Environmental Issues - Assignment Example

?An Investigation into the Use of Science by One Environmental Advocacy Body In Relation To Environmental Issues Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Contribution of Greenpeace to Debate on Climate Change 4 Values and Interests/Advocacy Positions 5 5 Use of Science to Support Its Values and Interests 7 Conclusion 10 Introduction During the present era, a historic significant debate has come into concern in this emerging world. The debated issue is whether the global climate change is really induced by the human beings as well as owing to the application of science, if so then what should be the actions taken by human beings to save the future world. In 1992, over 160 governments signed The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) that focuses its concerns regarding scientific aspects and the function of human beings for persuading certain specific interventions on climate change on a global basis. The memorandum also concerns about how to guide the human beings for understanding the responsibility to prevent the world from the dangerous interferences of the environment change. Though every government of the industrialised nations had agreed to take adequate measures by setting specific targets as well as timetables for the reduction of carbon-dioxide emission along with other greenhouse gases but such initiatives have not resulted in any concrete outcomes as the entire world is witnessing an escalation of varied critical environmental concerns day-by-day (Hohnen, n.d.). Therefore, with regard to this booming issue, Greenpeace, a non-profit organisation has devoted its activities in order to improve as well as preserve the ecology of the planet as well as environment (Greenpeace, 2013). The objective of the report is to measure the contribution to debate on climate change by Greenpeace and to critically assess the connection between its values and interests, its advocacy positions and its use of science. Contribution of Greenpeace to Debate on Climate Change Greenpeace is a globally recognised non-profit organisation that executes passive actions to reduce the prevalent threats to environment. Greenpeace aims to shield as well as conserve the environment through promoting peace by revealing, investigating as well as confronting ecological abuses. The organisation has driven its initiatives by holding a lot of conferences challenging the political as well as trade along with industry powers that are being involved in performing certain detrimental activities for the environment. Greenpeace is the voice of millions of followers worldwide who are environmentally as well as socially responsible for the current as well as future generation. In addition, for inspiring the whole world regarding the concern about environmental cleanliness, the organisation has highlighted various issues through media releases, meetings, by organising petitions as well as through its websites among others. In 1992, after the contractual signature of the FCCC, the head of Greenpeace science team named Dr. Leggett wrote a book on the causes as well as consequences of the climate change. Along with it, Dr. Leggett also conducted meetings with numerous industrialists for sharing the assessment of climate science as well as its implications. In this context, Greenpeace acquires massive affirmative responses from insurance industry for starting the scientific reinforcement through evaluating the risk to the future world. In terms of involvement, the organisation continuously raises its voice against Canada for protecting the Arctic from oil spills. The oil companies always endeavour to demonstrate political power and impulsively pollute water as well as air that are threatening people’s conventional way of existence. Besides, Greenpeace also makes constructive approaches in order to reduce the scientific chemical hazards that fatally harm the ecology of the world. Standing on this solemn situation of the globe, the organisation has promoted a lot of pertinent policies for eliminating the bane of such critical scenarios from the face of the earth. In this regard, the advocates of Greenpeace not only directly raise their voice towards the ecological lovers but also try to increase awareness among the masses with the help of organisational website as well as electronic media. The scientific publications of Greenpeace journals as well as environmental issues related with environment especially include powering ahead with renewable energies, coal power plant causes of death and disease, wrong prioritisation of water resources to thermal power plants, population growth as well as food crises and environmental damages through the reduction of forests among others. Greenpeace International also raised its voice against the big brands for discarding of industrial discarded water containing poisonous and hazardous chemicals as well as caustic water directly in the river as well as sea (Greenpeace, 2013). Values and Interests/Advocacy Positions The rapid deterioration of the global ecology through the increasing strain of greenhouse effect, acid rain, soil erosion, diminution of the ozone layers as well as owing to the loss of species among others are the main concerns of Greenpeace. In addition, this organisation also is concerned about establishing its advocacy positions to prevent the detrimental impact on the food chain through poisonous chemicals as well as polluting the ocean world and watercourses. Therefore, it raises its concerns against a plenty of polices as well as actions that are harming the surroundings. Moreover, Greenpeace resists any interest that is harming the environment through private or public business, an association or an assembly of individuals that commence harmful policies for the society. For this reason, Greenpeace has acquired a number of key principles as well as goals that are reflected on its various campaigns to guide the human beings and save the earth. Environment is polluted through an assortment of approaches including toxic chemicals usage for agriculture, nuclear wastage, oil spills in the ocean and industrial wastage among others. In this regard, the Greenpeace activists have conducted a lot of campaigns with an assortment of media for creating greater awareness amid the public. The main objective behind these debates conducted by Greenpeace is increasing the awareness of social responsibility in the corporate world as well as amid the civilization. Furthermore, the advocacies of Greenpeace also included the conduction of meetings with numerous industrialists for sharing the assessment of climate science as well as its implications (IBS Centre for Management Research, 2013). The claims made by the organisation are undoubtedly very important in relation to the issue of climate change as well as its long-term impacts on the environment. Concerning this aspect, Greenpeace is especially anxious on various parameters for increasing the environmental awareness entailing the effect of climate changes, harmfulness of coal, importance of renewable energies, sustained effects of nuclear power plants for causing inherent hazards along with the long-term critical effects of chemical fertilisers as an inherent risk to sustainable agriculture. In this context, Greenpeace constantly intends to conduct peaceful direct actions against those who are acquiring power and are responsible to make such uncalled for changes. This advocacy