Is Man Helpless in the Face of Climate Change - Essay Example

Is man helpless in the face of climate change? Is capitalism the cause of solution to this problem? (Name) (Institution) (Course) (Instructor’s Name) Date of submission Global climate change has been on the global agenda in the last few decades with no signs of resting the case in the near future. The negative effects of climate are so apparent that it is hard to ignore. Global warming, the icon of global climate stage has become a hot topic in the global agenda. It is a phenomenon that refers to the increase in the mean temperature on the earth’s surface as well as the atmosphere. In the 20th century, global temperatures have risen by 0.74 ± 0.18 degree Celsius according Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2007 Fourth Assessment Report. Casper (2) says that the last 15-17 years have been the hottest in the history of the earth. Global warming is characterized by an abnormal increase in global atmospheric temperatures, heat waves, melting of glaciers and coastal flooding, desertification, ocean warming and rise in sea level. Global warming occurs as a result of ozone layer destruction by green house gases. Uninhibited global warming poses a potent threat to life in general prompting some people to term climate change as the ultimate apocalypse (Maxwell, 18). In fact some of the most devastating results currently being witnessed around the world are flooding, hurricanes, tsunamis, occurrence and spread of new diseases, drought, coral reef bleaching and the general change in animal and plant population and patterns (Weart, 67). This paper will assess the cause of climate change pitting capitalism against natural causes and the viability of capitalism in stemming climate change and as opposed to natural reversal of climate change. The contribution of carbon dioxide to climate change was first reported by a Swedish scientist, Svante Arrhenius in 1896 who noted that increased combustion of fossil fuels would increase the CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere and affect climate (Porritt, 13). For the purposes of this paper, CO2, Nitrogen and methane are considered the most harmful green house gases that have contributed to climate change. The causes are primarily divided into anthropogenic and natural causes. Anthropogenic causes consist of industrialization, poor farming methods, wild fires and fuel combustion while natural causes comprises evapotranspiration, natural decomposition, wild fires and metabolism The pursuit of profits by organization through capitalism allows modern day organizations to engage in practices that affect the natural climatological processes freely. In particular, the massive emission of green house gases (GHG) such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Methane, Nitrogen and Carbon dioxide result to the increase in global temperatures by about 33 degree Celsius which is revides by stratospheric cooling (Randel et al, 3). The concentration of methane and carbon dioxide since the onset of industrialization era has increased by 148 and 36 percent respectively. Porritt says CO2 concentration in the atmosphere are at their highest level for 650 000 years (p. 13). The increase in these GHG and the depletion of forests which fundamentally consume carbon dioxide in the process of photosynthesis has led to the destruction of the ozone layer (Casper, 214). As a result, the harmful rays from the sun are able to penetrate into the earth’s surface hence the increase in temperatures, diseases drought, flooding due to glacier melting, rise in sea level and bleaching of coral reefs. The increased agricultural activities have led to the increased manufacture of nitrogenous fertilizers. Although focus has been placed on carbon dioxide from automotive engines, nitrogen and water vapor contribute largely to global warming (Burroughs, 357). These have led to the increase of nitrogen in the atmosphere. Nitrogen absorbs heat 300 times compared to carbon dioxide per unit volume. Similarly, methane contributes towards global warming. In fact, scientists have classified methane to be twenty times more powerful than carbon dioxide g/cm3 (per unit volume) (Lehr & Jay, 395). The emission of methane is significantly increasing from agricultural activities and industrialization processes. It is generated when bacteria work in an oxygen regulated/deficient condition. For instance, rice puddles, herbivorous digestion as well as fermentation processes in beer industry contribute a significant amount. Higher temperatures on the earth’s surface impact on the hydrological cycle by increasing the rate of evaporation. Because of this, desertification increases with formerly arable green lands being turned in to expansive wastelands of sand. This has been responsible for millions of deaths through starvation in agricultural dependent nations that rely of rainfall. The horn of Africa comprising of Sudan Somalia Kenya and Ethiopia has borne the blunt side of low level rainfall. Vegetation is scarce and the pastoral communities that depend on livestock have witnessed huge losses as they starve and their animals die (Casper, 130). They have also been forced to travel wide and far in search of pasture for their livestock and in the process disrupting their lives. Children have been pulled out of school to accompany their parents as they move from the dry plains to higher mountains where vegetation is plenty. Moving away from the plains into the mountains has complicated the climate change problem. These nomadic communities soften ear large herds of cattle which when unleashed on the mountainous areas, often devour on the natural vegetation which is an important component of the hydrological cycle. Moreover, there are high incidences of human and wild animal conflict which result into many social problems for the people and governments. On the other hand, the bare lands are exposed to harsh weather conditions which lower its suitability for farming purposes. The most important element that the land loses is moisture due to exposure to direct sunlight in absence of vegetation (Casper, 131). As aforementioned, the increased evaporation causes unexpected rainfall patterns which often cause flash floods. Global climate undergoes cyclical changes. The lengths of these cycles are not well determined because there are many influences to the cycles which are usually 20 years long. Burroughs (154) cites the 22-years double sunspot, lunar tides (18.6 years), and changes in the ocean atmosphere interactions with the oceans which fluctuate around 20 years. The difference between the anthropogenic causes of global warming and this particular kind of natural cause is the interaction of the different elements involved. Again there are changes in the periodicities of the cycles thus no clear pattern on the impact on the ecology or contribution to climate change (Solomon, 524). Nonetheless, theory indicates that these cycles have far reaching influence on the climate. Man is part and parcel of the natural order of things. This implies that his activities on the earths surface to some extent acceptable as natural. However, in this paper his activities such as industrialization are not included. The natural processes of man under consideration here is that man inhales air from the atmosphere and exhales air with