Category: Climate Change

Introduction

An immense body of evidence elaborated through the last 40 years shows that climate change is real and it is already influencing peoples lives. Global warming was first recognized as a worldwide environmental problem in the 1970s (DiMento & Doughman, 2014). The reason for climate change is considered to be the human-caused greenhouse gas emissions since the 1950s (WWF  Australia, 2004) Goldenberg (2013) states that the present-day environmental crisis is caused largely by 90 companies, which produce nearly two-thirds of the greenhouse gas. If the discharge continues to grow at the present rate, the results of the climate change will affect many countries including Australia within a short timeframe (WWF  Australia, 2008).

Environmental crises also pose problems to businesses in Australia. Climate change poses four types of risks to the sustainability of the enterprises, including physical risks, reputational risks, regulatory risks, and litigation risks (Demertzidis, Tsalis, Loupa, & Nikolaou, 2015). Therefore, boards of directors should make necessary adjustments to corporate strategies to address the hazards (Ramani, 2015). The present paper touches upon the main threats to business sustainability in Australia and provides evaluations for the possible solutions to the problems.

First, the paper touches upon reputational risks environment policies imply to business and offers a way of avoiding problems with the public. Second, the study explains regulatory risks and demonstrates how business owners in Australia should address the issue. Third, the research evaluates the solutions and describes limitations to the work. The importance of the study is uncanny as it offers the reader a concise assessment of the situation concerning the dangers climate change poses to business in simple words.

Reputational Risks

The reputational risks implied by the climate crisis are one of the major concerns to the businesses upper management as they notably affect enterprises sustainability performance. These risks are connected with the harmful actions of consumers and communities due to the improper operation of businesses about various climate change aspects (Demertzidis et al., 2015). In simpler words, people are unhappy with the enterprises that ignore environment-friendly policies and organize boycotts and protests. Such reactions of the public cause a decrease in the market value of the companies and, consequently, alarm the investors. Hence, it is clear that reputational risks are always associated with conflicts between the community and the company.

Franks et al. (2014) conducted 45 interviews with key individuals, primarily from mining and hydrocarbon companies, to assess the main sources of unexpected costs. The research revealed a world-class mining project with capital expenditure of between US$3 and US$5 billion suffering roughly US$20 million per week of delayed production in net present value terms as a result of community conflict (Franks et al., 2014, p. 7578). This example vividly demonstrates how human relations can be converted into sheer numbers and confirms that evaluation of reputational risks is crucial for business. Therefore, the business upper management should consider projecting awareness about current environmental concerns in order to keep employees, shareholders, and customers happy.

Addressing Reputation

The reputational risks should be addressed by showing the willingness to adopt strategies that reduce climate change impact and to disclose information on climate change damage that has already been dealt with. A type of business model that weighs economic decisions with environmental concerns has become a new standard for sustainability in large companies (Mason & Mason, 2012).

Moreover, the upper management of the enterprises begins to realize that delivering information about implying environment-friendly policies to the public has become pivotal for maintaining the reputation of the green industry. In other words, a business should not only be environment-friendly but also deliver this fact to all the stakeholders. The main solution for the problem is creating apprehensive environmental reports to deliver information about the corporate ethos to the stakeholders.

Research conducted by Mason and Mason (2012) shows correlations between creating coherent corporate environmental reports and acquiring the reputation of a company caring about climate change. The study analyses a data set and concludes that creating a persuasive report may be more important than genuinely practicing environment-friendly policies. This example demonstrates the influence the instrument may have upon public opinion. In short, a corporate environmental report is a powerful tool to address the reputational risks of climate change as it directly affects the social attitude towards companies. However crucial human relations may seem, businesses upper management should also consider other risks global warming implies.

Regulatory Risks

The other central threats to a businesses sustainability are regulatory risks, as they can become one of the major sources of unforeseen costs. Demertzidis et al. (2015) define regulatory risks as additional costs that might burden the financial structure of businesses when they try to adhere to the requirements of climate change regulations (p. 96). In simpler words, whenever the government of Australia adopts a new environment-friendly policy, every enterprise owner in the country has to spend money to adapt his business scheme in accordance with the new law.

