Global Warming and Its Effects on Health - Essay Example

?Climate change Global warming is a contemporary problem with adverse weather conditions. Increased temperatures and alternating extreme levels of rainfall are some of its effects. Greenhouse gas emission is believed to the major cause and this paper discusses effects of global warming on health in Oman, and offers analysis of approaches by the Oman government to reducing greenhouse gas emission. Impacts of global warming on human health in Oman Global warming is a common phenomenon with adverse effects on human health. Oman experiences many effects of global warming, most of which put people’s lives at risk. One of the environmental effects of global warming that is evident is Oman is extreme weather. This includes storms and heavy rains that may further be associated with floods. The country also experiences high temperatures that increase incidences of illnesses, some of which may arise from moderated air conditions such as air pollution that arise from dust. Increased significance of air bone illnesses is an example of such effects of high temperatures in Oman. Extreme case, if not monitored, leads to death. High temperatures, especially if accompanied by water shortage because of drought, also leads to dehydration with reported death cases in extreme cases. Heavy rain that sometime occurs with storms and sometimes leads to floods is another extreme weather event in Oman and causes death and destruction of property. The heavy rains destroy shelter and expose people to risk of cold and physical contact with drops of rain that can be life threatening in extreme downpour conditions. Floods from heavy rains also submerge people and property to identify threats of suffocation to death. Cases of floods sweeping away people in their vehicles and causing deaths are also notable in the country. In addition to direct effects of high temperatures and heavy rains on people’s lives, Oman suffers from indirect effects through burden on food supply (McMichael, Woodruff and Hales 2006, p. 860). High temperatures and drought reduces plants and animals growth potentials and may kill them or reduce their production. This implies low level of food supply, has led to famine in some areas and increased food prices, conditions that reduces people’s quality of life based on affordability of food (Charabi 2010, p. 223, 224). The adverse weather conditions also moderate potentials of vectors and pathogens. This effect increases incidences of some diseases during high temperatures or heavy rain falls in Oman. Malaria is an example of diseases whose incidence rates rise in flooded areas in Oman because of the breeding ground that mosquitoes find in flooded areas. Cases of tick bone and schistosomiasis, which McMichael, Woodruff and Hales identify with adverse weather conditions, have also been reported in Oman as a result of high temperatures and heavy rains that result from global warming. Changes in ecosystems, together with rising sea levels from global warming have also had negative effects on plants and animals’ yields and reduced levels of harvest from fishing. These have further led to food shortages in Oman with consequences of nutritional concerns. These effects of global warming on the environment have also led to mass deaths of domestic animals, displacement of people from their residences, and increased levels of poverty and malnutrition, especially in rural areas and among poor communities (McMichael, Woodruff and Hales 2006, p. 860). Empirical studies, from a global perspective, support the observed effects of global warming in Oman. Death cases that arise from increased temperatures occur in countries that lie in similar latitudes as Oman and the United States is an example. The studies have further reported cases of allergies such as asthma as consequences of increased temperatures and this is likely to have occurred in Oman. Effects of global warming on agriculture, however, remains the most significant, with quantifiable monetary value of incurred losses that translate to quality of human lives. Agriculture remains the main sources of food and significant reduction in yield burdens economic resources because farmers invest their resources with the hope of using returns from agriculture to meet their needs (Sorensen 1997, p. S643-S645). Khanis and Nettleman offer another basis to understanding Oman’s burden of disease due to effects of global warming. Relative motion between people and disease causing organisms explains changes in incidence and burden of diseases with changes in climate conditions. Adverse weather conditions such as drought and floods forces migration and this initiates changes in population and disease patterns. The interactions further increase rates of infection. Poor agricultural yields may also reduce people’s ability to resist attacks by diseases and infections and malnutrition could explain this. Effects of global warming such as destruction of infrastructure, including health facilities, are other reasons that explain significance of global warming’s adverse effect on health in Oman (Khasnis and Nettleman 2005, p. 659). The larger region of Middle East, where Oman lies, has also reported significance of effects of global warming on reproductive health. Interaction between poverty and effects of global warming has been identified as a challenge to food security that culminates to poor reproductive health in most parts of the region (Potts and Henderson 2012, p. S65- S67; Navarra and Tubiana 2013, p. 267, 268). The effects are also significant on other aspect of human health in the region (Zell, Krumbholz and Wutzler 2008, p. 654- 658). Oman and its neighbouring countries also report cases like heart complications, chest complications, and communicable diseases (Husain and Chaudhari 2008, p. 204). Developed approaches for controlling greenhouse gas emission in Oman Fossil fuel has been the major source of energy in the world and Oman is not an exception. The use of fossil fuel has been linked with the global warming with focus on emission of gases such as carbon dioxide from fuel usage. Mass discharge of the gasses from industrial application depletes the Ozone layer and leads to global warming. Calls have therefore been made for a shift from application of the traditional energy sources to reliance on renewable energy sources for environmental sustainability. Oman has previously relied on oil and electricity as its main sources of energy but the government is proposing diversified usage of alternative energy sources as an approach to reducing greenhouse gas emission. The change from use of electricity and gas is the most evident approach that the government of Oman has implemented as a strategy to controlling green house gas emission. The government has already established direct and indirect responsibility to transforming the country’s energy sector though research. Financial investments and provision of human resource to explore feasibility of alternative energy sources is an example. The government, through its research council, has particularly been effective in funding research initiatives to be conducted by its research agencies and by independent bodies. The research-funding program is organized into departments and the most significant department is the industrial and energy