high level of CO2. As population increases, it implies that the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere resulting from mans physiological processes goes up considerably. The current global population now stands at over six billion. On average a normal human being injects between 252 Kg and 525Kg of CO2 annually into the atmosphere (Burroughs, 184). When considered in terms of global population, then it is obvious that man has a huge contribution to global warming without other far fetched activities. Nonetheless, capitalism has played a role in this in that innovation in healthcare has increased average life expectancy and reduced child mortality in the world. On the other hand, capitalism has been at the core of the rise of nations with war orientations. Take for instance the rise of Germany under Hitler and the subsequent holocaust. Millions of lives were lost. This was to be repeated in the Second World War. Economists and political scientists view this as a part and parcel of cycles of political powerhouse. Other common natural sources of greenhouse gases are natural fires and evapotranspiration. Natural wild fires also contribute to increased carbon emission. Ecologists identify lightning as a common cause of wild fires (Solomon, 526). While man is largely responsible for wildfires, some of them are mistakenly attributed to man while natural causes cause them. Evapotranspiration on one hand contributes to this through plants giving out CO2 at night or in absence of light. Secondly, plants and animals decompose giving out methane and CO2 among other gases with a greenhouse effect. Furthermore, when evapotranspiration takes place, it increases the concentration of water vapour in the atmosphere. Water has a higher capacity to retain heat than air. This therefore directly contributes to the warming of the atmosphere. Proponents of capitalism claim that capitalism holds the key to reducing global warming and managing environmental protection. According to Greenland and Sheldon (176), there is a new crop of CEOs in the environmental conservation industry and numerous career opportunities. The authors cite several environmental conservation agencies in the US and around the world which mainly offer environmental conservation solutions to other organisations. This is one perfect example of how capitalism and the growth of multinational corporations in the face of globalization can work in conserving the environment and reducing carbon emissions. Copeland and Taylor (2) argue that firms in the environmental conservation industry should be given a more central role to play in achieving the agenda of the Kyoto protocol by facilitating transfer of technology from the developed countries to the underdeveloped and developing countries. They that developed countries fighting climate are developing green technologies such as wind and solar power to cut down on emissions and the same technology is being exported to developing nations which could have otherwise not received the technology. Therefore one can argue that global warming has spurred creativity and innovation in the energy sector creating a new industry and more jobs for the people. The need for creating jobs and newer industries will eventually manage carbon emissions to acceptable levels and conserve the environment and eventually reverse climate change. The Kyoto protocol has made very promising declarations on fighting climate change but little has been achieved. Copeland and Taylor (2) note that many countries which are signatories to the Kyoto Protocol are very far from achieving the carbon emission targets set for them which should be realised by 2012. Many industries continue to inject tonnes of carbon among other harmful elements in the environment while they absolve themselves off blame through ‘carbon credits’ provided fro by the Kyoto Protocol. This is to a large extent attributable to capitalistic policies where businesses are only profit-driven whilst ethical and moral concerns are overlooked. Fassbinder (79) argues that the Kyoto protocol makes very promising and strict regulations but meeting these requirements is hindered by capitalistic ideologies. These ideologies allow corporations to plant “carbon sinks” and trading in carbon sinks (How CEOs are cashing in on climate change 2008). Modern business management principles perceive integration of environmental conservation practices in mainstream business processes not only as a conformation to business trends but also as an ethical issue. This therefore implies that there more ways beyond capitalism to manage environmental conservation and climate change. Capitalism has its shortcoming in averting global climate change. This is because modern organizations and countries are more interested in economic sustainability with ecological sustainability being secondary. Porritt points this out by citing the refusal of the US to be a signatory to the Kyoto protocol. He writes Ecological reality is usually ignored if it is identified as any kind of serious barrier to increased material prosperity. Nowhere has this been more evident than in the response of the US to the phenomenon to climate change. Its basics rule of thumb was definitively mapped out by George Bush senior when he arrived as the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, warning all and sundry that the American way of life was not up for grabs in the negotiations around the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The US did, eventually sigh up to the convention; but was the last positive thing it has done on the international climate change agenda since that time (Porritt, p. 12). One viable option that Barbir, Filho and Spiric (88) presume is adequate in handling climate change amicably, is to perceive the environment as a global good where each and everyone, regardless of location is entitled to it. As such, no one has the right to interfere or contaminate this good but is mandated to protect it. This perception holds very appealing moral and ethical considerations. Clean air and favourable climatic conditions are right to every individual. As such, when governments, corporations and individuals realise this and work towards it, then these harsh climatic conditions that some parts of the world are experiencing will be a thing of the past. The issue of global warming cannot be tackled from one perspective and requires an integration of social, economic, cultural and political aspects (O'Neill et al, 71). Science and technological innovations should also be directed towards developing more sustainable environmental conservation strategies, clean energy and regulated consumer behavior. While these are some of the means and ways that capitalism, as an economic and political system that has ruled superior as compared to others can utilize, capitalism has little control over the natural processes that influence climate change. This implies that capitalism ii is true that capitalism contributes to climate change because of industrialization and other anthropogenic activities. Nonetheless, capitalism is behind the green industry that is seeking to reverse climate change. As such, it has the potential to tackle climate change. Nonetheless, capitalism has no control over the natural processes that bring about climate change. 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