The Awareness of Environmental Preservation and the Dangers of Pollution - Article Example

Climate Change and Disasters Name Institutions Name Course Name Climate change and disasters Introduction Environment is a one of the most significant elements that determine sustainable existence of all living organisms and non-living things. It is the collection that incorporates the systems, natural, physical, social and biological factors to make a complex system for survival and existence of living and non-living things. Preservation of the environment results to healthy existence of the living things while pollution of it results to dangers that threaten sustainable existence (Charles & Varma, 2010). Moreover, systems related to the air, water and land are incorporated to affect each other significantly. Therefore, when one of these systems is altered and polluted, it poses dangers to the environment as a whole. Hence, caution is to be taken by all individuals to ensure that all the activities undertaken are according to the set regulations that determine to preserve environment. The success of any existing systems is determined by its eco-friendliness to support sustainable living in the society. This calls for considerations to be taken to factors related to pollution and climatic conditions (Steven, 2010). This brief provides an overview of some of the fundamental issues associated with climate change and disasters. It evaluates how the environment has affected the climatic changes that result to disasters that face the society posing a great threat for sustainable existence. Environmental Change It is important to come into accepting the reality that environment change is inevitable in the current times. Global environmental change is being affected by the development and growth of humanity. Human activities undertaken by human beings greatly affect the wellbeing of humans as well as the environment. Therefore it is worth noting that most of the activities undertaken by individuals negatively affect resource degradation cycle and eventually leads to poverty, changing climatic conditions and increasing natural hazards. If such activities will not be controlled, they pose dangers to the existence of living organisms and natural resources (Blewitt, 2008). Hence, it is the responsibility of all human beings to be considerate in the activities they undertake to ensure that they are sustainable to reduce environmental degradation. Research shows that the cost of responding to environment change is lower than the cost of inaction towards issues negatively affecting it. Given that changes in environment affect directly climate change, reacting to these changes is paramount for achievement of sustainable healthy living and reduction of associated disasters. Conversely, ignoring environmental changes will have inconsiderable risks and challenges to all sectors of life (Tanner & Mitchell, 2008). Weather and Climate Weather can be defined as a collection of various meteorological conditions such as rain, sunshine, wind, temperature and snow among others for a particular place ove a period. On the other hand, climate can be defined as the overall pattern of consistent weather conditions experienced at a particular place. Human existence, ecosystems, activities and settlements are dependent and greatly affected by climatic conditions. Therefore, the climate of a place is determined by the average weather conditions for a considerable period, putting into considerations variability of weather patterns (Wisner et al., 2004). However, some places are affected by variable weather conditions that are unexpected such as El Nino, snowfall and hurricanes that last for considerable period. Moreover, it is worth stating that the atmosphere acts as the connection of land and sea conditions in the world creating global climate system. It is therefore illogical to claim that one activity can contribute to climatic changes but consistent undertaking of interrelated activities contribute to shifting of climatic conditions. Changes in weather patterns are realized after contributions of the factors affecting the environment are evaluated. This eventually affects climates around the world (Thistlethwaite & Spencer, 2008). Climatic Change Causes The human history displays evidence of climatic condition changes as depicted by sea level changes, ice ages and human activities. There is a strong connection between ocean currents, volcanic eruptions, wind activity, solar temperatures and related natural factors that significantly affect climatic conditions of an area. Human activity contribution to the environment affects global climatic conditions (Parker, 2006). These human activities include: Pollution- this is contamination of the environment with harmful and dangerous impurities that affect the carbon cycle of a place. It is divided into different categories due to the fact that different impurities affect different parts of the environment. Hence, these pollution categories include water pollution, air pollution, soil pollution and natural environment pollution. Pollution is among the greatest global challenges that affect sustainable existence and it trickles down to individual contributions. Some individuals work towards minimizing it while others carelessly work to increasing it. The risk posed by pollution threatens thriving of living things in the world and majorly affects climatic conditions (Pryor & Barthelmie, 2003). Increased greenhouse gas emissions- with a need for realizing food security in the world, humanity has increased greenhouse activity and this has increased concentration of gas emissions into the atmosphere that significantly affects carbon cycle (Barnett, Adam, & Lettennaier, 2005). Exhaustive human activities- when the human activities are done exhaustively to a level which they overload the capacity of the resources available they become