Climate is a vital entity of our environment that influences even the tiniest speck on the planet earth. It was the correct climatic conditions back then that enabled the origination of life. The existing life forms have adapted to the persisting climate in their habituated region and a major change in such conditions will surely threaten their existence.
Causes & Effects of Climate Change
The constantly developing technologies to meet the human demands have somehow caused major changes in the atmosphere that is subsequently leading to global climatic changes. Deforestation and burning of fossil fuels are major activities leading to climate changes. These changes have started showing its effects on life existing on earth. Global warming is the prime cause for the rising temperature all over the globe. The greenhouse gases are otherwise protective for our planet but excessive emissions lead to warming of air and oceans making life difficult (WWF, 2016). The shifts in the seasons, melting of glaciers due to global warming and rising temperatures and thus, raising of sea levels are few of the many effects of the undesirable climate changes. The ultimate consequences will be modification of land, air and water that constitute the most basic necessities for survival.
Global Conflict
The changing weather conditions will subsequently alter the landscapes and other atmospheric entities leading to variations in the vegetation, resources, human power and much more that will lead to imbalances amongst states and even countries. Such situations will lead to conflicts and disputes that on large scale might turn into wars involving political, economic and social issues (Dixon, 1991). The areas rich in certain resources like food productions, water supplies may go scanty. Developing countries are more prone for the discrepancies expected due to climate changes with some prominent social issues such as decline in agricultural production, population shifts and culminations of socio-economic relations (Dixon, 1991).
Pattern Shifts of Infectious Diseases
Pathogens are of varied types including viruses, bacteria, fungi that affect both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. These pathogens favoring warm climates cause infectious diseases. The increasing climatic temperature has enhanced the probability of infections to occur. This shift in weather conditions has not only rendered people unable to fight the diseases but has made the pathogens more powerful. Malaria, dengue, Lyme disease and West Nile fever are to name a few of the infectious diseases that were difficult to control earlier and now they have enhanced their arena (Mirski et al, 2012 p.528). The changes in temperature getting warmer have broadened the vector and host ranges of pathogens. Along with this, the carrier mediums for these pathogens like air, water, soil has also become more fruitful for pathogenic proliferation (Kurane, 2010 p.8). This way the air and water has an increased chance of being contaminated and hence needing more care and attention prior to consumption.
Environmental Security
The emerging problems in environmental terms between several states and cross borders has arisen the need for environmental security. The term relates the environmental issues at national level with the political and economic terms of the nations. The concern to protect one’s natural resources, population, and community by the nations is required to protect its integrity whenever any environmental issue arises. It also aids in keeping a check on the emerging threats due to increasing climate related problems specially the temperature rise. After the cold war era, security was mainly considered for the air and water contamination posed by a nation that was passing through another nation (Butts et al, 2012). Gradually, the term broadened for checking the environmental crimes like overfishing and for considering the after effects of any natural disaster.
Conclusion
Environment is very precious and along with saving its entities, it is also our responsibility to take immediate actions to curb the ongoing drastic climatic changes. The increasing global warming is due to human needs that require resolutions to the earliest else the danger to biodiversity will become a dreadful reality in near future. It is all possible with cooperation of all nations and taking environmental security to next level whereby the environmental issues, crimes, concerns, threats and disasters will be comprehensively considered and sustainably resolved.
References
Butt, Hughes, Kent., Goodman, Sherri., and Nugent, Nancy. The Concept of Environmental Security. Solutions. 2012. 3(1). Accessed at http://www.thesolutionsjournal.com/node/1052 on 21 March 2016.
Dixon-Homer, F, Thomas. On The Threshold: Environmental Changes as Causes of Acute Conflict. Trudeau Center for Peace and Conflict Studies. 1991. 16(2): 76-116. Accessed at http://www.homerdixon.com/projects/thresh/thresh1.htm on 21 March 2016.
Kurane, Ichiro. The Effects of global warming on infectious diseases. Public Health and Research Prospective. 2010. 1(1); 4-9. Accessed at http://www.kcdc-phrp.org/article/S2210-9099(10)00005-6/pdf on 19 March 2016.
Mirski, Tomasz., Bartoszcze, Michal., and Drozd-Bielawska, Agata. Impact of climate change on infectious diseases. Journal of Environmental Studies. 2012. 21(3); 525-532. Accessed at http://www.pjoes.com/pdf/21.3/Pol.J.Environ.Stud.Vol.21.No.3.525-532.pdf on 20 March 2016.
World Wildlife Fund. Effects of Climate Change. 2016. Accessed at http://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/effects-of-climate-change on 20 March 2016.
