Climate changes (feasible economic policy or set of policies would you advise the Government of Canada to implement - Essay Example

Climate change Climate change refers to a permanent or long lasting change in the arithmetical distribution of the patterns of weather over a large geographic region. Over the last century, several countries throughout the world have continued to experience shifts in rainfall patterns, changing temperatures that has contributed to the melting of the glaciers for example and changes in the flow of wind among many other weather elements. Among the factors causing climate change are plate tectonics, biotic processes, variations in solar radiations and more importantly particular human activities.

In order to manage climate change, governments must therefore formulate and implement appropriate policies that govern human activities and those that seek to influence change in lifestyles in order to curb some of the challenges arising from climate change as discussed below. Canada, one of the largest countries in Northern America just like any other country has continued to experience climate change over the past few years. The government must just as explained above implement policies that address particular areas in order to attempt mitigating on the rash climatic changes and shift the lifestyle of the populace in order to limit the effects of climate changes.

The country has a unique system of addressing the issue, unlike in many countries; the provinces appear to have more interests in managing climate change than the federal government. The unique structure enjoys a degree of effectiveness since each province has particular issues that if addressed in time may mitigate on the changing climate. Human activities have contributed to global warming thereby pioneering climate change. Global warming refers to the unprecedented rise in the temperature of the earth.

The social feature has thus resulted in drastic climatic conditions including prolonged dry seasons thereby contributing to the increasing desertification of different regions. Additionally, the rise in the global temperature has expedited the melting of the glaciers and ice on mountain tops thereby increasing water levels in different water bodies. Such changes thus contribute to such natural catastrophes as tsunamis. Additionally, the change in the rainfall patterns for example has affected agriculture owing to the unreliability and unpredictability of rainfall patterns.

Such hinder rain fed agriculture in regions that had predominantly relied on rainfall. Addressing the issue of global change therefore requires an objective analysis of the concept in order to develop appropriate policies that provide realistic solutions to the problems relating to the problem. The industrialized nations lead in the emission of greenhouse gases, Canada for example ranked ninth in the year 2000 and eighth in 20005. The pattern portrays an increase in the emission of the toxic gases that perpetuate global warming thus the climate change.

The government must therefore formulate appropriate policies that seek to curb the increase in the emission of such gases. Fossil fuels are commonly available and equally cheaper than other sources of energy. Most companies in Canada use petroleum fuel thereby emitting such poisonous gases as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and methane among many others. The gases rise and continually deplete the ozone layer thereby making the atmosphere susceptible to poisonous radiations reaching the earth surface.

The Canadian government must therefore carry out extensive changes in the developmnet of policies to govern the use of fossil fuels in the country. Reducing carbon emission is a fundamental step towards eradicating globalization thereby possibly ratifying the changing climatic conditions. In an attempt to curb the emission of carbon, the Canadian government has developed an effective mechanism of taxing those who use fossil fuels. The government has increased the prices of petroleum products in the country with the aim of encouraging the use of clean energy sources such as sun and wind among many others.

Through an efficient system known as carbon tax, the government has levied a proportionate tax on all petroleum fuels including petrol, diesel and paraffin among others. The tax system is a cost effective way of reducing carbon emission, the tax target emitters who often do not carry out social responsibility in the country. The government thus employs the revenue collected from the tax regime to carry out measures that will help curb the climate change. Additionally, by raising the cost of petroleum products, the government seeks to motivate investors in the country to employ cheaper and more efficient types of energy such as geothermal, biogas, wind and sunlight Forest cover is an essential factor in the attempt to mitigate on global warming thus climate change.

Forests play an integral role in cleaning up the atmosphere, tress take in carbon monoxide and release oxygen. The process is therefore a natural way of cleaning up the atmosphere thus pacifying the volume of the different gases in the atmosphere. The Canadian government must formulate and implement policies that seek to protect the countries forest cover possibly increasing the percentage of the forest cover in the country. Deforestation has claimed large percentages of the country’s boreal forests, as timber is a major product that the country exports, the continued deforestation especially at a time that the number of cars and companies are increasing result in an imbalance in nature.

The volume of carbon emitted into the atmosphere continues to increase while the number of trees that carry out the cleanup diminishes. Such an imbalance thus hinders the government’s vision to curb climate change. Canadian Welfare Federation, the largest conservation body in the country requires effective management. The government must provide such bodies with adequate resources in order to execute their mandates more effectively. The diminishing forest cover has myriad implications including the diminishing of the country’s wildlife owing to increasing human and animal conflicts.

Additionally, the government must carry out extensive civic education in order to encourage the people to appreciate reclamation efforts such increased tree planting in thus increasing the country’s forest cover. In doing this, the government must minimize the volume of timber it exports in order to curb deforestation. Increasing the country’s forest cover is the surest way of curbing the climate change (Edwards & Miller 65). Climate change is a global problem. Every country globally feels the effects of global warming with China already submerged in fog owing to high levels of carbon emission.

This implies that the country must collaborate with other countries in seeking effective and lasting solutions to the changing climatic conditions. Increasing forest cover in every country in the world for example will possibly curb global warming. The same applies to an agreement that would end or regulate the amount of carbon each country emits. As explained, the developed countries are leading carbon monoxide emitters with volume of carbon that Canada emits constantly rising. Canada for example is a member of the Kyoto protocol a global platform that seeks to curb the changing climatic condition.

Participation in such conferences becomes vial as the countries agree on a common course of action in an attempt to curb the changing climatic condition. The irrational patterns of rainfall make rain fed agriculture impossible. The unpredictability of the patterns of rainfall makes frustrates farmers who incur loses as rains fail thereby destroying their crops. Such patterns reduce the amount of food produced in the country thereby affecting the food security of the country. Additionally, agricculural products are raw materials for different companies that manufacture food products.

The irrational climatic condition thus makes agriculture impossible a feature that threatens the security and economic developmnet of the country. The government must therefore formulate and implement appropriate policies that will cushion farmers from the erratic climatic conditions owing to the climate change experienced globally. The Canadian government encourages the mechanization of farms and continues to encourage farmers to abolish traditional of doing agriculture. The government provides incentives for farmers as a way of motivating them to roll out extensive irrigation plans and to install the more appropriate greenhouse types of farming in order to safeguard the country’s food security.

In a summary, climate change is a major contemporary global issue that requires appropriate address. The Canadian government has carried out several effective policies in a bid to curb the negative effects of global warming. However, the continued manifestation of the problem is a portrayal of the complex nature of the problem. The Canadian government must therefore take radical measures and intensifies its efforts in curbing the negative effects of climatic change. The management of the climate change is vital in ensuring that the country remains self-sufficient.

Work cited Edwards, Paul G. & Miller, Clark A. Changing the atmosphere: expert knowledge and environmental governance. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 2001. Print.