Climate change drivers - Term Paper Example

11 May Topic number 4 California’s weather is typically produced by westerly winds off the Pacific Ocean (Carle 3). Climate change has serious ramifications for California. Climate change can be defined as an unusual and unpredictable weather pattern in which climate fails to routine its conventional outlook. It has been highlighted that the climate change has both perspectives; it can bring harsh and hot climate in the winter season and dry and cold pattern in the summer season. It can bring heavy and severe thunderstorms and tornados and other unusual activity in weather pattern. However, till this point of time, climate specialists and other experts have not been able to agree whether climate change is a reality or myth as both sides have their own strong and different points to support their perspective on the issue of climate change. Academically, this debate has been going on for many decades but on ground it has profound and substantial effect on California’s farming, temperature, precipitation sea level and lake level, groundwater, drought and other aspects of daily life which directly or indirectly affected by the change in the climate change pattern. In the following parts, first climate drivers have been discussed. It is followed by climate change’s general effects and its particular effects on California have been highlighted and elaborated before the state and local agencies’ response segment and climate change adaptation portion. Climate change drivers Global warming remains the main climate change driver. Global warming refers to an aggregate rise in the global temperature. Normally, global temperature is maintained and retained by weather pattern and ecosystem which is a natural event and has no direct or indirect human intervention. However, the recent increase in the global temperature is mainly caused by the fact that the human activity in the form of green-house gas emissions has substantially damaged the natural environmental system. In this regard, it is pertinent to highlight that the ozone layer, which does not allow harmful sun rays to the earth, has also been severely damaged by the emissions. Because of this damage to the natural system, the ozone layer has been weakened which also contributes to the rise in the global temperature. More specifically, the smoke from mills, factories, electricity plants and other installations which emit green-house gases emissions are severely harming the natural weather pattern and system as well. In this regard, it is important to highlight that fuel combustion which normally takes place in cars and other motor vehicles is also causing damage to the natural environment. On the other hand, some academicians and the environment experts do not agree with the existence of the climate change instead they opine that weather pattern has its own phenomenon. Thereby, it is difficult to hold human action responsible for the rise in the global warming and global temperature. Climate change effects Climate change effects have severely affected numerous activities and patterns. First, temperature has not been able to retain its conventional pattern almost in every part of the world. Abrupt changes have not allowed weather and temperature to experience a steady change and natural cycle transformation throughout the world. For example, higher temperatures have numerous ramifications for California water systems as they put effect on Sierra snowpack accumulation and snowmelt along with other hydrologic factors (Kiparsky and Gleick 5). Based on this description, it can be easily deduced that the rise in the temperature does not affect in a single manner. For example, in the mentioned quotation, it is evidently clear that Sierra snowpack accumulation and snowmelt are being affected by the change in the weather patterns and climatic change as well. Precipitation California’s unique and different landscape affects precipitation patterns in the state (Carle 4). The climate change studies have been carried out for last many decades in California and other parts of world in which the environmental scientists have been conducting various environmental tests through observations and experiments. However, till this point of time, the scientists have not been able to accurately provide the impact of climate change on the precipitation. However, it has been highlighted that California receives around 200 million acre-feet of precipitation (Carle 8). Moreover, California’s 75 percent annual precipitation is received from November to March and the majority from December till the end of February (Carle 3). This clearly shows that these months are important as produce the required level of precipitation. Water quality Water vapor, water temperature, water location, water storage are those factors that affect the water quality. This situation indicates that even ground water and drinking water are being affected by the changes in the climate. In other words, it is reasonable to highlight that this type of influence on California’s water systems indicates that water quality is not going to remain the same but is and will be affected by the change in the weather patterns. However, till this point of time, there has been no such comprehensive and authentic research showing and highlighting the toxic and unfriendly effects of the climate change on the water quality. In this regard, it is pertinent to point out that the retention of water quality is crucial and necessary as water is that commodity which is used in every human activity including food, farming, and other daily routine activities of life. Lake levels and conditions Climate change is not only harmful for humans but also for marine life which is the highest source of sea food and other consumable food items. If the impact of climate change