Global Warming Impacts on Society and the Various Regulations - Essay Example

Running Head: GLOBAL WARMING Introduction Global warming, which is also known as the greenhouse effect, has become one of the hardest issues the globe has to face today. It is a very serious issue and its negative impacts are far reaching. Fundamentally, global warming is reliant upon both personal choices of humans in entirety and their lifestyles alike. The most shocking result is that some humans or ecosystems may be more hard-hit in comparison to others, when it comes to the end impact. Thus, if humans fail in choosing the right path as appertains to the environment, then future generations will have to carry the irrevocable debt to the same environment. (Casper, 2009 p1) Body Negative impacts of Global Warming on the Society This is a study set out to consider, vividly, the negative impacts that global warming has had and is having to the society. To this, the study will narrow down and focus upon providing a comprehensive answer to the thesis question. The thesis question will be; “What is the impact of global warming upon the society and which are the regulations that have been come up with for the purpose of its control?” Scientists have taken their time to study the issue of global warming and as a matter of fact, they have documented the triggered changes by global warming in around 400 biological process and 100 physical changes. Most specifically, as of 2003’s study by UNEP- United Nations Environmental Program, they said the permafrost found in the Russian Arctic was melting as a result of global warming. Due to the melting permafrost, foundations of some five-storied apartment constructions were beginning to sink. Globally, the intensity of rainfall has escalated gradually. There are also numerous storms and flooding besides the devastating heat waves. Some water bodies like rivers are facing earlier melting and later freezing in the season of winter. Vegetation has began to flower prior to the normal spring trends, birds are laying eggs in a delayed manner and insects are coming by earlier and quicker than has been witnessed before. The general rise in temperatures over time will have a big impact on the primary systems of the earth, on which human life and every other living thing’s rely. Nutrient and carbon cycles, hydrological and ocean circulations; which give to the society essentials like food, water and fiber, are being tampered with. Due to the aforementioned, the already existing stresses on the environment will rise, quality of water will be reduced to poor quality, ozone depletion of the stratosphere will occur, air pollution in the urban areas will be on the escalating mode and finally, there will be deforestation. All of these negative impacts befall none other than the society in general. Due to climatic fluctuations, indigenous people of the frozen northern side of the Arctic, have a very direct regret due to global warming. Their close-held knowledge (when it comes to the determination of when and where to fish, hunt or even gather), has become irrelevant. This is as land-ice continues to melt, sea-ice decreases and fish, plant, birds and other animals vary their trend of location and distribution, seasonally. Urban dwellers are not spared either, as the subsiding terrain damages pipelines, buildings, and roads among other infrastructural developments, due to the permafrost reduces. These are just but, cases at hand of what to expect globally. New patterns, when it comes to rainfall, threatens supplies of water. This is due to the variance brought about by the issue of global warming to the existing hydrological cycle. (Topfer, 2003) Global warming brings about other impacts as well. These include such cases like a negative affect on human health. This is as put by Weiss in his 2008 article on Global warming. As a matter of fact, scientists have linked global warming to some health issues arising due to climatic changes that come about. The health of various children, communities and families is at stake due to this menace. There are several health effects, which are severe, that have been associated to global warming. Examples may be with the inclusion of deaths and illnesses emanating from the heat waves being witnessed, and cardiovascular diseases and respiratory problems due to air pollution, vector-borne diseases. Other predicaments that are being brought to humans by global warming are; hunger due to varying food production as well as food security, numerous people are under threat due to many wildfires (which are also severe), and millions of people are under the threat of displacement due to increased flooding, among other predicaments. (Weiss, 2008) Regulations to Control Global Warming In early 1990s, there was the signing of the very first climatic change treaty called FCCC- Framework Convention on Climate Change. In mid 1990s, there was the devising of a strict implementation function as was the agreement between various countries in the Kyoto Protocol in a bid to bring down the level of global warming gases or greenhouse gases emissions, which is/was placed under the regime of international control. The main aim here was and has been to reduce the levels of emissions. There were several options and the only live considered options for global warming control were a variant of exchanging permits or the regulation of standard command-and-control. There were enumerable approaches that were applied under these regulations. There is the economic approach that aims at controlling world public goods. World public goods are those goods which have an impact that is felt globally as opposed to a town, family or nation. Climatic change has been taken as an example of an earth public good. In dealing with the earth public goods, there are some instruments that are applied like the approach of laissez-faire, aspirational agreements such as FCCC and particular and binding treaties among others. There is also the Regime of any given international climatic-change. In dealing with such regimes, one has to consider three major questions- the amount of reduction in the level of emissions, how emissions’ reduction is shared amongst nations and the urge to make transfers so as to trigger poor nations to take part. There is another approach as well, which is referred to as a price-type of economic approach. These may include such cases as HCT- Harmonized Carbon Taxes, where there are set limits in the international emissions. Lastly, but not least; there is also the approach of a comparison between quantities and prices. This approach has global warming policies as part of its policies among others. (Nordhaus, 2001) Conclusion While making a conclusion of the study about how global warming impacts on the society and the various regulations that have been brought about to cater for the control of global warming, it is of essence to note some key issues as seen in the study. Global warming has been and still is to the globe as a whole. Besides this, there is the certain believe that if humans do not put a halt on to this menace, it will remain that future generations will suffer as a result. There are several approaches to regulating global warming. These approaches seek to put every country in the world under self-watch and the holistic watch to ensure that global warming does not extend. The approaches mentioned in the study are seen to put into account, both rich and poor nations. The ending remarks are a flashback of what the study was all about and that is answering the thesis question; “What is the impact of global warming upon the society and which are the regulations that have been come up with for the purpose of its control?” References: Casper, Julie Kerr. (2009). Changing Ecosystems: Effects of Global Warming. Edition illustrated. Infobase Publishing. p1. Nordhaus, William D. (2001). Alternative Mechanisms to Control Global Warming. Retrieved 1 November 2011 http://nordhaus.econ.yale.edu/PostKyoto_v4.pdf Topfer, Klaus. (2003). How will Global Warming Affect the World? Retrieved 1 November 2011 http://www.unep.org/dec/docs/ipcc_wgii_guide-E.pdf Weiss, Daniel J. (2008). The Human Side of Global Warming. Retrieved 1 November 2011 http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/04/human_side.html Read More