Impacts of Climate Change - Term Paper Example

Climate change

Introduction

Climate change is referred to as the change in weather conditions for a long period of time. The change is as a result of factors such as biotic processes, plate tectonics, volcanic eruptions, and solar radiation (McIver & Lachlan, 1707). Additionally, some human activities are also believed to cause climate change in one way or another. Scientists have used both theoretical and observation models in order for them to understand the past, present and future change in climate (Marriano & Torras, 25). Changes in Climate have both negative and positive effects on lives of human beings as it is discussed in this paper.

Most people in the world have now come into terms with climate change. Several decades ago, many had not yet believed in climate change but; the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has given out several reports on the forecasted global temperatures in the future, sea levels and the rates of glacier melting. Marriano & Torras assert that it is important for the world to come up with ways to adapt to the future climate change instead of trying to prevent what cannot be prevented. This paper explores negative and positive impacts of climate change; how to reduce climate change, the perception of climate change by orthodox economists, public health professionals and climate change and the way forward.

Impacts of climate change

It has been discovered that climate change is among the biggest international threat to human health as well as the international development. A report from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirms the experience of both warming air and ocean temperatures; rise of sea levels; the frequency and intensity of events such as droughts, floods, storms and the alteration of precipitation patterns (McIver et al. 1707). Global warming is largely associated to human activities and research shows that the trend will continue or even accelerate. The climate change has serious impacts on human health although the pathways differ upon their approach. These include direct impacts such as injuries as well as deaths caused by cyclones; or the indirect impacts such as vectors that end up spreading the diseases; and delayed impacts that include disruptions to both health and social services.

Pacific Island Countries are among the most affected regions when it comes to health impacts due to climate change. The vulnerability is as a result of these countries being exposed to changing climate and the resulting health risks. Consequently, another reason is the inability of these countries to manage and come into terms with the situation and face these risks. Some of health risks in Pacific Island Countries are trauma, heat-related illnesses, zoonosis, population pressure, insufficient safety and security of water and food, non-communicable illnesses, respiratory diseases among others (McIver et al. 1709).

Over the previous decades, the impacts of global warming on living things have been evident and there is a likelihood of many species resulting to extinction by 2050. The climate change has resulted in changes in specie`s phenology, physiology, morphology, life cycle, distribution and as a result in community structure. Since their body temperatures and therefore their body functions largely depend on environmental conditions, ectotherms are at risk with change in climate. Studies finding out the response of ectotherms in terms of climate change are lower than the ones for endotherms. For example, there has been a prediction of the populations of lizard species in the world reaching to 39% by 2080 as a result of the climate change (Bestion, et al. 1). Climate change is predicted to pose a threat to tropical ectotherms while on the other side, the temperate ectotherms are supposed to oppose or gain from warmer temperatures.

Death rates related to high and low temperatures comprises of a large human health burden worldwide. Mass excessive mortality is connected to heat waves and cold spells and recent researches indicate that mortality continues to increase with period of such kind of events (Huynen & Maud 463). Several studies concerning the effects of climate and heat extremes shows that; a certain number of health circumstances as well as the social factors may change the high experienced high rate of mortality. Findings showed that there was a higher risk at the periods of heat waves for people suffering from diabetes; heart and lung disease; mental sickness; the ones under medication; obese and not leaving behind individuals restrained to bed.

According to Rocklöv, et al. 2, one study accounted that during the hot and cold periods, hospitalization can be used to protect people from diverse impacts of climate change. However, another research showed increased incidence of death from hospitalization. Cold- related deaths mostly occur to individuals suffering from cardiovascular dysfunction and ones with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Age, gender, dressing choices, using cooling devices, and social-economic circumstances are other factors associated with the variation of death risk during heat periods. It has been reported that individuals born into and spent their childhood in warm areas will be less affected by high temperatures as compared to individuals born in cold areas. For cold temperatures, risks are modified by gender, age, clothing behavior, indoor temperatures as well as social economic features (Huynen, Maud & Pim 13296).