destructive. Human activities such as deforestation results to imbalance in atmospheric conditions leading to changing climatic conditions (Gordon, 2011). Air pollution This is the greatest factor affecting changes in climatic conditions because it directly affects the carbon cycle. Destabilization of the carbon cycle affects all the other cycles that make environmental systems complete. It is a basic fundamental for all living organisms to thrive in clean and an eco-friendly environment that has minimal form of pollution. This guarantees sustainable living in additional to reducing the cost of living. Contrariwise, researches shows that the level of air pollution is higher than it appears on a general view. Its effects significantly affect various aspects of human living because it contaminates the water people drink, the oxygen breathed, soil fertility in additional to corroding the existing natural beauty of the environment (Manning, Boons, Von Hagen, & Reinecke, 2011). Harmful smoke emission by industries, individuals and vehicles into the atmosphere raises atmospheric acidity that alters the carbon cycle components. This raises the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and contaminates the existing oxygen. Since humanity cannot survive without industries and vehicles, their emissions should be controlled so that carbon levels can be contained for balanced constituent of atmospheric gases. Moreover, with the increased technology growth, different eco-friendly strategies have been developed to help reduce carbon emission by vehicles and industries. Likewise, reduced over reliance on fossil fuels has played an important role in decreasing carbon levels significantly (Gordon, 2011). On the other hand, another contributor to air pollution is increased emission of concentrated greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Research shows that for the last four decades the level of concentration of greenhouse emission has increased by approximately 70% to unpredictable levels. This alters weather patterns as well as the environment composition. Besides, the desire to have food security in the world has created increased greenhouse farming and this has been practised in many parts of the world. Hence, the global effect of releasing these harmful gases into the atmosphere shifts climatic conditions and increase challenges of existence. Global warming is among the many effects of increased emission activity by greenhouses (Manning, Boons, Von Hagen, & Reinecke, 2011). Water pollution Additionally, water pollution has significant effect on the weather patterns and increases hazards of most organisms. It is important noting that all living things are made of carbon. The carbon cycle, water cycle in combination with hydrogen cycle influences sustenance of living organisms. Carbon is recycled by the environmental components and the circulation is expected to sustain itself automatically. These cycles determine air composition, rainfall formation, evaporation and continuous progression of the cycle to support healthy living. Emissions alters the carbon cycle leading to formation of acidic rains that eventually affect the acidity of water consumed and oceanic chemical composition resulting to endangered survival of all organisms. As the cycle continuous being affected it changes weather patterns due to global warming effects. Global warming affects evaporation rates with unsustainable patters that correspond to global dusters like El Nino, hurricanes and prolonged droughts. Water pollution increases soil acidity, kills living organisms, and threatens existence of aquatic life; this alters these cycles’ operations through the imbalance it creates (McKibben, 2012). Increased human activity The world is becoming busy everyday with increased activity to support better living standards. Researches have shown that the global population has grown extensively to reaching approximately 7 billion people. This population needs to be supported by increased food provision, leading to clearing more land to invest in agricultural activities. Hence, it has reduced the forest proportion considerably that balances the weather conditions. This has disrupted the weather patterns, eventually shifting the climatic conditions. Moreover, the land proportion under forestation has decreased remarkably due to the increased need for more building space to accommodate this rising population growth (McKibben, 2012). One of its effects is to alter cycles that sustain environmental balance and this poses dangers to the climate and sustainable living. Furthermore, the available land is over utilized through farming and this loosens the rocks composition that eventually increase erosion levels in case of heavy rainfalls. The long-term effect of these activities is to affect climatic conditions adversely and increase risks associated with deteriorating environmental conditions (Van den Bergh, 2010). Negative Effects of Climatic Changes/ Disasters There are various effects of changing climatic conditions that can be replicated in the world that affect sustainable living. These effects are dangerous and harmful to living organisms whether in air, water or land, they pose eradication to most species. It is predicted that if no action will be taken by 2100, the cost of damages to the environment will increase to roughly 30 trillion dollars. Moreover, the cost of ignoring actions on climatic changes by 2200 will increase to over 70 trillion dollars. This will be higher than the cost of reacting towards addressing climatic changes at the global platform (Shah, 2015). These are some of the disasters that are associated with these ever shifting global climate conditions. Health factors Healthy living is a global need for all human beings and animals. Increased pollution, climatic changes and environmental degradation will result to increased disease in the society and