Climate change and Booming Population - Essay Example

Climate Change and Population Boom Point to a Gloomy Future for the World Introduction Attenborourgh (2009) s that the world’s future is bleak ifthe human population bloom and climate changes are anything to go by. In his view, humans have a hand in almost every negative phenomenon that the world faces today, in respect of the environment; urban overcrowding, climate change, disappearing tropical forests, environmental pollution, and urban sprawl, just to name a few. The author provides statistics regarding the population of the world and estimates of how many humans the world will hold in different places in the near future. In this respect, he notes that currently, the world has more than seven billion people, and that every year, about 80 million individuals are added to the statistic. Attenborourgh (2009) notes that the world has a carrying capacity beyond which it cannot sustain a growing human population. Taking note of this factor, he believes that the way to go in respect of ensuring that the world remains sustainable is taking responsibility for our growth in populations such as by using contraceptives. This paper analyses Attenborourgh’s views in light of past studies and professional views. Literature Real Climate (2014) notes that there are several indications that human activities have contributed to the high levels of carbon dioxide in the environment. In this respect, he notes that over the last 15 decades, the concentrations of carbon dioxide on earth haves grown from about 280 to 380 ppm (parts per million). This state of affairs has come in place as a function of such activities as clearing and burning of forested land and burning fossil fuels which are commonplace events ever since the industrial revolution. The Royal Society (2014) concurs with Real Climate in regard to human contribution to climate change. The Society states that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by more than 40% since the industrial revolution began, most of this rise having occurred since 1970. These levels are higher than have been seen in the last 650,000 years according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (BBC 2007). Some of the evidences that show that climate change is a reality today include the decline in Arctic sea ice and the increase in the average temperature of the earth (global warming). Worth noting is that the average temperature of the earth’s surface has increased by roughly 0.8 °C since 1900 (The Royal Society 2014). Although this figure seems small, experts are quick to warn on its significance on human life, flora and fauna. Global warming is associated with such events as rising sea levels, change in rainfall patterns and amounts in different places, and extreme weather events as noted by the U.K. Government1 (2014). These events have effects on the risk of erosion and flooding, loss of habitat for wildlife, increased risk of subsidence, and health risks. Environmental and human factors have a tremendous effect on agriculture as noted by Sage: Nelson Institute (2014). While this is the case, farms are expected to produce the food, fuel, and fibre that is needed to by the global population. Even as farms are expected to meet the growing demand for food and other products, it is demanded of them to remain sustainable while conserving vital biological and physical resources. It is estimated that of the 13,400 million hectares of land on earth, only about half (1,400 to 1,600 million ha) can be cultivated (Government Office for Science 2014, p. 3). However, this land is subject to a lot of competition as influenced by different pressures and drivers. Some of the competition that eyes potentially agricultural land include: infrastructure and urban development, recreational amenities, industries, and energy production, the list being long (Government Office for Science 2014, p. 3). Even so, the effects of climate change and population growth will have an impact on the sustainability of agriculture. In some places, such as within the tropics, climate change will see more places become arid, become prone to floods, or be submerged under the rising sea level - events that ultimately will reduce the agricultural potential of the affected areas (Government Office for Science 2014, p. 3). Wolfgang and Samir (2010, p. 2779) concur with Attenborourgh (2009) that the population of the world is between seven and 10 billion individuals. The two authors note that the earth’s population is growing rapidly and there are chances that it may peak sometimes later in the 21st century. After the peak, some projections indicate that the population will stabilize even as others project a decline as resources get scarce to sustain the population Wolfgang and Samir (2010, p. 2787). The growing population of the world has been associated with more competition for resources such as land, water, and food. While modern technologies have helped improved agricultural productivity, many spectators note that the earth can only sustain so many human beings. The capacity of the earth to sustain more humans is affected by the environment and therefore is a factor of