Empirical Evidence of Climate Change - Essay Example

?Climate Change Figure Global Warming (Genovese, . ID No. # Table of Contents Introduction……………………………………………………………….………2 Synoptic Description of the Environmental Issue……………………….……….3 Causes of Environmental Problems……………………………………….……...4 Occurrence of the Issue………………………………………………….………..6 Social and Economic Impact……………………………………………….……..8 Personal Suggestion for Preservation and Recovery of the Environment……….10 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………11 References………………………………………………………………………….13 Figures Figure 1. Global Warming……………………………………………………….1 Figure 2. Graphics of Climate Change …………………………………………..4 Figure 3. Impacts of Climate Change……………………………………………6 Introduction Climate change is the radical shift and changes of the global temperatures that altered the natural behaviour of earth’s ecosystem in the last decades. Must human beings go extinct with it? Or must people work to balance its ecosystem and biodiversity for genuine sustainable development? This paper will explain the empirical evidences of climate change and it’s anent impact. Synoptic Description of the Environmental Issue Peoples evidently observed the melting of the glaciers in the North Pole, the increase of sea level in tropical zones at an average rate of 1.8 [1.3 to 2.3]mm/yr since 1993 and the warming of the earth which affects the cycle of vegetation and farm life (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2008). Experts posit that last year was the warmest year on record in this millennium (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2008). Reports also cited that the arctic ice shrunk by 2.7% every ten years and with an average of 7.4% decrease every summer season. Areas affected are northern and southern part of America, Europe, Asia, Mediterranean, and Africa regions (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2008). Hence, there will be erratic weather and global temperatures. The influence and confluence of sun’s phenomenal flares that emit heat waves, atmospheric natural relations within earth’s axis and the environmental destruction made by human beings, intentional and non-intentional, have contributed or caused climatic changes (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2008). Figure 1. A comprehensive graphics of climate change effects to the world. (OpenGreenSpace, 2012). Causes of environmental problems Earlier it has been pointed that ecological destruction is one of the many leading causes that contributed to climatic changes. Jha and Whalley (1999) pointed that in developing countries, these environmental destruction is caused by massive soil erosion, open and illegal logging, dumping of solid and chemical wastes to the seas and ocean floors, incessant and unregulated pollution’s emission from companies, households, vehicles and industries. This is exacerbated by untreated human and nonhuman waste and other non-compliance of environmental control and laws in resource extraction, land use, and maximization of chemical-based fertilizers (Jha et al., 1999). The heterogeneity of environmental issues is also affected by the lack, if not absence, of enabling policies that can regulate and address ecological problems around the globe. As advanced nations engaged in an extractive industries in open states or countries, project developments in sites where there are mineral production sharing agreement proved destructive to mountains due to open pit nature of operations with consequential negative impact to rivers, water basins, siltation in the shorelines, displacement of native people, polarization of community (e.g. pro-mining and against), militarization of mine sites, and aggravation of community-based human rights violations (World Bank, 2004). The human beings, an integrated part of ecosystem, are also alienated by these developments as original residents in mine sites are removed from their natural livelihood (World Bank, 2004). This is notwithstanding the supposed economic contributions of mining to national coffers and albeit the necessary requisites of environmental assessment for extractive operation (World Bank, 2004). Logging, both legal and illegal, have also contributed to massive soil erosion due to denudation of former reservation and forested areas. Butler (2005) bared that Nigeria has the worst deforestation rate next to Brazil and Congo based on the reports of United Nations (UN). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) findings in its 2005Global Forest Resources Assessment mentioned that there is an estimated 13 million hectares of the world's forests at a lost each year and such included about 6 million hectares of forest reserves — viewed as the most diverse ecosystem untouched by civilization (Butler , 2005). The conversation of remaining forest areas into agricultural sites and the use of timber as fuel woods were thought as the leading causes of deforestation (Butler, 2005). In South America, the Amazon rain forest was transformed into cattle ranches and soybean plantations; thus, the region confront severe drought as rivers dried. In tropical Asia, the areas which suffered deforestation are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam (Butler, 2005). United States incurred a loss of 831 square miles of deforestation within five years (Butler, 2005). In 2010, FAO reported that in 121 tropical regions, an average of 9.34 million (Butler, 2010). In the absence of these forests