The Impact of Human Activities on Global Environmental Changes - Research Paper Example

? Social Change Research Paper: "Human Impacts on Global Environmental Change" The essay aims to proffer issues pertinent to work and life experiences to include explanation on the impact of human activity on global environmental change. The discourse would initially present an overview of global environmental change in general; prior to expounding on the identified factors that have been instrumental in environmental changes in contemporary times. Finally, from the review of relevant literatures on the subject, highlights would be presented to identify the effects of GEC and form the recommendations on how government and international agencies plan to address global environmental change to plan for the future. "Human Impacts on Global Environmental Change" People from all over the world have been affected by drastic effects of changes in the contemporary environment. The impact of these environmental changes has been so unexpected and severe that scholars, scientists and environmentalists are alarmed at possible repercussions to future generations. The environmental history timeline reveals that monitoring changes in the environment have originated from ancient times, more than 60,000 years ago, as information is still being continually collated and updated by William Kovarik, a professor from the Radford University (Kovarik, 2001). In this regard, the essay aims to proffer issues pertinent to work and life experiences explaining the impact of human activity on global environmental change. The discourse would initially present an overview of global environmental change in general; prior to expounding on the identified factors that have been instrumental in environmental changes in contemporary times. Finally, from the review of relevant literatures on the subject, highlights would be presented to identify the effects of GEC and form the recommendations on how government and international agencies plan to address global environmental change to plan for the future. Global environmental change is hereby examined to propose measures to best prepare mankind through increased awareness of crucial factors for unexpected environmental events. Definition and Scope The Global Environment Change and Food Systems (GECFS) website defined global environmental change (GEC) as “changes in the physical and biogeochemical environment, either caused naturally or influenced by human activities such as deforestation, fossil fuel consumption, urbanisation, land reclamation, agricultural intensification, freshwater extraction, fisheries over-exploitation and waste production” (Global Environmental Change and Food Systems (GECFS), N.D., p. 1). The extensive scope of GEC has been recognized in the Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP) report where the inclusive elements in the definition are effectively illustrated in the following table, as Box 1 (Earth System Science Partnership, N.D., p. 8): These definitions and scope reveal that GEC are caused by external natural factors and induced by human activity. The influence of human activity is diverse and wide ranged contributing to the drastic effects that are currently being experienced on a global scale. As various reviews of relevant literatures on the subject, the increased risk to human health is prime consideration and various government and international agencies are vigilant on these concerns. Effects of GEC The World Health Organization (WHO) has clearly illustrated the effects of GEC particularly impinging on human health. The illustration below summarized the health impacts of GEC and impairment in the world’s ecosystem, to wit: Source: (World Health Organization (WHO), 2011). As shown, the escalating human pressure on global environment through the elements such as climate change, ozone depletion, forest clearance, land degradation, wetlands damage, biodiversity loss, depletion and contamination of freshwater resources, urbanization and damage to coastal reefs and ecosystems have direct, ecosystem-mediated and indirect health impacts. Consistent with the study published by the ESSP (N.D.), these contributory human induced factors impact the health status of contemporary generation by exposure to greater natural disasters (floods, heat waves, water shortages, etc.); increasing the risks for changes in disease vectors and composition and gravity of identified infectious and chronic illnesses influencing immunity concerns; propensities for reduction in food supply due to water shortages and unpredictable weather; and increased rates for skin cancer, eye disorders and immune system depression (Earth System Science Partnership, N.D.; World Health Organization (WHO), 2011). Proposed Measures to Address GEC Due to the extensive scope and intricate concerns exposed in human induced factors affecting GEC, the need to address these manifested problems require collaboration and participation of diverse international agencies tasked with monitoring GEC. As revealed from the ESSP report, aside from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), “the Global Environmental Outlook process of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) assesses the state of the environment, trends and progress in policy development, including multilateral environmental agreements; and the future, with a focus on emerging environmental issues and region-specific alternative policies. Health consequences of biodiversity loss is a key issue for the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) and these issues have taken a front row seat with deliberations of the Scientific Body of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD-SBSTTA)” (Earth System Science Partnership, N.D., p. 64). The WHO is also instrumental in coordinating with the “United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC), with member states, and relevant partners to promote effective climate and health policies which promote health protection” (World Health Organization (WHO): Health Policy and Climate Change, 2011, par. 1). Despite the grandeur in complex governance over the GEC issues, each person could contribute to mitigate the effects of GEC through assisting in simple and controllable ways towards energy and water conservation, avoiding adding on various pollutants, cleaning the environment, preservation of natural resources, assisting in planting and reforestation, and supporting the movement for green products, among others. As emphasized in the ESSP study, “if humankind collectively mismanages the Earth System, by perturbing the carbon cycle and the world’s climate, by changing the availability and quality of freshwater, by impairing the world’s food-producing ecosystems and by depleting the stocks of biodiversity, then there will inevitably be costs to human biology, health and survival” (Earth System Science Partnership, N.D., p. 71). Conclusion Global environmental change was examined to propose measures to best prepare mankind through increased awareness of crucial factors for unexpected environmental events. As highlighted, through human induced GEC, various direct, ecosystem-mediated and indirect health impacts continue to emerge and affect contemporary generation. Although multidimensional, integrative and collaborative efforts are currently being planned and implemented by various international agencies, one’s personal and simple contribution to the preservation and protection of the environment would assist in preventing more drastic risks on the future generations. References Earth System Science Partnership. (N.D.). Global Environmental Change and Human Health. Retrieved September 14, 2011, from http://www.essp.org/fileadmin/redakteure/pdf/GEC_HHSciPlan.pdf Global Environmental Change and Food Systems (GECFS). (N.D.). Glossary. Retrieved September 14, 2011, from http://www.gecafs.org/glossary/index.html Kovarik, W. (2001). Environmental History Timeline. Retrieved September 14, 2011, from Radford University: http://www.environmentalhistory.org/ Read More