Others negative impacts of climate change include damaging billions of dollars in rebuilding of public infrastructure, misplacement of people, affects agriculture due to floods and inadequate water supply and many others.

Climate change has many benefits associated with it. In agriculture, climate change improves growing of crops in some of high latitude areas, increases growing season in regions such as Greenland, and increases the level of yield of acidic orange trees. In health, there is a decline in winter deaths as temperature warms. In addition, a shipping shortcut is provided in between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans as a result of arctic melt. In terms of environment, high northern latitudes experiences increased undergrowth, increased forest growth etc. There is also increase in cod fishing resulting to improved Greenland economy.

Reducing the climate change

Reduction of CO2 emission has remained the vague goal in the process of reducing global warming. Renewable energy sources has been supported internationally although, it seems the rate at which renewable technology is used is lower than the rate at which non-renewable resources are used. For instance, according to Elsayyad, May & Florian 1057, there was a declaration by Cancun Summit in 2011 to begin $ 1 billion new plan and fund for the purposes of exchanging the technology in climate change. The aspect of change in climate agreements has always been the technology shift mechanisms.

It is an obligation of all countries to follow all the possible steps to ensure they support, finance and facilitate properly the transfer of; or even the access to technologies that are environmentally friendly and make others know of these plans. Recent studies dealing with tracking on the development of these clean technologies indicates their steady and continual rise. In countries such as United States and European Union, the national regulations in promotion of renewable resources are highly implemented although the promotion is frequently debated. The only way for investments in technology to be profitable is when they are viewed as investments in emerging/ new markets. However, in the process of environmental protection, it has been debated that an investing country gets hurt by unilateral investments in technology, since other nations can in return minimize their endeavor in climate protection.

In these era`s of globalization, world environmental change and increased concern for our health, has made the efforts for good health governance internationally become stronger. Scenarios can be used as tools for the purposes of examining the likely international health futures, gain insights regarding the global health and promote the decision making process. However, to date, a series of what is termed as the global integrated circumstances on the development of future health has not yet been made. In majority of developed global scenarios, the health aspect is completely missing. In one research conducted with eight scenario studies with a total of thirty one circumstances, only fourteen out of thirty one scenarios in health aspect gave a proper account of the future health developments. Nine circumstances only gave a description of particular pressures regarding human health or particular features of health such as death and water- related illnesses. On the other hand, eight scenarios neglected the health aspect and only four scenarios discussed social cultural, economic as well as the environmental developments as the ones that determine the human health. Out of the six story lines that were developed GSG (Global Scenario Group), two of them explained health as a result of social- economic and environmental changes (Martens, Pim & Maud 896).

The Orthodox Economists and Climate Change

In spite of the great efforts made by scientists in statistics and computing, it is argued that climatology is very far from a defined science (Marriano & Torras 26). On the other hand, economists can defend their use of cost-benefit analysis in evaluation of the climate change policy. The cost-benefit analysis is done via falsification on the issue of uncertainty. It is a custom of orthodox economics to associate the word uncertainty to difficulty in predictions. They believe and assume in the economy participants having perfect information thereby producing rationale equilibrium. The main aim of doing this is to make things simple so as to enable the mathematical analysis be tracked sufficiently. Economics uses a method that not only consists of a long list of the possible scenarios. However, the method they use can also be used to exactly estimate someone`s probability of each and every circumstance. Economists do not believe this can also be done when it comes to climate change. Nevertheless, their practice is made to be true in that the analysis is impossible in absence of probability figures and these values are sufficiently close. This implies that scenarios and probabilities give an opportunity to economist to do math therefore lending scientist to what they do.

In the process of decision making, governments and corporations use the cost-benefit analysis. However, while capitalists simply believe in private profits and costs, policymakers on the other hand face a bigger challenge (Marriano & Torras 29). In the case of climate change, the costs as well as the benefits should be projected several years in the future. Approximating costs deals with estimating the monetary sacrifice directly or indirectly that is needed to fight the climate change. These costs can be approximated monetarily and with ease as most of them entail usage on the present technologies where markets exist.