body has been dedicatedly working towards creating peaceful and equitable world. Therefore, publishing reports and journals, organising campaigns in every corner of the world especially to increase the personal responsibility along with stopping the global environmental abuses have been its benchmark initiatives (Greenpeace, 2013). Use of Science to Support Its Values and Interests Science is a very crucial factor in terms of environmental protection because it can be used to exemplify the existence as well as the deployment of the environmental threats. A few of the global ecological problems faced by the human beings include ozone diminution, disrupting chemicals along with climate change. With regard to these various factors, Greenpeace depends on science and technology for providing relevant solutions to environmental threats. For the double edged functional relationship accumulated with science, its applications as well as controlling are taken into concern by the advocacy body i.e. Greenpeace. In addition, the organisation also makes sustained efforts to stimulate positive responses regarding the debate about the implementation of new technologies (Greenpeace, 2013). In terms of the documents offering scientific information on climate change as accumulated in the Greenpeace website, it is found vital reports have been provided based on the evidences derived by a team of scientists researching on the sound effects of climate change on quickly depleting sea ice. Regarding this aspect, scientists have shown the past and predicted temperature changes of the globe up to the year 2100 since 1765. Global Temperature 1765-2100 (Greenpeace, 2013) Through this scientific understanding of the climate change, it is clearly justifiable to every nation as well as individual for taking prompt actions against the issue of climate change. Scientifically, it is broadly conscious that humanity is largely responsible for this devastating change. For more than a century, people have significantly indulged in using fossil fuels such as coal, gas as well as oil for meeting their energy needs. These are the prime reasons for the release of greenhouse gases (GHG) and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. With regard to the scientific reports provided by Greenpeace, it has been depicted that carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere presently is highest in the world in 150,000 years (Greenpeace, 2013). Science associates possess the values as well as interests of the Greenpeace in the context of accomplishing scientific recommendations as well as analytical statements regarding environmental changes. The scientific experts have provided their concern on a number of disciplines that include organic and inorganic analytical chemistry, toxicology, biochemistry as well as marine ecology among others. Greenpeace International recently provided a report on the diverse range of hazardous chemicals within water wastage of the textile industry in Mexico and China. Moreover, the advocacy of Greenpeace firmly opposes the group of industrialists in especially developing along with developed nations who at times neglect the environmental norms to meet their own requirements. The organisation has provided the report of environmental changes to the governments of worldwide nations. Regarding temperature increase, Greenpeace provided a report that presently the world is warming at a rate of 1.3 degree Celsius more as compared to pre-industrial levels. Moreover, it has also provided a report that it should be limited to less than 2 degree Celsius at any cost to save the world from the devastating climate change consequences. The remarkable melting of the Arctic sea ice in 2007 as well as in 2008 is unquestionably one of the most vivid examples such impacts (Greenpeace, 2013). Source: (Greenpeace, 2013) The organisation also focuses on various carbon taxes as well as science and economic support. Therefore, Greenpeace strictly opposes the governmental nuclear testing activities to save the world. In addition, the organisation also is concerned about various human activities that are driving the destruction of the world’s natural forests through agricultural business, industrial logging, hydroelectric dams, infrastructural development as well as mining for metals (Greenpeace, 2013). Deforestation (Greenpeace, 2013) Conclusion After a brief analysis, it can be noted that the world has entered an era of perilous as well as destructive climate change. Spontaneously, this change is mounting for the lack of actions taken by human beings to eliminate the problem. Therefore, the green worriers carry the mission of Greenpeace in the educational institutes for increasing the initiatives regarding social responsibility. To save the future world, youth can play a vital role for spreading the message of environmental protection. It is a high time for ensuring the reduction of the rapid deterioration of the global ecology through the increasing strain of greenhouse consequences, depletion of the ozone layer, acid rain, soil erosion as well as loss of species among others. For this reason, Greenpeace has been executing a number of key principles as well as goals that are reflected on its various campaigns, journals as well as environmental books to guide the human beings for saving the earth. In addition, Greenpeace International also has raised its voice against the unhealthy practices of the leading brands in the world in terms of discarding of industrial waste water directly to the river as well as sea. However, it can be said that apart from such path-breaking initiatives of Greenpeace, each and every individual in the world need to show their care and concern towards the issue of climate change to save the earth from its perilous consequences. References Greenpeace, 2013. What We Do. Home. [Online] Available at: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/ [Accessed June 04, 2013]. Greenpeace, 2013. Ecological Farming and Food campaign. Home. [Online] Available at: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/agriculture/ [Accessed June 04, 2013]. Greenpeace, 2013. Protecting Forests. What We Do. [Online] Available at: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/forests/ [Accessed June 04, 2013]. Greenpeace, 2013. Global. Forest Destruction in Sumtra. [Online] Available at: http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/Global/usa/planet3/photosforests/Forest%20Destruction%20in%20Sumatra.jpg [Accessed June 04, 2013]. Greenpeace, 2013. Solutions to Deforestation. What We Do. [Online] Available at: http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/forests/solutions-to-deforestation/ [Accessed June 04, 2013]. Greenpeace, 2013. Polar Oceans. What We Do. [Online] Available at: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/oceans/polar-seas/ [Accessed June 04, 2013]. Greenpeace, 2013. Climate Science. What We Do. [Online] Available at: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/science/ [Accessed June 04, 2013]. Hohnen, P., No Date. Specific Climate Change Context. Greenpeace & the Financial Sector – The Possibility of Profitable Relationships Between Not-For-Profits and For-Profits. pp. 3-19. IBS Center for Management Research, 2013. Issues. Greenpeace: Working for a "Green and Peaceful Future". [Online] Available at: http://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Business%20Ethics/BECG041.htm [Accessed June 04, 2013]. Read More