StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Impact of Climate Change - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
This paper 'Impact of Climate Change' tells us that policymakers have increasingly expressed concern about the impact of human activities on the global climate, which has resulted in consequences extremely devastating. In every field of biology and ecology, environmental impact has become a matter of research…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER93.9% of users find it useful
Impact of Climate Change
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Impact of Climate Change"

?Running Head: Impact of Climate Change Impact of Climate Change [Institute’s Impact of Climate Change Policy makers have increasingly expressed concerned on the impact of human activities on the global climate, which has resulted in consequences extremely devastating. In every field of biology and ecology, environmental impact has become a matter of research. A number of reasons are attributed to this frenzy towards gaining an idea about the future. Policy makers need to appease people about the future, as well as make and implement certain policies, which will try saving the environment. These policies include implementing and regulating the existing laws and coming up with new laws that preserve the environment for the future and will not cause further climate change (Moller, Fielder, Berthold, pp. 3, 2010). The temperature of the entire world has changed, and this has been attributed to greenhouse gas emissions, particularly the fossil fuel burning, which has led to an increase in global warming (Kernan, pp. vii, 2010). This global warming leads to a dramatic temperature change, which is forecast to change more so in the future. Numerous studies and researches have concluded that some areas will witness an increase in temperature, while others may experience a drop in temperature. The changes in precipitation rate will great impacts, which will harm the temperature in many regions even more so. Climate change brings dangerous consequences with it. There are numerous impacts on agriculture, forestry, fishers, and other environmental factor (Moller, Fielder, & Berthold, pp.3, 2010). An even more pressing concern is the impact on the ecological systems because of further climate changes. The paper attempts to explain the various impacts of climate change. However, first it describes the causes of this climate change briefly. A sharp focus is also important; therefore, analysis of a particular region will further enhance the extreme problem of climate change. Centuries had passed since the formation of the world when the globe did not witness any climate change. However, this was to change when humans discovered fossil fuels. The population on the world multiplied drastically. Industrial Revolution spurred off economic development, but with the opportunity cost of environmental damage. The environmental damage has resulted in the extreme climate change. The greenhouse effect is perhaps the largest factor in this climate change. In the words of Timoth Wirth, former US senator and Undersecretary of State for the Global Affairs, “The greenhouse effect is the most significant economic, political, environmental, and human problem facing the 21st century” (Hardy, 222, 2003). Other reasons also form part of this global climate change. However, the paper is more concerned with describing the details of the impact of climate change on nearly facet of life in the planet, Earth (Hardy, pp. ix, 2003). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has shed light on the reality of global warming. The Fourth Report summarized a finding, which stated that the mean temperature has shown an increase of 1 degree centigrade, in the northern part of the world. There have been large changes in the distribution of rainfall, resulting in more rain in winters and less in the summers. Melting of glaciers has induced the seal level to rise by almost 20 cm, which can have devastating impacts. Natural disasters such as droughts, floods, and cyclones have gotten increasingly common, because of rapid climate change. The above-mentioned impacts are mainly the most common ones; however, these are not the only ones (Kernan, pp. 1, 2010). In the recent decades, all sorts of doubts regarding the effect of greenhouse emissions on global climate have fallen off. Although the climate of the world has changed in six periods since the evolution of Earth, the climate change the world undergoes currently is widely “unnatural”, and backed largely because of human activities. Glacier melting in the Northern Alps, severe water and food shortages induced by droughts are not common occurrences. Massive floods and cyclones had largely been uncommon before. Therefore, beyond any reasonable doubt, it can be stated that these climate changes, which occurred in the span of a few decades rather than thousands of years that the change is largely human-induced (Hardy, pp.40, 2003). One of the most important impacts of climate change includes that of changes in temperature. The twentieth century has widely been the warmest century. Countries situated on higher latitudes have experienced this warm temperature. In areas like Washington of the United States, the average February temperature has increased by 2.2 degree centigrade in a span of some fifty years. If the rate continues to remain the same for even such a small area, then the global temperature is in for even more trouble (Hardy, pp.42, 2003). The rainfall and the snowfall patterns have rapidly changed, as well. An increase in the harshness of some of the extreme events such as droughts, floods, and storms also forms another major impact. Even more so, the problem becomes larger because it has proven extremely difficult to forecast future climate changes (Shackleton, pp. 6, 2009). Natural disasters create further problems for humans. It renders people homeless; it affects their livelihood by destroying crops and affects the health of individuals. Moreover, it may come as a shock, but the impact of these floods on the lives of children has not been closely examined. Child mortality increases and social development problems in the long run largely occur. Therefore, climate change has immense indirect impacts, not only on the environment, but also on the social and economic lives of individuals (Verner, pp. 184, n.d). A large impact on snow and ice around the world has also been witnessed, largely by conducting quantitative measurements. Melting of glaciers has become common in areas such as European Alps and Western North America. The impact has extended to other parts of the world such as in Kenya (Africa), where the