On the other hand, it is difficult to estimate the benefits since they are related to preventing harm to human beings. Estimating such kind of benefits requires that apart from knowing the results of climate change in the future, also known are the impacts on human in terms of occurrences of diseases; probability of a conflict; consequences of migration from flooded areas such as coastlines and many more. Additionally, it would need putting economic values on human sufferings, damage and even mortality. It is not possible to estimate the economic benefits of an avoided harm to humans without evaluating the economic value of individual lives. There is a challenge in valuing the future costs and benefits in relation to existing costs and benefits. The difference is of help to capitalist investors as they use what they call the `discount rate` to find out the amount of prospect receipts that are worth in the present. With this, the only question remaining is the likelihood of the amount of value to diminish.

Public health professionals and climate change

Majority of professionals in public health have the information of climate change threat to human beings (Bell 805). Nevertheless, effects that particular communities will face are not well understood. This lack of understanding has resulted to some local health sections emphasizing on adaptation of climate change. The reason is that the threat has been made to be less pressing as compared to other health dangers. Therefore, many health departments are still in stages of coming in to terms / adapting to climate change. Since impacts on health due to climate change are experienced at a local level, participation of local society in monitoring, discussing, advocating as well as helping in adaptation is important ( Roser, Connie, Edward, Maibach & Jennifer 2).

The way forward

The first step in preventing climate change is by being involved in the process of educating others on its importance. We should also use energy efficiently in our daily lives such as switching off lights when not in use; washing in cold or warm water; hang dry our clothes if possible since dryers use a lot of energy. Choosing a renewable power will also help in reducing the effect of climate change. Supporting and donating help to organizations that work day and night to see to it that climate change will reduce. Citizens can also opt to walk or cycle where possible since transportation contributes to a certain percentage of greenhouse gas emission. Getting informed is also a way to prevent or to minimize the climate change.

Following latest news concerning climate change and getting a trained person to train the community is also important. Implementing carbon taxes makes activities that pollute the environment very expensive thus increasing the affordability of green solutions. Carbon taxes also allow businesses as well as households to save money. Consequently, flying less will reduce carbon emission; therefore we can try to use train or buses where possible. Trimming our waste is another technique we can use. Garbage produces methane which is a greenhouse gas. Recycling of plastics, papers, metal and glass can help in this case.

Conclusion

Climate change is change in weather conditions resulting to positive and negative effects. Climate change has a health impact on human beings, affects agriculture, misplacement of people, death of living things etc. On the other hand, climate change improves growth of crops, decline in winter deaths when temperature gets warmer, creates a shipping route between Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Researchers have found out that climate change will continue to increase even in the future if measurable actions are not taken into place. Health professionals and orthodox economists assert the only way to do away with some of negative effects to climate change such as health is by adapting. However, some ways to reduce climate change have been suggested. These are; using renewable resources, less travelling using air mode, trimming waste disposal instead of recycling, using energy in efficient ways as well as training and supporting climate change organizations.

Work Cited

Bell E. “Readying health services for climate change: a policy framework for regionaldevelopment”. Am J Public Health. 2011 May; 101:5(2011) 804–813.

Bestion, Elvire, et al. "Live Fast, Die Young: Experimental Evidence of Population Extinction

Risk Due To Climate Change." Plos Biology 13.10 (2015):1-19…..

Elsayyad, May, and Florian Morath. "Technology Transfers for Climate Change." International

Economic Review 57.3 (2016): 1057-1084.

Huynen, Maud M.T.E. "The Impact of Heat Waves and Cold Spells on Mortality Rates intheDutch Population." Environmental Health Perspectives 109.5 (2001): 463.

Huynen, Maud M T E, and Pim Martens. "Climate Change Effects on Heat- and Cold-

Mortality in the Netherlands: A Scenario-Based Integrated Environmental Health ImpactAssessment." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 12.10(2015): 13295-13320.