sector. Collaboration between the government and private stakeholders in the energy sector to explore alternative energy sources also demonstrates the government’s commitment to changing the country’s energy usage from fossil fuel and electricity to renewable energy sources. Research on alternative energy sources, based on the government’s efforts, has identified feasibility of mass production of solar energy in Oman but research is not yet complete. The government’s research initiatives towards alternative energy approach have also identified feasibility of other alternative energy sources. Studies have shown possibility of generating wind energy at both the country’s shores and inland. Hydro energy, geothermal energy, and biomass energy are other sources that have been identified to help reduce greenhouse gas emission from fossil fuel. Even though the alternative energy sources have not been used in the country, results from empirical studies that suggest feasibility means that the government’s approach of researching on alternative energy sources is a viable solution to greenhouse gas emission in Oman (Kazem 2011, p. 3468, 3469). Research initiatives on ability of the alternative energy sources to reduce levels of greenhouse gas emissions justify the efforts by the government of Oman to promote the energy sources. Dhillon and Wuehlisch explain that renewable biomass, one of the alternatives that the government has focused on, is good strategy to reducing the level of greenhouse gas emissions. Renewable biomass offers solutions to threats to environmental sustainability that also contribute to levels of emission. In its role in facilitating food production and production of fodder, renewable biomass reduces burden on plants as sources of food and therefore preserve plants’ biodiversity and number. This further plays an important role in managing the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere because plants absorb the gas for photosynthesis. Renewable biomass is also a source of energy and its exploration and implementation is likely to reduce level of reliance on fossil fuel to reduce level of carbon dioxide gas emission. Possible application of renewable biomass in creation of goods and services also explains ability of the source to reduce burden on the environment and therefore help in preserving the environment and reducing the current level of greenhouse gas emission. These benefits suggest the potential of the government’s research initiatives to succeed in reducing emission of carbon dioxide and increase its balance through absorption from the atmosphere (Dhillon and Wuehlisch 2013, p, 79-85). Even though the government’s approach to pursuing alternative sources is still in its preliminary stage, studies have shown that each of the alternative sources can help Oman in reducing the level of greenhouse gas emission. Al-Bbadi, Malik and Gastli’s analysis of the country’s potentials and limitations in pursuing solar and wind energy supports this. Oman can, for example generate sufficient solar energy to meet its needs and have surplus for export. Different technologies are also feasible in Oman to promote energy generation from solar. The research initiatives towards exploration of the alternative sources of energy have also identified specific regions that can support wind energy. The coastal region and the country’s southern parts are the most suitable places and the generated energy can be transferred for application in other regions in the country. The results confirms ability of the government’s commissioned research activities to reducing reliance on fossil fuel and means that the research approach will help the government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (Al-Bbadi, Malik and Gastli 2011, p. 3783- 3785). Another study on the use of solar energy in Oman shows its significance in substituting fossil energy. The use of solar water heaters in governorates alone can preserve about 1860 GWh and this means that a wider application can reduce reliance on fossil fuel and electricity consumption. The study also established that use of solar energy among governorates alone reduces the country’s annual of carbon dioxide by almost 1.23 million tonnes. This means that a wider use of solar water heaters in Oman or a wider use of solar energy in the country is likely to save more annual electricity consumption in the country and to reduce the country’s carbon dioxide emission by a greater margin (Al-Badi and Albadi 2012, p. 5728). Research has also identified existing challenges to usage of renewable energy, information that is likely to facilitate government’s success in transforming energy consumption from fossil energy to renewable energy. Some of the current challenges to renewable energy consumption in Oman are poor coordination and policies that are not consistent with application of renewable energy, and low motivation and incentives for influencing people into using renewable energy. The government has also not invested in financing efforts for generation of renewable energy as well as in financing technology and expertise for generating renewable energy. These remains major challenges and integration of various research findings and implementation of their implications would meet the government’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emission through renewable energy sources (Tan 2013, p. 217). Another approach that is adopted in Oman for regulating greenhouse gas emission is implementation of the Kyoto protocol’s provisions. This is because Oman is a signatory to the international treaty whose effectiveness has been recognized globally. In Oman, measures exist for projects that are developed under the Kyoto protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism and such projects must comply with established standards (Oman Law Blog 2009, p. 1). The measures under Kyoto protocol also ensures reduction of levels of greenhouse gas emission through regulation of industrial activities that generate the gasses or though changing sources of energy and raw materials that industries use. A cross sectional study of implementation of the Kyoto protocol by signatory parties shows that the member countries, such as Oman, have succeeded in reducing their national level of greenhouse gas emission. This means that implementation of the protocol has been effective in helping the government to reduce level of greenhouse gas emission (Kumazawa and Callaghan 2010, p. 207- 209). Conclusion Global warming is a contemporary problem that results from emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Its effects on health such as displacement of people, deaths, poor quality of life, and increased incidence of diseases and infections are evident in Oman. Oman is currently pursuing two approaches to reducing the level of its greenhouse gas emission. Renewable energy sources are one of the alternatives and government’s efforts in research has revealed its feasibility in Oman. Implementation of provisions of the Kyoto Protocol is another approach that Oman is using to reduce levels of greenhouse gas emission and has helped the government to reduce the country’s level of emission. The government’s approaches are therefore effective it its efforts to reducing greenhouse gas emission. 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