For example, Australia encourages investment in the development and use of low-emission and renewable technology since 2008 (WWF  Australia, 2008). Consequently, the Australian government may adopt legislation that reduces the value of shares of high-emission industries on the stock market. Therefore, company heads should address these threats with due caution, as the regulatory risks are more frequent than any other types of risks such as physical, reputation, and litigation (Demertzidis et al., 2015). While the economical hazards climate change imposes are impossible to avoid, there are ways to reduce the damage of the new environment-friendly legislation.

Addressing Regulatory Risks

The main ways of addressing regulatory risks are by shifting the focus from the immediate results to long-term strategic planning and adopting systematic assessment of companies policies in terms of the new legislation. While the statement may seem vague, it implies specific actions the upper management should perform to avoid additional costs. First, although new laws are impossible to predict, the overall tendency of Australian legislation shifting towards lowering the emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is evident.

Therefore, rather than trying to lower the damage of a specific regulatory action, the company should assess the situation through a broader lens and develop a long-term strategy in accordance with the overall tendency of the Australian government (Ramani, 2015). Second, the corporation should hire specialists with expertise and background on key environmental issues (Ramani, 2015).

A growing number of company heads, including Coca-Cola, Unilever, and Intel have made steps towards shifting from quarterly financial reports towards considering a long-term value creation model through methodical assessment of the sustainability performance (Ramani, 2015). As climate change is among the major issues that influence corporate sustainability, the above-mentioned companies have the example for the Australian industries demonstrating a system for approaching regulatory risks of the environmental problems. In short, there is no panacea for addressing regulatory issues; however, long-term commitments and qualified staff can make the matter less costly.

Evaluation

Some further considerations should be made concerning the solutions for the environmental problems mentioned in the paper. On the one hand, the solution for regulatory problems Australian industries may encounter is consistent and rational. A number of large companies have put this solution to practice and have met with limited success (Ramani, 2015). On the other hand, addressing reputational risks solely through corporate environmental reports seems to be insufficient. A companys reputation builds up not only through the reports but also through press releases in respected periodicals. Consequently, such media announcements can be used to improve the picture of an industry in terms of environmental policy.

The present paper is a concise evaluation of the risks that climate change poses for businesses in Australia. The current research provides information restricted to business borders, however, further investigation outside business borders is needed to estimate climate change risks. While the present paper is suitable for obtaining a basic picture concerning the influence of climate change on business, physical risks, including frequency of hurricanes, droughts, and sea level, and litigation risks should be assessed to enhance the study.

Conclusion

Greenhouse gases have become a major threat to the global environment over the last 50 years. While causing considerable ecological problems, climate change also poses a number of economic challenges for businesses in Australia. Company owners should consider reputational and regulatory risks environmental changes imply and react to the challenges accordingly to avoid additional financial losses.

References

DiMento, J., & Doughman, P. (2014). Climate change. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

Franks, D., Davis, R., Bebbington, A., Ali, S., Kemp, D., & Scurrah, M. (2014). Conflict translates environmental and social risk into business costs. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(21), 7576-7581. Web.

Demertzidis, N., Tsalis, T., Loupa, G., & Nikolaou, I. (2015). A benchmarking framework to evaluate business climate change risks: A practical tool suitable for the investors decision-making process. Climate Risk Management, 10, 95-105. Web.

Goldenberg, S. (2013). Just 90 companies caused two-thirds of man-made global warming emissions. The Guardian. Web.

Mason, M., & Mason, R. (2012). Communicating a green corporate perspective: Ideological persuasion in the corporate environmental report. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 26(4), 479-506. Web.

Ramani, V. (2015). View from the top: How corporate boards can engage on sustainability performance. Web.

WWF  Australia. (2004). Climate Change. Solutions for Australia. Sydney, Australia: WWF Press.

WWF  Australia. (2008). Climate Change: Solutions for Australia 2008. Sydney, Australia: WWF Press.

In the 21st century, global brands can be seen in almost every nook and cranny of this planet. One of the best examples is Starbucks. The coffee cup with the mermaid logo is seen in downtown Los Angeles and Tokyo. But in recent years the company expanded to places where a couple of decades ago it would have been impossible to see an American company. This is a testament to a companys growth and success (Salzer-Morling & Strannegard, 2007). It has become an economic juggernaut. But with its success comes problems such as the impact of their business on the people that work for them and the environment where they extract the resources necessary for creating perfect blended coffees. This study will examine how Starbucks tried to refurbish its public image by observing principles of corporate social responsibility and taking concrete steps to help in the fight to reduce the impact of global climate change.