that could balance the ecosystems from sun heat waves and from the air pollutants, the world is now confront problems on greenhouse effects out of 8 billion tonnes of CO2 emission and from catastrophic power of disastrous cyclones, flooding, wildfires and dearth of water needed for human survival and for agriculture (Hance, 2012). Occurrence of the Issue Climate change does not occur by chance. It is a consequence of the increasing disregard of all human beings on the need to balance ecology and the need to protect the environment from peoples’ obsessive extraction, utilization, and maximization of resources for profit and for the needs. Figure 3. Impact s of climate change (Genovese & Genovese, 2012). There is no exact period when climate change started, but its effects have empirical proofs felt since the 70s when nations have exchanged and sacrificed development with environmental destruction. This century calls advance ecological protectionism as glaciers in the north melted fast and global warming is more felt in tropical zones. Ecologists reported that 20-30% of plants and animal species are in the risk of extinction as temperature rise based on Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (Tebtebba, 2010). It has already altered the functions, appearance, and the structure of the ecosystem. All of these changes are affecting the interaction of all organisms and those dependent to nature amid disturbance of nature’s equilibrium (Tebtebba, 2010). All over the world, massive flood, cyclones, typhoons, surges and wildfire are so alarmingly destructive to human lives and infrastructures, especially in the zones with the extractive industry. The latter posed as threat to sources of waters, siltation of rivers, and death of species living within the river byways (Tebtebba, 2010). Countries that are dependent on hydropower for electricity confront difficulties of meeting the power needs of its constituents with the lowering of lakes’ water supply caused by illegal logging (Tebtebba, 2010). When disasters occur, the sites that would be affected are the surrounding that intensively provide support in sustaining lives of inhabitants, such as agricultural lands, crops, marine resources in coastal areas, and all the pathogenic micro-organisms therein (Tebtebba, 2010). Social and Economic Impact The consequential shift of climate and destruction of ecosystem could result to the marginalization of human civilization because they bear the disastrous impact of calamities and related fortuitous events that may negatively affect their very subsistence (Khanna & Aneja, 2011). Some species underwent adaptability to environmental changes, but others succumbed to their annihilation. Food insecurity now confronts the civilization as climatic changes ruins the crops, fish village, and decreases the number of livestock (Khanna & Aneja, 2011). Anent to this weakening of resources needed for human survival is the prevalence of infectious and transmissible illnesses now considered as among the leading causes of mortality and morbidity (Khanna & Aneja, 2011). Pollution emitted from industries contributes much to lung problems of people, e.g. pneumonia, asthma and tuberculosis (Khanna & Aneja, 2011). Water pollution contributes to dysentery, diarrhea, cholera and problems of clean drinking water and sanitation. Heat waves and the unabated use of natural resources affect agriculture and timberlands - hence, logically result in food insecurity and hunger. Those dependent and reliant on agriculture, hunting, pastoralism, trapping, agro-forestry must necessarily be compelled to understand the effects and consequence of losing ecological balance while meeting needs (Tebtebba, 2012). Hundreds of fisher families have less and less harvest from our aquatic resources as capitalists compete to monopolize the fishing industry; the siltation and dumping of chemical waste in our ocean floors became the illegal practice of our major industries (Khanna & Aneja, 2011). El nino takes unpredictable patterns of flooding, and la nina caused prolonged drought nowadays. Wet and cold environment also cause hypothermia, bronchitis and pneumonia. Aside from water scarcity in this season, it also affects the generation of energy thus causing power outages in some parts of the globe. In other countries, their power sources are affected by X-flares, C-flares or M-flares of the sun (Khanna & Aneja, 2011). These power surges from the solar system have also caused people to collapse and die due to heat waves. Moreover, advocates argued that the loss of traditional livelihoods for indigenous peoples and their ecosystem have eroded their traditional knowledge and innovative means for sustainable developments. As a result, people have losses in revenues and economic opportunities (World Bank, 2004). The social pressure for survival is an increasing issue to be addressed. Each flooding that happens in many parts of the world also tripled the number of displaced communities, the figures of people who died in this incident, and the amount of devastation which will become the subject of extensive rehabilitation and reconstruction by the government in partnership with the constituents or survivors (World Bank, 2004). Personal Suggestion for Preservation and Recovery of the Environment There is nothing that people could do to stop climate change. The civilization of this world could, however, assume adaptation plan and mitigation strategies to address the impacts of