Martens, Pim, and Maud Huynen. "A Future without Health? Health Dimension in GlobalScenario Studies." Bulletin of the World Health Organization 81.12 (2003): 896 - 901.

McIver, Lachlan, et al. "Health Impacts of Climate Change In Pacific Island Countries: A

Regional Assessment of Vulnerabilities and Adaptation Priorities." Environmental Health Perspectives 124.11 (2016): 1707-1714.

Rocklöv, Joacim, et al. "Susceptibility to Mortality Related to Temperature and Heat andColdWave Duration in the Population of Stockholm County, Sweden." GlobalHealth Action7 (2014): 1-11.

Roser-Renouf, Connie, Edward W. Maibach, and Jennifer Li. "Adapting to the ChangingClimate: An Assessment of Local Health Department Preparations for ClimateChange-Related Health Threats, 2008-2012." Plos ONE 11.3 (2016): 1-17.

Torras, Mariano. "Orthodox Economics and the Science of Climate Change." MonthlyReview: An Independent Socialist Magazine 68.1 (2016): 25-34.

Over the previous decades, the impacts of global warming on living things have been evident and there is a likelihood of many species resulting to extinction by 2050. The climate change has resulted in changes in specie`s phenology, physiology, morphology, life cycle, distribution and as a result in community structure. Since their body temperatures and therefore their body functions largely depend on environmental conditions, ectotherms are at risk with change in climate. Studies finding out the response of ectotherms in terms of climate change are lower than the ones for endotherms. For example, there has been a prediction of the populations of lizard species in the world reaching to 39% by 2080 as a result of the climate change (Bestion, et al. 1). Climate change is predicted to pose a threat to tropical ectotherms while on the other side, the temperate ectotherms are supposed to oppose or gain from warmer temperatures.

Death rates related to high and low temperatures comprises of a large human health burden worldwide. Mass excessive mortality is connected to heat waves and cold spells and recent researches indicate that mortality continues to increase with period of such kind of events (Huynen & Maud 463). Several studies concerning the effects of climate and heat extremes shows that; a certain number of health circumstances as well as the social factors may change the high experienced high rate of mortality. Findings showed that there was a higher risk at the periods of heat waves for people suffering from diabetes; heart and lung disease; mental sickness; the ones under medication; obese and not leaving behind individuals restrained to bed.

According to Rocklöv, et al. 2, one study accounted that during the hot and cold periods, hospitalization can be used to protect people from diverse impacts of climate change. However, another research showed increased incidence of death from hospitalization. Cold- related deaths mostly occur to individuals suffering from cardiovascular dysfunction and ones with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Age, gender, dressing choices, using cooling devices, and social-economic circumstances are other factors associated with the variation of death risk during heat periods. It has been reported that individuals born into and spent their childhood in warm areas will be less affected by high temperatures as compared to individuals born in cold areas. For cold temperatures, risks are modified by gender, age, clothing behavior, indoor temperatures as well as social economic features (Huynen, Maud & Pim 13296).

Others negative impacts of climate change include damaging billions of dollars in rebuilding of public infrastructure, misplacement of people, affects agriculture due to floods and inadequate water supply and many others.

Climate change has many benefits associated with it. In agriculture, climate change improves growing of crops in some of high latitude areas, increases growing season in regions such as Greenland, and increases the level of yield of acidic orange trees. In health, there is a decline in winter deaths as temperature warms. In addition, a shipping shortcut is provided in between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans as a result of arctic melt. In terms of environment, high northern latitudes experiences increased undergrowth, increased forest growth etc. There is also increase in cod fishing resulting to improved Greenland economy.

Reducing the climate change

Reduction of CO2 emission has remained the vague goal in the process of reducing global warming. Renewable energy sources has been supported internationally although, it seems the rate at which renewable technology is used is lower than the rate at which non-renewable resources are used. For instance, according to Elsayyad, May & Florian 1057, there was a declaration by Cancun Summit in 2011 to begin $ 1 billion new plan and fund for the purposes of exchanging the technology in climate change. Read More