Background

In the not-so-distant past drinking coffee was a non-complicated endeavor. Add coffee to a pot of boiling water pour into a cup and then one is ready for a new day. Adding sugar, milk or creamer is a personal preference. To add a little excitement an electronic gadget, a coffee maker, was invented and the more sophisticated coffee lover can enjoy freshly brewed coffee in the comfort of his or her home. For those who are constantly on the go, their daily caffeine requirement can be satisfied inside a restaurant or in their favorite diner. The rest of the world can enjoy their coffee straight from the can via instant coffee or the more traditional means of manually roasting and grinding coffee beans.

According to the founders of Starbucks, Zev Siegl, Gordon Bowker, and Gerald Baldwin Americans are buying their coffee already grounded and vacuum-sealed in cans (Mulady, 2001). It was the three entrepreneurs who thought of a revolutionary idea  to sell roasted coffee beans in the United States, specifically in Seattle. From that kernel of an idea they were able to grow Starbucks into a lucrative business. But it will take ten years of hard work and a marketing wizard by the name of Howard Schultz before Starbucks can be positioned to conquer America and then the world (Mulady, 2001). After Schultz bought the company from Baldwin, Bowker, and Siegl there was no turning back for Schultz and he succeeded in transforming Starbucks into a global icon.

Then in the 90s and onwards to the 21st century, Starbucks coffee can be seen almost anywhere and in places where one least expects to see a Starbucks store. Japan with its tradition of tea drinking could not resist the temptation of the mermaid logo found in every Starbucks coffee cup. China, once a Communist country and for most of the 20th century dedicated its resources in fighting capitalism is no match for the Starbucks juggernaut and agreed to let Starbucks build another branch in Beijings Forbidden City.

Yet there is a good reason why the aforementioned founders allowed Schultz to buy them out. The company experienced exponential growth. For those who love to generate billions of dollars in revenue this is a very appealing situation to be in. But for those who are not ready to give their heart and soul to a gigantic undertaking, Starbucks meteoric rise as a publicly traded firm can be daunting. There can be many organizations as well as production problems that needed to be taken care of.

The Challenge

The problem faced by Starbucks is the same with other successful multinational companies and it is how to cope with growth. By examining the following information one can have an idea as to how fast Starbucks is growing worldwide:

• As of 2006, Starbucks created new products; 22 new drinks in two years;
• Opened new branches from China to Brazil;
• In 2006 alone sales increased to 22%; and
• $8 billion in annual revenue (Kiviat, 2006).

In 2007, Jim Donald, the former President and CEO of Starbucks was aiming for 40, 000 stores worldwide and to increase the number of international stores from 3,500 to 20,000 (Allison, 2007). In the latter part of the 20th century the company was not only expanding and opening new stores in places like Russia and Indonesia but also experiencing robust sales in the United States. Americans could not get enough of the Starbucks lifestyle and the store is not only a place to buy coffee but also where people hang out, meet new friends and more importantly to be seen by those they respect and admire. Drinking coffee suddenly became a popular thing for kids, teenagers, and adults.

Starbucks created a new market and just like magic created something out of nothing but the company became the victim of its success (Kiviat, 2006). When it started, the main goal was to provide quality coffee to discerning customers and to educate the average American as to the wonderful world of coffee drinking enjoyed by many Europeans for hundreds of years. It was this passion for creating great coffee that attracted many to the green and white logo. But when demand increases, supply has to follow or the customers will complain of lack of consistency and poor service. From the operations standpoint there is a lot of work to be done and a great degree of modernization has to be accomplished to duplicate the wonderful tasting coffee in America to other places like Malaysia and Israel.

The concept called Corporate Social Responsibility is not new. In the 1990s American firms were made aware of the negative impact of scandals especially those linked to shoddy labor practices and environmental degradation. In 1996 Wal-Mart clothes were rumored to have been produced using child labor in Honduras and it became a public relations nightmare for the retail giant (Power, 2008). In America it is easy for customers to boycott a product or a business if the said company violates certain principles that they hold dear.