declined level of healthy living. Global warming has high contribution to cancer related diseases, malnutrition, air-borne diseases, water-borne diseases, skin infections and other related diseases (Kasting & Siefert, 2002). This affects population’s productivity and increases the cost of living. Pollution contributes significantly to increased health disaster the result to high mortality rates all over the world. Moreover, these trends adversely affect the new born, living and ageing population by putting high risks of dying in any population of any country. Diseases increase the economic burden in a bid to reduce and eliminate them, leading to increased poverty level globally (Pielke, 2007). Water shortage Water crisis can be defined as increasing shortage of supply of clean and uncontaminated water to existing population to satisfy their demand. The existence of all living organisms is dependent on water availability for survival. Diminishing supply of clean water due to extinction of natural resources poses threat to survival rate of living organisms in future times. Moreover, it is evident that contributions by pollution, destructive human activities and climate change are some of the factors that lead to reduced supply of fresh water in the global platform. Pollution destroys the available water catchment areas and contaminates the water for usage by human beings and animals (Stern, 2007). Besides, destructive human behaviour like deforestation and farming in catchment areas results to destruction of sources of fresh water. This greatly reduces the supply of usable water to the increasing population. Furthermore, adverse climatic conditions contribute to increased droughts spread over different areas in the world. This reduces water supply because rains get delayed and when they fall they are acidic with water that cannot be used by living organisms (Bouwer & Aerts, 2006). Floods and Hurricanes Global warming results to melting the existing ice at a higher rate than its expected and this lead to increased water supply that eventually become floods. These floods are destructive because they affect sustainable living by destroying homes and property. These trends are popular in Asia and Europe as well as USA. Many researchers predict that by 2050, annual temperatures will increase by approximately 2.6 degrees. This will be the highest annual temperature increments that will lead to faster melting of ice. Hence, the number of floods will increase significantly, risking existence of living organisms. Furthermore, hurricanes are strong oceanic forces that have high destructive power to the natural environment and property. With the deteriorating climatic conditions the hurricanes will increase and this poses a very great risk of human existence in areas like USA, Europe and Asia (Barredo, 2009). Reduced Food Security Food is a fundamental need for existence of human beings ad animals. When there is high shortage of food supply, it is called famine. With the increased pollution that affects the climatic conditions in additional to destructive human activities, food security continues to raise alarm. Moreover, many economies over rely on agriculture for their survival. The current deteriorating climatic conditions have adverse effects on the productivity of these regions. This increases food shortage in the global platform and sustainability of the growing population becomes hard (Changnon, 2009). Therefore, when combination of destructive human activities and adverse climatic conditions affect a geographical area, it poses great challenge to satisfaction of food needs. This is a major challenge in the global platform and more should be done to ensure food security id guaranteed for sustainable survival of human beings and animals. Food shortage also results to increased migration that put pressure on some geographical places. Eventually this will lead to increased activity on some areas that destroy the land more as well as neglecting other places, exposing them to more erosion levels (O’Brien & Read, 2005). Negative Economic and Social Factors When there are changes in climatic conditions it results to flooding, earthquakes, landslides, hurricanes and destructive winds. These affect the economic activity of an area because the productivity of the raw materials declines, destruction of property, and destabilization due to consequent occurrences. This leads to migration, reduces economic activities and deaths that affect the social wellbeing of population. Hence, continued occurrence of these disasters results to dwindling economic development and growth globally. This is a negative contribution to the progress of achieving a sustainable society (Wisner, Blaikie, Cannon, & Davies, 2004). The risks and disasters of climatic changes are innumerable because climate affects the existence of all living organisms as well as determining the rate of processes to non-living things. Therefore, if issues related to climatic changes will not be addressed quickly with an aim to improve the living standards and sustainable living, existence of living organisms will be in great danger (Pelling, 2003). Conclusion Understanding the magnitude at which climatic changes affect sustainable human living helps to approach issues that adversely affect climate with more caution. Moreover, it is the responsibility of all human beings to work to reducing activities and practices that negatively affect the environment. Furthermore, governments’ utilization of environmental related organizations to raise awareness of environmental preservation and dangers of pollution could act as significant strategies to curb environmental degradation. Besides, embracing all the strategies that are aimed at reducing all forms of pollution can greatly transform environmental to improving the current status of pollution levels. 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