAN, Ildikó, And Carmen Valentina RĂDULESCU. "New Challenges For Agriculture Within The Context Of Climate Change." Theoretical & Applied Economics 22.4 (2015): 253-262. Business Source Complete. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
This article describes ways in which climate change has caused negative effects in the sector of agriculture. It discusses ways in which climate change has contributed tom the economic strain in most countries by affecting the agriculture sector therefore contributing to food shortages globally. The article describes future challenges that the agriculture sector will face in case solutions to the problems are not put in place. The paper discusses solutions to this problem which include creation of climate change information to people and providing guidelines for people to follow in the fight against climate change.
Romeo Upperman, Crystal, et al. "Frequency Of Extreme Heat Event As A Surrogate Exposure Metric For Examining The Human Health Effects Of Climate Change." Plos ONE 10.12 (2015): 1-15. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
The article discusses impacts of climate change on the health of the people. It shows health complications that arise because of climate change. The article discusses both short and long term illnesses that are associated with climate change. Human beings are the most affected by the problem of climate change since the extreme heat and cold has contributed to many deaths. This paper focuses on analyzing how climate change has affected people and how the problem can be solved. Heat waves and extreme cold conditions have resulted to loss of many lives thus solutions and mitigation measures have come up in order to solve this unending problem.
Howard-Grenville, Jennifer, et al. "Climate Change And Management." Academy of Management Journal June 2014: 615+. Business Source Complete. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
This article describes ways in which climate change will affect people in future in case the problem is not solved. Climate change enables glaciers to melt which increase waters in the oceans and temperatures as well therefore affecting creatures such as corals in the oceans. Climate change contributes to acidification in the oceans which in deed affects creatures in the water and even leads to their loss. The paper also describes how climate change causes flooding in the low areas and coastal regions as well. It shows how organizations such as Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have developed approaches which will ensure the problem of climate change is minimized.
Lineman, Maurice, et al. "Talking About Climate Change And Global Warming." Plos ONE 10.9 (2015): 1-12. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
This article describes the connection between changes in climate and global warming. Global warming is associated with climate change since the earth is warming as a result of the change in weather patterns mostly caused by increased human activities. The article shows that dangerous emitted gases are major causes of climate change and have contributed to destruction of the ozone layer therefore leading to global warming. As a result of this climate change being a gradual process is intensified because of unavoidable anthropogenic and natural activities. This paper focuses on educating the public through use of media on ways of fighting against the problem of unpredictable weather patterns.
Trask, Jeffrey A. "An Academic Approach To Climate Change Emergency Preparedness." Journal Of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning 9.2 (2015): 119-128. Business Source Complete. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
This article shows how climate change has affected the economy and infrastructure of countries globally. Natural disasters such as floods and extreme changing weather conditions have led to destruction of infrastructure such as roads thereby interfering with travelling patterns. Doing repairs on damaged infrastructure is expensive thereby indicating loses to the economy of affected countries. This article shows that climate change is a major global problem and has affected lives of people in a negative manner and there is need for it to be solved.
Works Cited
Howard-Grenville, Jennifer, et al. "Climate Change And Management." Academy of Management Journal June 2014: 615+. Business Source Complete. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
IOAN, Ildikó, And Carmen Valentina RĂDULESCU. "New Challenges For Agriculture Within The Context Of Climate Change." Theoretical & Applied Economics 22.4 (2015): 253- 262. Business Source Complete. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
Lineman, Maurice, et al. "Talking About Climate Change And Global Warming." Plos ONE 10.9 (2015): 1-12. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
Romeo Upperman, Crystal, et al. "Frequency Of Extreme Heat Event As A Surrogate Exposure Metric For Examining The Human Health Effects Of Climate Change." Plos ONE 10.12 (2015): 1-15. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
Trask, Jeffrey A. "An Academic Approach To Climate Change Emergency Preparedness." Journal Of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning 9.2 (2015): 119-128. Business Source Complete. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
