Climate Change in United Kingdom

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Government Interventions
The central government
The local government
Conclusion
List of References

Introduction

Climate change is now a reality for many countries around the world, including the United Kingdom. Experts have been issuing warnings against pollution, but many did not consider their warnings to bear any impact. However, the world today is exposed to a reality of global climate change. The recent reports show that China is one of the countries that are seriously hit by this climate change. According to Hall, Sayers and Dawson (2005, p. 156), a string of destructive cyclones, polluted air, a change in whether a pattern, reduction of polar ice, and drought are some of the consequences of this climate change.

The changing pattern of climate demonstrates that it is caused by excessive pollution from the industrial sectors. It is, therefore, not a surprise that China, the country leading in the emission of greenhouse gases, has experienced some of the worst effects of climate change. The United Kingdom is not spared from these negative consequences of climate change. The local and central government must come up with measures that would protect citizens of this country against the negative consequences of this climate change. This research will analyze some of the measures that the United Kingdom government should do to protect its citizens.

Government Interventions

The government of the United Kingdom is aware that climate has a serious impact on its citizens. For this reason, it must take proactive measures that would ensure that citizens of this country are protected from these effects. According to the report of The Environment Agency (2009, p. 4), it may be necessary to approach these issues from two levels of government. The central government will have its central role, and the local government will also have a part to play in this protection policy.

The central government

The central government is expected to be able to protect its people from the possible negative consequences of climate change. The United States, China, Japan, and other Asian countries have experienced some of the worst cyclonic storms that led to massive loss of lives and destruction of property. The government of this country should have clear mechanisms through which such natural disasters can be predicted, and preventive measures are taken to avoid loss of lives. Middleton (2008, p.78) notes that casualties from such occurrences would be minimized as much as possible through this approach.

The meteorological department should observe the development of such cyclones at early stages and ensure that the public is adequately informed of the impending storms before they occur. The national government should develop emergency units that will be involved with the evacuation of people when such cases, storms hit the country. Safe houses should be built, especially along the coastal strip where such winds are always very strong.

Climate change has also been associated with some of the respiratory and skin diseases. The national government should commission research that would identify some of the health impacts of climate change. It would be important to identify how climate change is associated with some of these diseases, and measures that can be taken to eliminate or reduce their occurrences. The national government has the responsibility of talking with other states in the world to come up with measures that would cut down the emission of greenhouse gases. The developed countries have been opposed to some of the measures proposed to cut down carbon emissions in some of the major conventions. For instance, during the Kyoto protocol convention, measures were put in place to ensure that the environment is protected by limiting the level of carbon that each state emits into the atmosphere.

Keenan and Wilby (2012, p. 356) observe that the developed states failed to support some of the recommendations that were made at this convention. The national government must champion policies that would help reduce the emission of greenhouse gases into the air. Finally, it may be necessary for the national government to constitute a fund that would be used by the meteorological department to study the changing weather pattern in the country, and how it can be dealt with using some of the modern scientific technologies.

The local government

The local government also has a role to play in the intervention processes. These governments understand specific issues that affected their area that may need some form of intervention. The local government is in a better position to understand some of the environmental threats that its citizens face. Some regions are affected by dust particles in the air, especially during winter. Other regions are affected by extreme temperatures, while in other regions, strong winds may be common. This uniqueness would mean that the local government would be in a better position to know how to protect its citizens in the best way possible. The local government should coordinate closely with the national government to ensure that local solutions are found that would be most appropriate for various affected regions.

The local government should always be ready to offer emergency services to people in cases where natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, or major air pollution hit a region. Services such as rapid evacuation should always be available at the local government level. It is also important for the local government to participate in environmental protection practices to help reduce the occurrences of these natural disasters. While the national government will be participating in the international environmental protection programs, the local government should come up with its local policies. This government should regulate the level of carbon emission that companies within their jurisdiction emit into the air. They should establish a body that will be responsible for the regulation of such laws to ensure they are complied with effectively.

Awareness creation among the local population may also be necessary as a way of making every citizen of this country responsible towards the environment. This can be coordinated by the local learning institutions and prayer centers. This way, the citizens will understand their role in environmental protection. They should also be informed of how they are expected to behave when a given natural disaster strikes. Some people have died trying to save their valuables in such similar cases. They should be informed of the dangers of such attempts.

Conclusion

Climate change is now a reality even in the United Kingdom, and the government must find ways of protecting its citizens in cases where some of the environmental calamities occur. Government intervention would be looked at from two fronts. The government can intervene by coming up with measures that will help reduce pollution as a way of minimizing the rate at which such disasters would strike. The second approach would be to develop structures that would protect its citizens when such disasters strike. Both the central and national government must work together to achieve the desired results.

List of References

Hall, J, Sayers, P & Dawson, R 2005, National-scale Assessment of Current and Future Flood Risk in England and Wales, Natural Hazards vol. 36. no. 1, pp. 147–164. Web.

Keenan, R & Wilby, R 2012, Adapting to flood risk under climate change, Progress in Physical Geography, vol. 36. no. 3, pp. 348–378. Web.

Middleton, N 2008, The Global Casino: An Introduction to Environmental Issues, Hodder Education, London. Web.

The Environment Agency, 2009, Investing for the future, Flood and coastal risk management in England, The Environment Agency, Bristol. Web.

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