Impact of Globalization

Before the modern age, the citizens of a particular country can do whatever they want and never hear the reaction of other nations except for those who are close to their borders. Traders in Europe can perform their duties without fully understanding how their Asian counterparts are doing theirs. It is all due to communication and transportation. In modern times the advent of high-tech means of transportation and communication resulted in a shrinking world where Chinese businessmen can easily forge partnerships with someone in places like Ohio, USA. A remote province in China can manufacture goods for a company in Europe and the products and services can easily flow from one continent to the next.

Communication and transportation were able to bridge the gap. The Internet is an integral part of the equation and it enables two different cultures to sustain their relationship across vast distances. But aside from business opportunities globalization is also how value systems from highly industrialized countries and developing countries collide and merge. American and many European businessmen pride themselves in their business practices wherein integrity and respect for human life are as important as profit.

But when Americans and European firms were forced to collaborate with Asian countries such as China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, it did not take long for them to realize that the mindset existing in these regions is far different from theirs. Lax laws and the inability to enforce them are the reason why poverty-stricken countries in Latin America are turning a blind eye to the existence of child labor in their manufacturing sector. While Americans believe in the necessity of sending children to school, poor families living in Third World countries are only thinking of survival.

Global Climate Change

Aside from globalization there is a related issue that has been hugging the headlines for the past few years  global climate change. And it is the multinational corporations that are also getting the blame. Global climate change is the reason behind global warming as well as the unpredictable weather patterns experienced by billions of people in the world today. It has become so important that others are discussing global climate in the same way that they will discuss a moral problem, very intense and very personal. A lot of it is generated by fears that this world will soon end or at least the create a situation where most people will find it hard to sustain their current way of life.

There is agreement among scientists that global climate change is man-made. This is brought about by the degradation and destruction of the earths ecosystems that is in turn the result of the non-sustainable practice of exploiting the planets natural resources such as illegal logging and commercial farming that allows for the transformation of large swaths of lands without considering the possible impact of destroying diversity in favor of growing a single and yet high-value crop. Americans may continue to feast on bananas, chocolate, orange juice and other exotic fruits and vegetables without realizing what it will take to produce them. Developing nations in the Asia Pacific region as well as those in Latin America are being pushed to the limit to reach production quotas. This means forcing the land to yield fruits and vegetables out of season and this in turn would require the use of genetically engineered plants such as high-yielding sugar cane, cacao and coffee trees. There is also heavy use of various agrochemicals that may help meet burgeoning demand but in the long run will destroy not only the land but the livelihood of the farmers.

There is reason why many should worry and many experts agree that the global climate change is no longer a hypothetical assumption and that even a non-scientist can observe its negative impact to the planet. The following are just some of the symptoms of a physical world gone awry:

• unusually strong hurricanes;
• fiercer heat waves;
• harsher droughts;
• heavier rains; and
• rising sea levels (Hertsgaard, 2007).

As mentioned earlier if there is a negative perception against Starbucks  that they are partly to be blamed for the global climate change then there can be serious repercussion when it comes to attracting more investors. They also have to fix the negative public image to prevent their customers from switching to another brand. Starbucks is well aware of this problem and just like other companies that have branches and offices from Brazil to Taiwan, the coffee retail giant is doing everything they can to improve their public image. In 2007 Starbucks made a contribution in the information campaign against global warming when it promoted a movie documentary of the environmental problems brought about by high levels of carbon dioxide in the earths atmosphere.

It makes a lot of sense for Paramount Classics and National Geographic Films to partner with Starbucks. The chain of stores can rival McDonalds and it simply means that if every store will commit to show the documentary at least once a day for a few weeks or months then it is guaranteed that hundreds of thousands of people will be able to at least get a glimpse of the seriousness of the problem. The documentary is entitled Arctic Tale. The story of the pitiful plight of Arctic bears and walruses because climate change is melting arctic ice, it is the integral part of their lives and survival.

Rationale

Corporations and consumer are now more aware of the reality of globalized production and the harsh working conditions and violation of labor laws  specifically those pertaining to child labor practices (Power, 2008). Upon closer examination researchers and activists discovered that these conditions exist not only because these countries are poor but also because there are powerful forces at work preventing the poor to transform their pitiful existence and elevate their families from poverty to a more decent lifestyle where there children can go to school and there is access to healthcare among others.