climate change. Some of the priorities identified are food security, water sufficiency, ecological protection and stability, human security (via disaster management and nurturing resilient communities), sustainable energy, climate services and knowledge/capacity development (World Bank, 2004). Develop convergence and discourse on disaster management plan, do research, gender development. Appraise local mitigation and adaptation processes adopted by indigenous peoples such as choosing bio-intensive farming, organic farming and multi-stakeholder’s involvement (World Bank, 2004). Conduct of geo-hazard vulnerability assessments, demonstration of eco-towns, adaptation of energy conservation and of renewable energy. Sustain the preservation of protected sites, forest frontiers, and sources of waters (World Bank, 2004). Improving governance, delivery of social services, and implementation of poverty reduction programs, food security and transparency of management. Moratorium of extractive industry and logging operations (legal and illegal). Engage all stakeholders for environmental protection strategies which must include pollution reduction from industries, commercial centers, and transportations. Adapt the eco-conscious behaviours of advanced nations that discouraged over dependency to private vehicles for transportation (World Bank, 2004). Network and coordinate with international organizations involved in climate change adaptation and mitigation (World Bank, 2004). Denuclearization of states and transition to renewable source of energy (World Bank, 2004). Adoption of proper solid waste management and penalizing violators (World Bank, 2004). Adoption and enforcement of ecology-conscious policies (World Bank, 2004). Adopt comprehensive land use plan that is hazard-sensitive (World Bank, 2004). Provide and allocate funds for the implementation of policies and programs for the preservation of mother Earth (World Bank, 2004). Conclusion Climate change will alter the natural pattern of peoples’ lives and produce a magnitude of impact that all human beings need to be adaptive and resilient about. All nations are required to develop its strategic plans about how to reduce the impact of global warming, placing significant importance on conservation of biological diversity for sustainable use. All businessmen or corporation must likewise support green agenda at the utmost since this sector has so much contribution to global pollution: air, water, sounds, lands, and the like. It’s high time for international communities to put monitoring on these companies’ performance management and evaluate how they implement ‘green policy’ within their workplaces. Of course, this necessitates a shift of corporate paradigm before they are able to put concrete green management in their respective companies. This demands that company must reduce their use of power, adopt recyclable use of resources, and educate its people on balanced ecology for sustainable development. All stakeholders must re-evaluate all development programs to attune it to ecological protection. Authorities should likewise take cognition of indigenous people’s traditional knowledge and their practices in preserving the ecology as this is perceived by experts as attune to human beings relations to the universe and to this planet. The world has only one planet to live. As stewards of this world, people need to abandon its anthropocentric tendencies and realize that each one must become responsible steward of this earth for the children’s future. Everyone must adopt a fair and equitable share in the utilization of resources, ensuring that the future generation could still enjoy it too to sustainably perpetuate the survival of humankind. References Butler , R. A. World Deforestation rates and forest cover statistics, 2000-2005., Mongabay.com Publication, San Francisco, California, 2005. < http://news.mongabay.com/2005/1115-forests.html > Accessed: 25 Nov. 2012. Butler , R. A. Rainforest loss slows. Mongabay.com Publication. San Francisco, California, 2010. < http://news.mongabay.com/2010/1006-fao_forest_cover.html > Accessed: 25 Nov. 2012. Climate Change Commission (2012) . National Climate Change Action, DILG, Mla., Philippines. Genovese, J. 2012 Climate Impacts. Accessed: 26 Nov. 2012. Hance, J. As Doha Climate Summit kicks off, more ambitious cuts to greenhouse gas emissions needed. Mongabay.com Publication, San Francisco, California. 2012. < http://news.mongabay.com/2012/1125-hance-doha-emissions-cuts.html > Accessed: 25 Nov. 2012. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change . Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report, Working Papers id:1325, eSocialSciences, India. 2008. Jha, R., & Whalley, J. The Environmental Regime in Developing Countries. In: Behavioral and Distributional Effects of Environmental Policy. University of Chicago Press, US. 1999. p. 217 – 250. Khanna, P. & Aneja, R. Climate change: a primer. MPRA Paper 34867, University Library of Munich, Germany. 2011. Tebtebba. Climate Change, REDD+ and Indigenous Peoples: Training Course for Indigenous Peoples, Tebtebba Inc., Baguio, Philippines. 2010, pp, 1-73. World Bank. Comments received on Draft Management Response to the Final Report of the Extractive Industries Review. Oil, Gas, Mining and Chemical Departments, WB., New York, NY, 2004, pp. 1-10. < http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTOGMC/Resources/eirreviewcommentsummary.pdf > Accessed: 25 Nov. 2012. Read More