how humans utilise and conserve the environment. Unfortunately, the high levels of environmental population and emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere attest to the fact that the future of the world in terms of agricultural productivity may not be bright after all. The increase in the population of humans over the years has been associated with increasing levels of pollution which in turn has been linked to global warming and climate change. Gornall, Betts, Burke, Clark, Camp, Willett, and Wiltshire (2010, p. 2974) note that climate change will has a tremendous effect on agricultural activities both in the short and long terms. In many places where the level of precipitation will reduce as a direct result of climate change, the quantity of production is bound to significantly reduce much as the diversity and types of crops will change. Extreme weather events and climate variability will also have a big impact on the amount of food that will be produced across the world. Such events as droughts and floods could see the destruction of crops that are already thereby directly impacting on the production level of the globe. Indirect effects of climate change on agriculture will be in relation to new pests and diseases and the severity of their attacks, changes in the availability of water for irrigation and other agricultural purposes, and submergence of land in coastal area (Gornall, Betts, Burke, Clark, Camp, Willett, & Wiltshire 2010, pp. 2976-2982). It will be noted that when land is submerged under the sea, it may not be viable for crop production which means that the total area of land that can be used for agricultural production in the globe will ultimately have reduced. There are several measures that people can take in a bid to change the recent trends associated with climate change as noted by the U.K. Government (2014). Core to this is behaviour change toward the environment. Generally, the U.K. government recommends that organizations adapt a reporting power that will help governments be able to accurately monitor the levels of greenhouse emissions that they produce. Based on the analysis of the reports, the governments and organizations can make informed, cost effective decisions how to prepare for and possibly mitigate climate change. Conclusion In essence, Attenborourgh paints a realistic picture of the future of the world. Different authors agree that the human population is growth fast and with its growth does the world experience more pollution. Anthropogenic activities have been known to be the main contributor to the high levels of greenhouse gases in the environment which cause global warming and climate change, and their associated ills. While different sources recommend a raft of measures to secure a brighter future for the world, Attenborourgh focuses on the root cause of the problem (high population) and recommends that people take charge by using contraceptives to reduce the growth in human population. References Attenborourgh, D. December 2009, ‘AMID fears about climate change, the worlds future looks gloomy. Yet there is another worry - our booming population’. The Sun BBC 12 November 2007, ‘Climate scepticism: The top 10’, viewed 14 March, 2014 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/629/629/7074601.stm Gornall, J., Betts, R., Burke, E., Clark, R., Camp, J., Willett, K. & Wiltshire, A. 2010, ‘Implications of climate change for agricultural productivity in the early twenty-first century’, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B, vol. 365, pp. 2973-2989 Government Office for Science 2014, ‘Foresight Project on Global Food and Farming Futures - Synthesis Report C2: Changing pressures on food production system’, viewed 14 March, 2014 http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/foresight/docs/food-and-farming/synthesis/11-622-c2-changing-pressures-on-food-production-systems.pdf Real Climate 2014, ‘How do we know that recent CO2 increases are due to human activities?’, viewed 14 March, 2014 http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2004/12/how-do-we-know-that-recent-cosub2sub-increases-are-due-to-human-activities-updated/ Sage: Nelson Institute 2014, ‘Agriculture’, viewed 14 March, 2014 http://www.sage.wisc.edu/agriculture.html The Royal Society, 27 February 2014, ‘Climate Change: Evidence & Causes’, viewed 14 March, 2014 http://royalsociety.org/policy/projects/climate-evidence-causes/ U.K. Government 2014, ‘Adapting to climate change’, viewed 14 March, 2014 https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/adapting-to-climate-change U.K. Government1 2014, ‘Adapting to climate change’, viewed 14 March, 2014 https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/adapting-to-climate-change/supporting-pages/the-uk-climate-projections-2009 Wolfgang L. & Samir K. 2010, ‘Dimensions of global population projections: what do we know about future population trends and structures?’ Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B365, 2779–2791, viewed 14 March, 2014 http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/foresight/docs/food-and-farming/drivers/dr1-dimensions-of-global-population-projections.pdf Read More