It was discovered that there is a vicious cycle that exists within these nations and that there is increasing pressure from consumer groups and other parties for multinational corporations to give back to the world, specifically to the regions where they get the bulk of their raw materials. There is also pressure to examine their production systems in order to determine if they are directly or indirectly encouraging despicable labor practices. Moreover there is a movement to force multinational corporations not only to help improve the lives of the farmers and workers in developing nations but also to establish initiatives that will lead to the protection of the environment.

Hitting Two Birds

In their current press release Starbucks, Inc is committed not only to serve high-quality coffee but the company also aims to achieve the following:

• create a better future for coffee farmers;
• help improve communities; and
• to protect the environment.

Starbucks is well aware of the need not only to address the negative impacts of globalization in the lives of coffee farmers but also to help ease the environmental problems caused by irresponsible farming. In attempting to solve both problems Starbucks became partners with TransFair USA and other related organizations such as Fair Trade Labeling Organization International. By doing so Starbucks was able to hit two birds with one stone because these organizations are not only monitoring the working conditions in developing countries, specifically the growers and suppliers of coffee beans used in Starbucks stores but also to provide strict guidelines when it comes to ecological sustainability.

Fair Trade Certified

In its official website Fairtrade Labeling Organization International (FLO) asserts that it is a non-profit and multi-stakeholder association. And it is for good reason because the newcomer in the world of fair trade could not help but cast a suspicious eye for any organization that partners with multinational companies. The phrase that says it is all about the bottom line keeps ringing in the mind of the skeptic for there must be a catch somewhere. But by creating a non-profit group composed of many stakeholders the FLO can assure consumers that they are the real deal when it comes to ensuring the protection of the environment and sustaining the drive to protect workers and farmers from exploitation.

Fair trade principles include the following concepts:

• Fair Price: A democratically organized farmer group can apply for fair trade certification and in return they will be assured of a guaranteed minimum floor price plus an additional premium if they will commit to deliver organic products.
• Fair labor conditions: Workers that belong to Fair Trade certified farms are also assured of safe working conditions and reasonable wages. More importantly the fair trade certification prohibits child labor.
• Direct Trade: Farmer groups belonging to Fair Trade farms will have the luxury of working directly with importers  at least this is the ultimate goal  to eliminate costly middlemen. In developing countries middlemen are not the only parasites that suck the lifeblood of farmers and fair trade transactions help to minimize these incidents.
• Democratic and Transparent Organizations: There is a mechanism in place where farmer groups that are certified by the FLO are forced to abide by democratic principles. The rule of majority will dictate how funds will be invested. It must also be pointed out that not all the revenue that goes into these farmer organizations is given back to the farmers. A portion of the revenue is set aside for future investments and help improve the living and working conditions of the farmers.
• Community Development: Aside from improving the farm such as the creation of proper irrigation, use of sustainable practices etc, the families of farmers enjoy the benefits of social and business development programs such as scholarships, leadership trainings, and organic farming certification.
• Environmental Sustainability: There are certain agricultural practices that promise a quick rout to success. But in reality these methods quickly deplete the soil of nutrients and would hasten the destruction of the farmland. Sustainability is the new buzzword in farming and food safety discussions therefore fair trade is also committed not only to ensure the viability of the business but also in protecting the environment.

For those with even a limited knowledge of economics, fair price is the most crucial facet of global trade. Pricing determines the sustainability of the business but in Third World countries pricing is the main tool to control the development of the lives of millions of workers. If prices remain low then farmers will never be able to change their plight. They never have enough money to send their children to school. Aside from not able to provide quality education for their kids farmers have no way of setting aside a portion of their income so that in the future they can invest in more lucrative ventures.

If the next generation of Guatemalan farmers for instance will have no other opportunities but farming then the cycle of defeat will continue and they will be forced to live like slaves, very much dependent on the meager resources that they currently have and heavily indebted to loan sharks and other unscrupulous individuals taking advantage of their situation. The rich and powerful people in these areas have nothing else to do but to maintain the status quo. Starbucks is stepping in to change the trajectory of their lives. Starbucks in partnership with Fair Trade groups will help ensure a better future for coffee farmers. This is not only promoting good business practices but also social justice (Cliath, 2007). Starbucks is simply doing the right thing.

