Over the past few decades, a global awakening has been boiling up regarding the environmental issues of climate change that is posing a great threat in our planet. Experts agree that one of the major causes of global warming is the excessive greenhouse emissions into the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide which traps heat causing the rise on temperature of the whole planet. The consequences of global warming were believed to be created by human activities where these greenhouse emissions come from burning fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas and oil that we primarily use as sources of energy and other processes of industrialization. Due to excessive cutting of forest trees, oxygen is lost or depleted and can no longer absorb carbon dioxide. Many people throughout the world lack the scientific understanding of global warming and are confused about who and what to believe. Based on international negotiations, every nation is morally obligated to urgently respond to the issues of climate change by implementing appropriate policies that could mitigate the problem. However, some nations remain skeptical about the issue and refused to commit and accept their basic roles in the resolution. They are ignoring the seriousness of the problem and the risks involved for reasons of protecting their national interests because they believe that such steps could trigger economic disaster. The lack of public awareness and interest in addressing global warming could lead to a more painful and costly consequences that we will all pay and suffer in the future. I would like to argue that global warming is a critical issue that needs to be urgently addressed by all nations because it adversely affect our environment, health, economy, social and cultural aspects.
Impact on Environment
Some people believed that global warming is just a myth and that changes in climate have been occurring since time immemorial discrediting scientific claims of global warming consequences. But there is no denying that we’ve been experiencing the most tragic calamities of super typhoons and extreme hurricanes in recent years. Experts believe that stronger storms and hurricane winds will increase in the coming years due to continuous warming of oceans. The Glaciers in Greenland, Antarctica and ice in the Arctic Ocean, Andes, Himalayas and Alps are melting in rapid acceleration. Permafrost melting in Canada, Alaska and Siberia caused sinkholes, drunken forests and damages on roads and buildings. Studies reveal that by 2020’s Arctic ice will continue to dramatically decrease which poses a great threat to the survival of polar bears and other arctic species. “In 2008, the polar bear became the first animal to be added to the Endangered Species Act list of threatened species because of global warming” (Environmental Defense Fund, 2013). Melting of ice in other parts of the world will continue to accelerate increasing sea level rise. “Rising seas are one of the most certain effects of global warming as warming ocean waters expand and melting glaciers, ice caps and ice sheets add more water to the oceans” (Environmental Defense Fund, 2013). Intense drought, massive deforestation and forests fires in the Amazon and in various parts of the world added carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. “Huge swaths of forest in Canada, Alaska and Russia have been ravaged over the last decade by forest fires, fed by record summer heat and drought” (University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, 2013). These resulted to the destruction of ecosystem for millions of species of plants, animals and organisms. Due to continuous rise in temperature, it is expected that wildfires will continue to ravage major forests which could lead to the extinction of millions of plant and animal species. These devastating calamities caused by climate change are the consequences of global warming which is a serious issue and should be given top priority among our leaders.
Impact on Public Health
One of the misleading information on the issues of global warming is that some people claim that there is no scientific evidence that carbon dioxide is a pollutant. Carbon dioxide may be a necessary component that is required by plants in the process of photosynthesis but excess of it can be considered a pollutant. Concerned scientists have proven through their reports and assessments that greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide pose a threat to public health. Poor air quality is produced when carbon pollution from power plants and vehicles that react with sunlight and heat form ozone smog. These air pollutants put millions of people at risk for irritated eyes, throats and lung damage. Among the most vulnerable are the children, the elderly and the communities living in poverty. The most serious threats are for people with asthma, allergies and other cardiac and pulmonary diseases which could land people in hospitals and could even cause death. “These emissions can make breathing difficult and can worsen asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchitis and other lung diseases” (American Lung Association, 2011). Rising temperatures could lead to heat waves where the hottest heat wave in 2003 killed more than 40,000 people in Europe. Extreme storms and floods can affect health by spreading infectious diseases, cholera outbreaks, mental health impacts, injuries and drowning that could result to death of millions of people. Rising temperatures and heavy rainfalls increases the occurrence of insect-borne diseases such as dengue fever. “Approximately, 173 million Americans in at least 28 states live in countries with mosquitoes that can carry dengue fever, a painful viral illness that’s increased globally 30-fold in the last 50 years” (Natural Resources Defense Council, 2011). Safety of water supplies throughout the world will also be threatened due to increase of water-borne diarrheal diseases caused by parasites which is also associated with rainfall and flooding. “The direct damage costs to health (i.e. excluding cost to health determining sectors such as agriculture and water and sanitation) is estimated to be between US$2-4 billion/year by 2030” (World Health Organization, 2013). As temperatures continue to rise, the level of probable threat to public health will continue to increase thus, urgent action is needed to prevent the worst of consequences. “From diminished air quality and degradation of food and water supplies, to increasing levels of allergens and catastrophic weather events, we will experience a number of worsening health threats during our lifetimes” (Natural Resources Defense Council, 2011).
