Global Warming Issue - Essay Example

Global Warming Global warming is a contemporary environmental issue all over the world due to its adverse effects on humansocial life, economy and policy restructuring. In essence, global warming occurs in situations where the earth’s surface suffers rapid increase in its temperatures as a result of issues such and burning fossil fuels and transmission of greenhouse gases. The accumulation of these gases causes the greenhouse effect; where the gases absorb the solar radiation rays and fixes them on the earth’s surface. These greenhouse gases (methane, carbon dioxide) have huge damage on the natural environment. Greenhouse gases are released from industrial machines and obsolete technologies. With the adverse effect resulting from these greenhouse gases, it is important that international communities adopt policy measures to reduce its effect to the environment and the whole economy at large. While many people have debated on whether global warming is as serious as it is portrayed, the truth is that this is something that needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency due to the serious ramifications that it has on the environment (Sims). Today, it becomes apparent that climate change has resulted in adverse effects on national and international population. The UN Environment Program approximates that the added economic adversities related to climate change translate to over $300 billion each given year. There is widespread concern among about climate change in the media with movies such as An Inconvenient Truth and Day After Tomorrow being released to warn nations and the population at large about the effects of global change. Even private citizens have developed concern on climate change in several states, but their government strategies do not always mirror this concern (Newell 101). Global warming is a nagging environmental as well as an economic issue affecting the whole globe. For instance, due to climatic change, most of the agricultural industries lack adequate materials, rainfall will fluctuate variable and the arid and semi-arid extent will increase significantly, and these fragile ecosystems affect human health, sea level and tourism. As the world heads into the future, corporation measures are required to mitigate the ultimate destruction of environment, which can make the earth a vulnerable place to inhabit (Newell 103). The emission of greenhouse gases if left unchecked is projected to increase during the 21st century to alarming levels. For instance, the global temperatures increased from 0.4 to 2.0 degrees Celsius since 1990, and are expected to move with the trend in the coming years. In reality, the proportion of these gases released poses a problem to the environment, health and even the economic well-being. Technical reports provided by expert meteorologists indicate that greenhouse emissions are responsible for the current environmental / climatic conditions. Subsequently, the reports have also issues solutions aimed at mitigating the consequences of global warming. Some of the solutions are to adopt different technological energy, which substitutes the use of fossil fuels. Heavier storms are continuously being witnessed in many areas around the globe resulting to huge destruction, example are the Katrina and hurricane. World’s economy is also suffering due to the expensive financial requirement in prevention and treatment of diseases. For instance, the hurricane Katrina, which is related to global warming effect, resulted to disastrous losses to American population and the economy at large. According to the US data centre, 1,833 victims died in the storm and an estimate value of $81billion property was damaged. That was the most damaging natural disaster in US and among the top five fatal hurricanes in US history. Most deaths were recorded in Bahamas where 80% of the city was flooded (Frantz & Stephan 205). The sun is the major producer of hearths temperature with approximately 30% coming on with sunlight. The greenhouse gases that occur have led to a lot of radiation that comes from solar heat from the atmosphere. The energy that is captured is the solar radiation, which reflects from the earth atmosphere to enhance the heating. Despite that fact that, the absorption of solar radiation is a beneficial aspect in organism life, the comfortable levels are quickly deteriorating to destructive levels. According to scientists, greenhouse gases have accumulated over the last 250 years, with human beings triggering the increase artificially. This has been done by burning fossil fuels such as petrol and diesel, burning forests, deforestation. According to the NASA “Earth Observatory” since the start of industrial revolution, carbon dioxide concentration increased to 38% and methane increased to 148% by the year 2009 (“Fact Sheet: Global Warming”). Ongoing global warming analyses carried out by scientists indicate that global warming has been steadily increasing since 1975, with new average degrees Celsius being recorded annually. The period between 9106 and 2005 registered a temperature rise of 0.18 degrees Celsius. Scientists estimate that a rise of 0.13+0.03 decrees increases each decade. Despite the fact that temperatures fluctuate each day in the respective regional climates, the major concern is the steady unperturbed increase in temperatures in the 21st century. In the 21st century, Temperatures are expected to rise at 1.1 to 2.9 degrees Celsius. The contemporary global temperature according to studies, are higher than the heat averages registered in 20th century. According to the trends witnessed by the scientists, some regions are increasing temperature in a higher rate than other, a reason attributed to industrialization in those countries (Frantz & Stephan 211). In addition to this, global warming is the major trigger of the raising sea level a situation which is displacing population in many countries. It is also eating up production land, further denting the GDP as well as affecting industrialization. Considering that urbanization and industrialization are the main factors promoting greenhouse emission, increase productivity also increases global warming. Studies done by meteorologists show that, global warming for a better economic, climatic and social life, global warming must be reduced by approximately 80% and held at that constant  (Lanza 56). Policies to Curb Global Warming The major question is how to use the other energy technologies in place of those many industries and countries are accustomed to using. Every country in the world should take a responsible measure and practice production policies, which prevent emission of greenhouse gases. For instance in 2002, the US government provided a policy plan aimed at cutting the amount of greenhouse release by 18% in the following ten years. In the US, global warming is a geopolitical affair because it affects federal and state policy construction. Through the 2009 climate change summit in Copenhagen, the current president Barrack