International Developments in the Arctic Region - Term Paper Example

HS 405: International developments in the Arctic region and how the U.S will address the effects of climate change .. Due for this assignment… Dr….. Description Climate change is a tangible challenge in the modern society and scientists strongly believe that human activities account for 95% of the unequivocal warming of the Earth’s climate system by increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Scientific societies, policy makers, and other scholars, have assessed the global warming in the Arctic region, and disparagingly noted that it can morph the world into a devastating scenario if not properly addressed (The White House, 2013). The international community’s dream of having a sustainable environment where ecosystems exist in harmony might never be attained. America is pioneering global efforts to address the challenge of climate change, and the world is quite optimistic that in the next 35 years, the problem of climate change will have been contained, and the risks that it presents to humanity will have been abated. Explanation The global community admits that effects of climate change are devastating ranging from destroyed ecosystem and depletion of some species to costly uncontainable infections. Apparently, both natural and human factors drive climate change (John, 2014). Natural factors such as alterations in Earth’s trajectory round the sun, solar output, reflectivity of the atmosphere, and volcanic activity affects the earth’s climate leading to climate change. However, a major driver that account for over 95% of climate change is human activities. Greenhouse gases and global warming are both human-related drivers of climate change (Michael, 2015). Apparently, the human-related causes of climate change such as the amount of greenhouse gases and global warming are the major causes, and the U.S. government can affect through policy action. Considering that these drivers account for a massive percentage of climate change, addressing or rather abating the effects of climate change by containing the amount of greenhouse gases and global warming will ultimately lead to reduction of the effects of climate change and the anticipated devastating effects of the current exploitation of the Arctic region will be plummeted. Analysis The heat in the atmosphere is largely a matter that depends on the balancing of gases in the atmosphere. Alterations in Earth’s trajectory round the sun, solar output, the atmosphere’s reflectivity, and volcanic activity affects the earth’s climate leading to climate change. These activities disorient the balancing of atmospheric gases and influence the amount of energy that reaches the Earth’s surface. If the Earth absorbs too much heat, the atmosphere becomes warm, and that heat leaks to the ground level affecting reproduction patterns in plants and animals, ecological existence, and overall quality of human life. Greenhouse gases act as a glass that traps the sun’s heat and prevent it from dripping into the atmosphere. While most of these gases ensue naturally, human activities including coal burning and deforestation are snowballing the concentration of gases such as methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a leading greenhouse gas whose concentration has doubled due to human activity representing about 64% of human-triggered global warming, methane 17%, and nitrous oxide 6% (John, 2014). Global warming is continuously increasing being currently at 2oC due to ongoing emission of deleterious gases arising from the use of carbon fuels in industries. Increasing global warming is perilous as it will have unpredictable and/or extensive economic, social, and environmental consequences. Apparently, the U.S. government can affect emission of greenhouse gases through policy action while still upholding the greater cooperation and exploitation of the Arctic region (John, 2014). The strategic importance of the Arctic is significant considering the sheer fact that its domineering policy objective is to endorse justifiable use of resources and international cooperation. However, this cooperation might not be attained with the continual increase in emission of greenhouse gases. Emission of greenhouse gases can be controlled as a way of addressing effects of climate change since it involves human activities. Giving bodies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to dictate the amount of gases emitted will be a lasting solution. Heavy fines can be imposed against any party/person that engages in unbearable emission of greenhouse gases. According to an article by Michael Knigge (2015), “The fossil fuel industry is the richest industry on Earth, its headquartered in America, and our political system is the most open on earth to the naked influence of money”. Hence, emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) can easily be controlled if fossil fuel industry. America is also engaging in production environmentally friendly energy through sources such as windmills and concentrated solar power (CSP). Moreover, as a major partner in the Arctic, America has the responsibility of ensuring stability of the region by protecting lives in the region through limiting GHG. Recommendations The current exploitation of the Arctic region might upsurge climate change as more emissions might be witnessed as countries strive to expand economically and amass the opportunities presented by the Arctic region. This research recommends that the U.S addresses the effects of climate change by utilizing the following strategies that greatly affects internal and external policies. Firstly, mobilization of climate finance can be a great way of addressing the climate challenge. The GCF (green climate fund) that pursues to address climate change suffers from financial problems. America should triple its annual contribution to the fund in the next few years so as to reduce carbon pollution, and brace the resilience of other countries such as Canada, Russia, and Sweden. Similarly, this will increase the ambitions of other countries in the region. Moreover, America should reduce energy waste and expand its use of clean energy. The Clean Energy Ministerial that operates under the Department of Energy should work towards a green economy by scaling up policies and programs that promote energy efficiency. However, in formulating external policies to guide energy use, the U.S should ensure that its economic and political interests in the Arctic are not compromised, and the policies do not create conflicts that will tumble the region (The White House, 2013). The U.S should also partner with Russia and Canada in combating ephemeral climate pollutants, and reduce climate change effects in the next 35 years. A law should be formulated to guide the use of pollutants that are seemingly of economic importance, but environmentally deleterious. However, this policy should be monitored not to disadvantage the small economies in the Arctic by reducing their ability to expand economically. The contribution of the U.S is imperative in the Arctic region; it, therefore, must protect the region from the impending adversarial effects of climate change. References John, F. (2014). United States Climate Action Report 2014. Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/219038.pdf The White House. (2013). National Strategy for the Arctic Region. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/nat_arctic_strategy.pdf Michael, K. (2015). Republicans take aim at climate change regulations | Americas | DW.DE | 28.01.2015. Retrieved from http://www.dw.de/republicans-take-aim-at-climate-change-regulations/a-18219210 Read More