glaciers have lost 75% of the area from the years 1899 and 1987. The melting of glaciers in Alaska has propelled an increase in massive sea level rise. In Northern hemisphere, a slight change has been noticed in the cover of snow, which has decreased by around 10% during the past twenty years. The sea level rise is another problem, which will form part of discussion in the later part of the paper (Hardy, pp. 46, 2003). Additionally, an interesting yet devastating relationship has been observed between climate change and health. The study was conducted in five Latin American countries. Health has largely confronted effect due to temperature changes in these regions, affected child mortality rate. In Peru, this relationship was found to be extremely strong, since it was predicted that future climate change would cause a reduction in life expectancy rate of about 0.2 years in the next fifty years or so (Verner, pp. 186, n.d). As mentioned above, the sea level has risen. This is caused largely by extreme temperatures, which increases warm water that leads to expansion in the volume of water. When volume of water in ocean expands, it leads to a rise in sea level relative to the land. The sea level rise is attributed to two main factors. Water warming contributes to around two-thirds of it, while glacier-melting accounts to around one-thirds of the sea level rise (Hardy, pp. 48, 2003). A large issue of concern is also over the extinction of various species of animals and birds. However, the concern gets worrisome in the cases of birds because they live in the air and they widely breathe in the polluted air, which may harm them greatly. Agriculture has been impacted, as well. Droughts result in food shortages, as well (Moller, Fielder, & Berthold, pp. 18, 2010). As one may notice, there is an occurrence of interactions among the various impacts of changes in global climate. When sea level rises, it paves the way for storms and floods. Agriculture problems do not only occur because of temperature and rainfall changes, but also because of higher plant growth, pests and fire problems, therefore, when these interactions occur, the problems become graver (Shackleton, pp. 6, 2009). Climate change does not have a relationship with only the environment, but has a number of significant development problems. The economy of a particular country gets affected because of the extreme weather conditions such as floods and droughts. It may create problems of land distribution as people migrate in search of greener pastures. Poor health infrastructure, lack of assets such as clean water facilities and sanitation are some of the development problems, exacerbated by the climate change (Verner, pp. 187, n.d). The paper shall now examine the impact of global climate change on a developed region such as the United States. Developing countries face numerous problems, which often get interlinked with environmental problems. However, United States has also suffered from massive temperature changes. A research conducted by the United States Global Change research program found out in 2009 that the current climate change will have devastating effects in the future on the U.S economy. The environmental impacts have been noticed in the United States, which includes heavy rainfall, rising temperature and sea level, lengthy growing seasons, glacier melting, early snowmelt, and changes in the river flow. These environmental effects will cause all the problems mentioned above. Moreover, even in a developed country like United States, massive food shortages are predicted. The industry that will confront heavy impact includes the agriculture industry, which leads to challenges in crop production. Some agricultural problems include pests, heat, droughts, floods, cyclones, and diseases. Water shortage may occur, as well in some areas. In the future, the impact on human health will become enormous. Therefore, the problems of environmental impact will not become noticeable in areas of the developing world, but will show their impacts on the developed world, as well. Insects and rodents, water-borne diseases and poor air quality are all bound to increase (United States Global Change Program, n.p, 2009). United States should be extremely concerned because it remains one of the countries producing the highest rate of carbon emission. Four major sectors in the United States product carbon emissions, which include electricity generation, transport sector, industrial sector, and commercial use. However, even though energy is a vital need, there is a pressing need to find better renewable resources (EPI, 20111). The paper has described in detail the environmental impacts of the global climate change. It has also signified some indirect problems, such as development issues. Although environmental laws will not completely reverse the damage done to the environment since Industrial Revolution, some effects are likely to mitigate. Perhaps, we can save our Earth from massive destruction, which will surely ensue if the problem is not controlled. References EPI. 2011. Eco-Economy Indicators. Retrieved on August 2, 2011: www.earth-policy.org/indicators/C52/carbon Hardy, J. T. 2003. “Earth and the Greenhouse Effect, Recent Climate Change.” Climate change: causes, effects, and solutions. West Sussex: John Wiley and Sons Limited. Kernan, M. 2010. Climate Change Impacts on Freshwater Ecosystems. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Limited. Moller, A. P., Fiedler, W., & Berthold, P. 2010. Effects of Climate Change on Birds. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Shackleton, R. 2009. “Potential Impacts of Climate Change.” Potential Impacts of Climate Change in the United States. CBO. United States Global Change Research Program. 2009. Global Climate Change Impacts in the US. Retrieved on August 3, 2011: www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts Verner, D. (n.d). “Natural Disasters and Child Health, Simulations of the Effects of Climate Change on Health.” Reducing poverty, protecting livelihoods, and building assets in a changing Climate. World Bank. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“The impact of climate changes in the near future Essay”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/geography/1430012-the-impact-of-climate-changes-in-the-near-future
(The Impact of Climate Changes in the Near Future Essay)
https://studentshare.org/geography/1430012-the-impact-of-climate-changes-in-the-near-future.
“The Impact of Climate Changes in the Near Future Essay”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/geography/1430012-the-impact-of-climate-changes-in-the-near-future.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Impact of Climate Change