Obama made a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 42% in 2020 from the current levels. This fact was supported by the energy information administration (EIA), which showed that from 2005 to 2012, the reduction was at 12%. This was attributed to the technological shift from fossil fuels to coal –based energy combined with natural gas (Newell 111). Threats to environmental quality have continued to be observed globally due to increase in industrial production and use of land and natural resources. According to the National Academy of Sciences “the spatial pattern and extent of damage caused by water and air pollutants on the environment are influenced by both the level of emissions and the characteristics of dispersion and location of the sources”. That is, there is a largely spatial problem associated with a system’s design to effectively control the pollutants. Regulatory systems have ignored the fact that it is possible for the spatial problem to pass on the large cost savings in the realization of environmental quality objectives (“Testimony to U.S. House of Representatives…”). In other words, the spatial problems destroying the environment have not been addressed yet there are various alternative techniques that involve the incorporation of spatial elements to the marketable pollution permits’ system. According to scientists, in most cases, approaches to environmental management have involved the participation of regulatory authorities that outline guidelines on the minimum standards required for the attainment of environmental quality. The standards of pollution control should influence the functioning and the structure of the permits market in a way that activities do not trigger pollution (air/ water) (Newell 112). Although there have been various management policies developed by regulatory bodies to outline the minimum standards required in attaining environmental quality, very few of these policies have borne fruits. For example, the 1970 Clean Air Act Amendments by the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established for the purposes of outlining the standards for the highest concentration of specific categories of air pollutants. These standards have served as guidelines for polluting entities in regulating their emissions. Literature on economics shows several studies on the design of systems in the pursuit of an assortment of predetermined pollution standards that can be achieved at the lowest cost (Meinshausen et al 1160). However, these standards suggest a certain threshold from which the damages below the threshold levels are negligible while those that are above the threshold are unacceptable – yet these unacceptable damages can easily become very high. Therefore, while the regulations are expected to ensure that polluting entities do not emit pollutants beyond certain limits, it is common for the emissions to be much higher than the acceptable levels, which are detrimental to the environment (Frantz & Stephan 220). Largely, the systems that were previously implemented have failed to be successful due to their ineffectiveness. An example of this is the Montgomery system, which only outlined restrictions on emission licenses in a very restrictive manner and thus it became ineffective. However, according to Meinshausen et al, “if suitable modifications are made on such restrictive conditions characteristic of modified scheme of ‘pollution offsets’, a ‘trading equilibrium’ will exist that coincides with the least- cost pattern of emissions for initial allocation of emission permits” (1161). Therefore, if policies are improved so that emission permits provided outline achievable restrictions that will offset pollution, the effectiveness of the systems will be improved because of the equilibrium created between the marginal benefits and costs (Frantz & Stephan 221). Although many people do not yet realize it, it is possible to attain the much sought economic growth sustainable economic growth can only be achieved by delivering the global climatic goals which guarantees human survival. It is bound to protect the environment and offer a long-term platform to heighten product. For instance, good climate makes it easy to build infrastructure, tourism, agriculture, and public social health facilities. The US is at the centre stage of over-steering the Kyoto protocol on global warming. Through the Global Climate Change Initiative, United States has been able to integrate several climatic conditions to adhere to the bilateral climatic program. The major policy initiative is to adopt energy technology. Other policy initiatives include curbing deforestation, practicing forestation and investing in clean economy manufacturing. For instance, the US and UK governments are subsidizing clean energy technology use and financing low carbon investment strategy (Frantz & Stephan 222). Generally, the increase in population is causing environmental degradation due to increase in air and water pollution. Government agencies have often developed policies to help in environmental protection but their effectiveness has been based on the equilibrium between costs and benefits. The efficiency of environmental policy is founded on ensuring that the resources are accorded exclusive rights so that the owners can implement strategies to protect them both in the long term and in the short term. Pollution control regulations encourage individuals to intensify labor and capital so as to increase eventual outcome (Sims). Conclusion Global warming is an issue that poses serious challenges for the future existence of human kind. Scientists have linked global warming to the rising sea levels as well as the numerous hurricanes that have been witnessed in our country in recent days. The problem with global warming is that people do not see its direct consequences and they are therefore reluctant to come up with measures to address the problem. Although world governments have tried to set up such measures, their efforts have not been intense enough and as such, the set up policies have not met the objectives that they were meant to achieve. Works Cited “Fact Sheet: Global Warming”. NASA Earth Observatory. 2010. Web. 6 June 2014 “Testimony to U.S. House of Representatives -- Climate Change: Evidence and Future Projections”. National Academy of Sciences. 2010. Web. 6 June 2014 Frantz, Cynthia, & Stephan Mayer. The Emergency of Climate Change: Why Are We Failing to Take Action? Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy. 9.1 (2012): 205—222  Lanza, Robert. One World: The Health & Survival of the Human Species in the 21st century. Health Press, 2011. 56-70. Meinshausen, Michael, et al. Greenhouse-gas emission targets for limiting global warming to 2 C. Nature, 458(7242), 2009. 1158-1162. Newell, Patrick. Climate for change: non-state actors and the global politics of greenhouse. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012. Print. Sims, Andrew. Who owes who? Ecological debt: the biggest debt of all. 16 Mar 2014. Web. 6 June 2014 Read More