Numerous Challenges That the Contemporary World Faces - Essay Example

Global Warming Global Warming The contemporary world faces numerous challenges ranging from different issues. In line with this, the different issues that the world currently faces vary in magnitude from one region of the world to another region. For example, the Euro-Zone crisis had an effect on the economies of countries that use the Euro as their currency. On the other hand, armed conflicts, similar to the one taking place in Syria, affects the Syrians more than the conflict would affect citizens in another country. Conversely, there are some problems that the world faces today with the effects being felt across the world. In line with this, the two most challenges that affect the entire world’s population are the issues of terrorism and global warming. For terrorism, this issue has long been a standing one with various nations in the world suffering the effects of terror activities. In effect, all nations have realized the importance of working together in order to ensure that they protected the world’s citizens against terrorists. While nations have taken necessary steps that aim at addressing the issue of terrorism, the nations of the world are divided on the approaches that they should take in order to address the biggest problem in the world. In line with this, some nations such as China and the United States-two nations that should be at the forefront in addressing this challenge-have not shown their commitment towards addressing this biggest global challenge. Consequently, experts continue warning the world’s population about the challenge posed by global warming with the effects of ignoring, or failing to address this issue adequately, evidenced by the increase in hurricanes, tsunamis, and other natural phenomena. This expose addresses this biggest challenge of global warming that the world faces and proposes solutions to this challenge. It is evident that the climatic conditions in the world have been changing overtime. In this regard, it is evident that the contemporary world witnesses a rise in the earth’s temperature and the temperature of the ocean, which started in the 19th century and continues to date. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2007) defined this rise in temperatures as global warming. In line with this, scientists have noted that approximately two-thirds of this rise occurred from 1980 with the rise continuing unabated due to the failure by nations to exercise their influence and stop this challenge. The National Climatic Data Center (2012) identifies the green house effect as “unquestionably real and helps to regulate the temperature of our planet.” In effect, greenhouse emissions are responsible for the rising temperatures with industrialization playing a significant role in accelerating the rate of global warming. In fact, the National Climatic Data Center (2012) reported that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since 2000 exceeds the natural range experienced in the last 650,000 years, which contributes to the continuous depletion of the ozone layer. Evidently, the rise in industrialization and over-reliance in fossil fuel, have been the main causes of the increase in the concentration of carbon emissions with industrialized nations failing to control their greenhouse emissions and putting economic advancements ahead of conservation. China and the Unites States stand accused of the rising levels of temperatures in the world. In fact, evidence indicates that these two nations’ efforts will be influential in cautioning the world against the effects of global warming. Blakemore (2012) identifies the United States as the country that has emitted the largest amount of carbon in the world over the past years. On the other hand, Walsh (2009) indicated that China exceeded the United States’ emission levels with the country on the way of becoming more responsible for the emission of more greenhouse gases than any other country. However, these two countries realize the important roles they should play in controlling green house emissions although they are not willing to take a leading role in resolving this issue. On one hand, China wants America to take the leading role on cutting carbon emissions by virtual of being the largest cumulative carbon emitter. In this case, the Chinese want America to commit to signing a deal that would see America reduce its carbon emission by 40% by 2020 (Goldenberg, 2009). On the other hand, America does not want to sign a deal about cutting its carbon emissions while the deal does not indicate the measurable actions that the Chinese would take to cut their emissions (Walsh, 2009). Importantly, these two nations are the world’s utmost powers, and they often observe the intentions of the other in a suspicious manner. In this case, the US thinks that China wants to surpass it economically while the Chinese consider America’s deal in cutting carbon emissions as an approach aimed at curtailing the country’s economic bubble. Nonetheless, the continued conflict between these two nations has contributed to the increasing patterns of climatic change with the world experiencing an increase in disasters that are a result of increased carbon emissions. The fundamental solution to resolve the challenge posed by global warming is to cut the greenhouse emissions that nations produced. In order to achieve this, the US and China should lead the world in ensuring the reduction in carbon emissions through concerted efforts. Failure to achieve this, the world will continue witnessing rising temperatures on land and in the oceans. A commitment to use safer technology that do not emit carbon dioxide to the air is also instrumental. In line with this, governments should show a commitment by providing incentives to industries that promoted the use of clean energy, which reduced the amount of carbon emissions. On the other hand, the over-reliance in fossil fuel has been one reason that has contributed to the challenge posed by climate change. In this case, it is common knowledge that fossil fuel is not clean energy and its continued use will only accelerate climate change. Hence, governments should promote the use of renewable sources of energy since they were clean and safe to the environment. Nonetheless, the most important solution to this crisis is to ensure that the United States and China agreed on a deal that would see the two nations cut their carbon emissions since the effects of the continued increase in carbon dioxide emissions affect the entire world. Briefly, it is evident that global warming remains the largest problem that the world is currently facing. In this regard, the effects of global warming will affect the world’s population in many years to come if governments did not take proactive measures to prevent or control the rate of carbon emissions to the environment. To achieve this, it is important for governments to promote the use of clean energy that is safe and does not emit carbon dioxide to the environment. Hence, nations should provide incentives to industries that used clean and safe energy in order to ensure that more industries harness solar and wind power as alternative sources of energy to fossil fuel. Importantly, it is incumbent upon the United States, and China to take a leading role in enacting proactive approaches that reduced the amount of carbon emissions the industries of these two countries produced. Therefore, the two countries should stop viewing each other’s motives as suspicious and concentrate on the overriding objective. In effect, the world will be on the right track towards solving the issue of climate change. References Blakemore, B. (2012). Who’s ‘Most to Blame’ for Global Warming? Abcnews. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2012/07/whos-most-to-blame-for-global-warming/ Goldenberg, S. Barack Obama seeks US-Chinese deal on global warming. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jun/04/climate-change-obama-china International Panel on Climate Change. (2007). Observed Changes in Climate and their Effects. Retrieved from http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/syr/en/mains1.html National Climatic Data Center. (2012). Global Warming. Retrieved from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cmb-faq/globalwarming.html Walsh, B. (2009). U.S. vs. China: Working Together on Global Warming? Time. http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1929071_1929070_1940013,00.html Read More