Climate change

?? It is a salient objective of this media campaign to help the targeted audience understand as to what small steps and lifestyle changes they can resort to, to dilute and mitigate the Impact of Climate Change and to predict and quantify the influence these measures could have in ameliorating the short term and long term Impact of Climate Change....  The intended IMC campaign is educational in its approach and intends to educate the university students about the long term and short term consequences of climate change and what is its long-term prognosis for the Australian environment, economy, and growth....
4 Pages (1000 words) Research Paper

Impact of climate change on timber engineering structures

Spread of Termites and Other Pests Another major Impact of Climate Change has been its help to spread various species of insects beyond their normal modus operandi.... climate change presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities in the face of global warming and climate change.... On the one hand, existing timber constructed structures are under increasing stress due to climate change while on the other hand a number of opportunities are offered by timber structures to slow down global warming....
8 Pages (2000 words) Research Paper

Impact of Climate Change on a New Zealand Business

The author of this case study "Impact of Climate Change on a New Zealand Business" comments on the climate change which is also described as global warming that refers to increases in the average temperature of the earth's oceans and the air near the surface.... Scientists warn the expected impacts of climate change will include rising temperatures, sea-level rise, changing rainfall patterns and increased storminess (MFE, n.... nbsp; The greatest consequence of climate change, however, is the passage of the Cap and Trade....
8 Pages (2000 words) Case Study

The Urgent Need in the US Climate Change Policy

For example, if major actors in the world's politics, such as President Bush for instance, are asked about the biggest threat in the world, he may have a list of threats that do not include the dilemma of climate change.... While all these concerns may be important issues to deal with, the problem of climate change should be given equal, or perhaps more, attention from all countries of the world due to its possible global effects.... Actually, Blair's concerns, which were echoed by the United Nations, about the security threat of climate change are justifiable due to the dangerous effects of global warming on health, economy, and the environment....
10 Pages (2500 words) Term Paper

Sustainable Development

Understandably, enough the Impact of Climate Change, which essentially brings about social inequalities, can only be addressed if equity and justice are observed when implementing remedial measures.... The Impact of Climate Change affects the natural resources, which developing countries rely on for survival, and thus hinders the approaches geared towards development and sustainability.... The Impact of Climate Change has made livelihoods come up with multiple ways that would aid in bringing about sustainable development....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Analysis Project: Global Warming

The fourth source that I picked is “National Institutes of Health Explore Impact of Climate Change on Human Health” and is written by Christine Jessup and John Balbus.... This source is a short article found on the Global change government website and was published on April 22, 2013.... This source is credible as the website where it was found is moderated solely by the United States government's Global change Research Program....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

Climate change and its effect on animals in the chesapeake bay

Impact of Climate Change in Chesapeake Bay Climate change has influenced the ecosystem balance of Chesapeake Bay.... Most of the species may become extinct if the Impact of Climate Change continues to escalate.... Following is an assessment of climate change and its effect on animals in the Chesapeake Bay. ... Following is an assessment of climate change and its effect on animals in the Chesapeake Bay.... Increased precipitation as a result of climate change has led to high sediment deposits in the bay, which bring in high quantities of nitrogen and phosphorous that are the limiting nutrients for the growth of algae and other aquatic organisms....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

The Ethical Dimension of Climate Change

Such countries play the tragedy of the commons in the sense that they support climate change mitigation yet they are the major Discussion: The Ethical Dimension of Climate Change A number of ethical issues revolve around Climate change considering that many generations and nations have felt the Impact of Climate Change.... Since climate change is gradual, the major greenhouse gas emitters have attempted to pass the burden to other nations and generations… Besides, most countries would prefer to continue with their developmental activities that lead to global warming....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us