Human Role in Climate Change and Global Warming - Essay Example

Humans have been given most of the blame for climate change and global warming especially after 1850. Using relevant examples, discuss how human activities in North America and Latin America have contributed to climate change since 1945? What are the effects of these activities on the environment and suggest ways in which the impacts of these activities on the environment can be mitigated?

Climate change, also known as global warming refers to the increased temperature of the earth’s troposphere and surface. The sustained and alarming increase in temperature has been largely attributed to human activities which commenced during the latter part of the 19th century and continued unabated into the 20th century.

Increased concentration in greenhouse gases (e.g. carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons) is directly to blame for global warming. When solar radiation hits the earth’s surface, some of this radiation is emitted as infrared radiation. The greenhouse gases absorb and re-emit the infrared radiation resulting in an additional warming of the surface and the troposphere.

The major greenhouse gas implicated in climate change is carbon dioxide. The concentration of this gas in the atmosphere has increased very significantly due to the emissions from the fuel and energy production industries. The Industrial Revolution, which sparked in North America in the 1850s, also increased the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil to meet its energy needs. Fossil fuel burning produces a mixture of gases the highest concentration of which is carbon dioxide. Increased incomes increased the need and want for more consumer goods, leading to the establishment of more industrial factories, increasing fuel consumption, and hence carbon dioxide emission (Vitousek, Mooney, and Lubchenko). Increased activity in the transport sector has also led to fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. The Industrial Revolution released more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere more than all the other years in the history of mankind combined. Based on studies conducted by major meteorological and environmental agencies, the United States of America has the biggest contribution to the amount of carbon dioxide emissions, it being the most industrialized and modern country.

The agricultural sector of North America is also a major contributor to methane (another greenhouse gas) emissions. Increased population and lifestyle also increase the need for food and animal products (Koneswaran and Nierenberg). In the US, the farm animal sector uses the largest land area and contributes significantly to global warming through methane emissions. Further, other energy-requiring activities like the transport of meat products feed and animals, contribute to carbon dioxide emissions.

Latin America is another region in the world that has a major contribution to climate change, mainly due to its shift in land use which significantly reduced the amount of carbon dioxide sinks. The Latin American region is home to the Amazon rainforest, which is the largest rainforest in the world. The Amazon rainforest spreads over Brazil, Suriname Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, and the Guyanas (Naik). Deforestation of the Amazon forest has been going on for many years in many Latin American countries. Data show that since 1970, more than 232 thousand square miles in the Brazilian side of the Amazon forest have been cleared. This area is larger than many countries. Most of the deforestation was attributed to land clearing for pastureland to produce cattle and other agricultural products, logging, improvement in infrastructure, and colonization by informal settlers (Butler). The change to a drier and warmer climate over Amazon has been attributed to the expansion of land for soybean and pasture production (Sampaio, Nobre, and Costa). However, the biggest global effect of the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest is the very significant reduction in carbon dioxide sinks that could potentially trap and utilize excess carbon dioxide in the photosynthetic process. In photosynthesis, plants utilize carbon dioxide for sugar production and release oxygen into the atmosphere.

The combined effects of increased carbon dioxide emissions and widespread deforestation aggravated climate change. Some of the effects of climate change are felt now, while more effects are predicted. Some of these effects are listed in the report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). These are rise in sea levels, melting and shrinking of glaciers, changes in spring events, changes in distribution and range of plants and animals, changes in the growing season. Ultimately, resources for human food and survival will be affected. Some countries will be more affected than others, but the effects of climate change will surely be felt.

Dealing with climate change effects can be categorized as mitigation and adaptation. Currently, mitigation efforts are the focus of many governments. Governments have banded together to devise means to distribute responsibility for, and to agree on ways to reduce global warming (Rive, Torvanger, and Fuglestvedt). The Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement, has been adopted by almost 200 countries in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Under the Kyoto Protocol, industrial countries have more responsibility for reducing emissions. However, the top emitter, the USA, did not ratify the Kyoto principle because the US government thinks that the recommendations will lead to substantial economic downturns.