The issue of Climate Change should be everyone’s concern. The reports under scrutiny offer contradictory discussions on the topic of Global Climate Models however, all our efforts should be directed towards environmental sustainability by addressing the issue from a scholarly perspective by giving workable recomendations.
Climate change is the presently the most challenging issue facing the globe today. Many organizations have been on the frontline trying to find what the causes of climate change are and offer possible solutions to the same. The report by (NIPCC) Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change offers key findings on issue of climate change by discussing the scientific balance that seems to have been overlooked by the counterpart body (IPCC) Intergovernmental Panel on climate change. The topic to evaluate from the two reports is the discussion on global climate models.
According to NIPCC, Global Climate Models have inherent properties that make it difficult or even impossible to make dynamic predictability. For the future projections to be valid, a multidisciplinary approach has to be implemented in order to determine climate. However, most of the multidisciplinary processes are either inadequately represented or missing in the present day designed climate models. Further limitations in the projections result from computing power, making it difficult for the projections to resolve identified and important climate processes. Other aspects not accounted for in the projections include; failure to capture important phenomena of regional and lesser scales such as clouds by low resolution models, error resulting from the projection of the doubling effect of CO2 and failure to account for multiplier effect of several biospheric processes (Idso, Carter and Singer, Pg. 1-2). It is clear that major imperfections in the global climate models make it difficult to project proper simulation of important elements in the climate system. Although some improvements have been noted, researchers still complain of little or no improvement in the output of several important parameters and features of the globes climate.
On the other hand, according to the IPCC report, Global Climate models have and will continue to be developed in order to enhance the validity and inclusion of several parameters in the projection of climate. The author’s note of the high possibility that global climate models reproduce the generational features of increase in temperature over the historical period citing the rapid warning period experience in the second half of the 20th century and the immediate cooling that follows after large volcanic eruptions (Flato et al, Pg. 743-745). Despite the developments in the models over the decades, the simulation of clouds still remain challenging but efforts are underway to ensure correct projections are made. The report further supports its suggestions by concluding that the earth and climate system models are based on physical principles and they reproduce many aspects observed in climate such as precipitation and humidity. This increases the confidence in their model’s suitability in detection and projection studies.
A comparison of how the two reports approach the topic under discussion, it is clear that both reasons are strong following the valid supporting reasons. However, while the IPCC supporting reasons are based on other reports and graphical and diagrammatic illustration, the NIPCC report does not identify what they are basing their reasons on. The report NIPCC report also seems to be weak based on the fact that they undermine facts put across by the IPCC report in unethical manner because it can be interpreted that they are of the opinion that climate change is not an issue and if it is, it is not their problem to solve. Despite aspects of climate change being clearly visible in the climate models, the report still states the overall increase in temperatures are minimal and will cause minimal or no effect to the environment and human beings. The NIPCC report can be improved by acknowledging aspects of climate change set to endanger the environment and human life in the near future and also including valid supporting evidence that make their information truthful to the reader. In addition, despite identifying the shortcomings of the IPCC report, they should be on the frontline to offer mitigation measure to ensure that the society as a whole is on the frontline to mitigate the issue of climate change. Although there are those that support what the NIPCC report proposes, it is important to remember that we all have a responsibility to ensure that our resources are conserved and continue to serve us for the longest period it can citing the principle of utilitariasm.
Climate change is clearly an ethical issue that concerns all individuals around the globe. From an ethical perspective, any action directed at mitigating climate change confronts aspects of responsibility and fairness across nations, individuals and the rest of nature (Gardiner & Hartzell-Nichols, Par. 1). However, little has been written by moral philosophers on the aspect of climate change. This can be attributed to the fact that the issue is interdisciplinary hence making it difficult to collect adequate date and the assumption that the matter would be resolved by others. As identified by the reports, having complete and valid global climate models involves a multidisciplinary approach to ensure all aspects of climate are captured. However, in reporting on the issues and what mitigating measures are to be implemented, there is no clear right or wrong. The corrective actions should be undertaken by everybody citing that the duty comes from God who gave man authority to look after the earth. It is our duty therefore, to ensure that our actions are characterized by conservation and sustainability so as to ensure that our world is preserved for us and the future generations to come.
Works cited
Flato, Gregory., et al. Evaluation of Climate Models. In: Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2013. Retrieved from http://www.climatechange2013.org/images/report/WG1AR5_Chapter09_FINAL.pdf on 17/2/2014
Gardiner, Stephen & Hartzell-Nichols, Lauren. Ethics and Global Climate Change. Nature Education Knowledge. 3(10):5. 2012. Retrieved from http://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/ethics-and-global-climate-change-84226631 on 17/2/2014.
Idso, Craig, Carter, Fred and Singer, Fred. Climate Change Reconsidered II: Executive Summary. 2013. Retrieved from http://heartland.org/media-library/pdfs/CCR-II/Executive-Summary.pdf on 17/2/2014.