Impact on Economy
For most countries, the main subject of their political debates is that addressing global warming is tremendously expensive than not addressing it. Economists believed that global warming should be addressed because it is a threat to world economy since it affects various aspects on industrial and agricultural sectors. Climate change could threaten the production of crops, livestock and seafood. “Agriculture and fisheries are highly dependent on specific climate conditions” (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2013). Drought harm crops while storms, hurricanes and tornadoes damage farms causing agricultural losses and depletion of food supply. Hurricane Katrina that struck the United States in 2005 brought severe damage to corn, rice, soybean and livestock production. “The report estimates hurricane-related losses to be nearly $900 million” (Delta Farm Press, 2005). Insurance industries are also affected by extreme calamities which heightened the risk for property and households and increases claims like flood and tornado compensations. “A report done in 2004 by British insurers discovered that the changing climate systems increase the risks for property and households by about 5% per annum” (Daniel H, 2013). Damage to property and infrastructure requires additional finances which burdens the federal budget. “Sea-level rise, floods, droughts, wildfires and extreme storms require extensive repair of essential infrastructure such as homes, roads, bridges, railroad tracks, airport runways, power lines, dams, levees and sea walls” (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2011).
Economists are starting to recognize the critical economic impact of global warming. Policy makers should realize that preventive measures cost less rather than rebuilding after devastation.
Social and Cultural Impact
Environmental disasters like storms, floods and droughts will leave some regions uninhabitable forcing people to abandon their homes. Among the most affected are people who live in poverty due to limited resources. “These people have limited financial resources to cope with heat, relocate or evacuate or respond to increases in the cost of food”
(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2013). The recent super typhoon that hit the poverty-stricken county Philippines led to mass migration which resulted to urban crowding, trauma and social unrest.
“Tens of thousands of people are clamoring for food, clothing and shelter. Hundreds of villages remain effectively cut off from the outside world” (Bloomberg, 2013). Climate change impacts society and culture which could create social inequality between underdeveloped or third world countries and the most industrialized countries. “Those nations and individuals least responsible for global warming may become the most at risk” (Parliament of Australia, 2009). The primary focus on scientific and economic aspects of climate change has dimmed the issues on social inequality. In dealing with climate change, various policies could become a disadvantage to other countries that could result to disparities. International negotiations should also focus their concern on social implications to ensure that poor nations should not bear the adverse consequences caused by industrialized nations. For many years, climate change negotiations failed because most of the industrialized countries and large corporations have discredited and denied the issues of global warming.”The United States plus a few other countries and many large corporations have opposed climate change treaties seemingly afraid of profit impacts if they have to make substantial changes on how they do business” (Shah, 2013). We must not focus on the long-term costs but on short-term costs of corrective actions.
Every nation has the responsibility to address the issues of global warming wherein the most industrialized countries should have the moral authority to lead the world and support developing nations towards an effective resolution. Reaching an agreement with other nations and setting national climate change policies to reduce their greenhouse emissions is the only way to achieve this goal. The choice is ours either to act now and lessen the pace of global warming or do nothing and suffer the costly consequences. The world is quickly running out of time so we must act now and start rebuilding a safer and healthier world for us and for our children.
References:
Climate and Your Health: Addressing the Most Serious Health Effects of Climate Change. (March, 2011). Natural Resources Defense Council. Retrieved from
http://www.nrdc.org/health/files/climatehealthfacts.pdf
Climate Impacts on Agriculture and Food Supply. (9 Sept. 2013) United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved from
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/agriculture.html
Impacts of Global Warming: Costs. Union of Concerned Scientists. (2011). Retrieved from
http://www.climatehotmap.org/global-warming-effects/economy.html
Impacts of Global Warming on the Environment: Understanding Climate Change – IPCC Working Group II Report. (2007). University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. Retrieved from
https://www2.ucar.edu/news/backgrounders/impacts-global-warming-natural-systems
Shah, A. (11 Nov. 2013). Climate Change and Global Warming. Global Issues. Retrieved from
http://www.globalissues.org/issue/178/climate-change-and-global-warming