on the marine life is unknown, it is reasonable to deduce that such effect is serious to human life because consumption of climate-affected fish can have different impact on human body and mind which could lead to further serious threat to human health in the short and long run. Groundwater Even the highest number of dams is only attractive for archaeologists (Reisner 104). This statement proves that despite having so many dams, the land of California is getting drier and providing insufficient water to satisfy the required level of demand. In other words, it can also be deduced that the dams cannot be substitute for the groundwater instead both have not been able to meet with the water demand. In addition, this indicates an alarming groundwater situation for the state of California and the United States as well, reflecting the gravity of the water withdrawal situation in the country. However, till this point of time, there has been no serious efforts have been made to appropriately address the problem of groundwater withdrawal in the California and the United States as well. Because of lack of effective water management policy in California, the problem of groundwater withdrawal is going to be more alarming in the coming days. For example, this could further aggravate the already severe drought situation in the state of California. Prolong and harsh summer season and hot temperatures in the peak summer seasons are some of those factors that indicate that the problem of climate change has been undermined by the water management and water policy makers in California. Decreased farming is the subsequent effect of the climate change on the state of California. California was the first to support its hapless farmers (Desert 109). However, this support has been inadequate considering the scale of the climate change effects on the farming. Farming remains the most important source of income for many families living in the different rural areas of the state. Through sowing different crops, they earn for living. And this earning mostly relies on the mild and normal weather pattern and climate as well. In this regard, it is pertinent to highlight that crops undergo various stages before reaching at the final step in which crop is ready for sale or consumption. In order to complete each and every stage, the crop relies on the weather pattern as the Sunlight, temperature, humidity, precipitation are those factors that directly affect the crops. In other words, it is highly essential that the normal weather pattern is essential for the crops. However, this situation does not remain the same as far as the global climate pattern and local weather conditions are concerned as the abnormal change and abnormal activity are those factors that have not allowed climate to retain its traditional patterns. Water shortage has increased pumping in the state of California. Climate change directly affects weather patterns which exacerbate the drought and that further aggravate the water shortage problem in the different parts of the state. Water shortage takes place when the demand for water is not being satisfied by the supply of the water. This water shortage does not only affect the demand for the drinking water but also cause decrease water required for farming purposes as well. In case of decreased water availability for farming, the framers would not be able to produce more crop output and this would further decrease their income and their earning capacity as well. Implications for California water development and management (farming, land use, storage, and drinking water) Climate change has serious ramifications for California water development and management. For example, water reservoirs are used to store access water and supply it in a routine manner to the local residents. More specifically, the main objective of water reservoirs is to provide water for home consumption, farming and other requirements. In other words, the California water development and management largely relies on such schemes and methods which store water and ensure regular supply to the residents and other users. More specifically, as far as the water development and management is concerned, the related authorities are appropriately doing their work. However, the entire water development and management largely relies on the availability of water which largely relies on the natural environment and patterns involved which retain its consistency throughout different seasons. Local and state agencies’ response It is highly imperative that the local and state agencies must develop policy to address the water shortage problem. Currently, it is beyond the control of authorities to do anything for preventing the direct effects of the climate change. However, there are certain strategies that can reduce the impact of climate change. For example, increasing plantation remains the most effective way to decrease the impact of climate change. Second, the related agencies must develop new water management policy in which the issue of climate change should be highlighted with the aim of disseminating the information relating to the issue of water management and water shortage as well. Adaptation to climate changes Individually, everyone should understand the gravity of the climate change and its serious ramifications for the water availability. As a result, it is highly essential that everyone should play its role. For example, while consuming water, everyone should make sure that water waste should be avoided. This will provide an effective way to reduce the water waste and provide additional water for consumption. Works Cited Carle, David. Introduction to Water in California. 2009, Los Angles: University of California. Reisner, Mark. Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water. 1986, New York: Penguin. Read More