Promoting fair labor conditions is not only the humane thing to do but will also help empower the people (TransFair USA, 2009). When people are empowered they have control over things that they believe must be accomplished. It is one thing to know how to protect the environment and another to have the means that will enable the farmer to do what must be done to ensure economic security. If labor conditions can be improved then there will be less problems to deal with in terms of health care. Bad labor conditions can shorten the life expectancy of farmers and in some cases it will be the cause of injuries. Death and debilitating health problems will further increase the poverty in coffee producing countries and the cycle of defeat continues.

Promoting direct trade is a dream for most farmers. The middlemen are considered as a pestilence worse than the most annoying crop disease. This is because these middlemen can easily slash their income significantly just like an invading army of locusts can easily wipe out their annual harvest. But aside from the middlemen there is the oligopoly perpetuated by buyers such as Nestle and Kraft Foods (Fridell, 2008). For small farmers there is no way that they can negotiate properly with these groups. They needed assistance from the Western world in order for them to begin proper negotiations (Lindenberg, 2001). The new global environment prevents these farmers from being heard because powerful forces within these countries would like to maintain the status quo.

The challenge for these farmers is to establish democratic and transparent organizations that can be used as the main vehicle for communicating with Fair Trade groups and its members. Without the farmer group there is no way to be organized and to be at a level where an individual farmer can be heard in discussion regarding fair price and labor conditions. This is the only aspect of the Fair Trade principles that is not clear at this point. If this is not fully evaluated then what will happen in the future is the creation of a new oligopoly where farmers who are not members of certified group will be left out. There can be no perfect solution to the global crisis brought about by climate change and globalization but these are concrete steps and this is a good foundation in the fight against global poverty and other related problems.

In order to have an idea as to the kind of impact FLO can create in terms of basic commodities trading and food security the following FLO labeling initiatives can be found in the following countries:

• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• Luxembourg
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• UK
• USA
• Australia and New Zealand

These counties are some of the major purchasers of raw materials coming from developing nations. This means that if FLO representatives are present in these countries then more and more firms will be made aware of a growing global movement. But in the case of Starbucks there is a dynamic that is created which only a company of Starbucks stature and prominence can accomplish. This means that since Starbucks is well-known all over the world and has branches in major cities in this planet the Fair Trade principles they adhere to will be made known to many people. There is therefore a symbiosis that exists between Starbucks and FLO international.

A Much Bigger Challenge

Starbucks may have swept the world by storm in the 20^th century but it is struggling to maintain its dominant position in the retail coffee business. It is still a widely recognized brand but investors are worried especially when it comes to the long term growth of the company in 2009 and beyond. The company recalled Howard Schultz to active duty, a sign that stakeholders confidence is at an all time low (Liedtke, 2009). The global financial crisis is adding more woes to a company that has been assailed by critics and distracted by legal battles.

Why is it important to take a closer look at what is currently happening in Starbucks, Inc.? The reason is simple. Even if one considers the fact that Starbucks is merely doing these steps to ensure that their public image will continue to rake in more profits for the company, it can also be argued that Starbucks is doing these things for the right reason. Skeptics will always be there to question the sincerity of a global juggernaut such as Starbucks but giving the company the benefit of the doubt consumers can be easily impressed at the type of changes Starbucks is helping to generate in coffee producing countries.

In other words this is better than nothing. Based on the FLO reports and the evidence gathered by researchers it can be argued that Starbucks will benefit from the success of coffee farmers. Therefore this partnership will continue to blossom and improve. If Starbucks will be successful in the long run, then more and more companies will jump into the bandwagon. There will be many firms who will see the light so to speak when it comes to helping the people and the environment that produce raw materials for products needed in the developed nations. It will be a great thing to know that helping others will also help the companys bottom line.

Conclusion

Starbucks was founded in the 1970s. But the founders did not realize the growth potential of the company until it was sold to a dynamic leader and businessman. When the deal was finalized Schultz decided to transform Starbucks into a global brand and the rest was history. In the latter part of the 20^th century the Starbucks logo became a part of the lives of millions of people all over the world. It was another example of a highly successful American export. But in recent years Starbucks faced the daunting challenge of promoting corporate social responsibility and to help in fighting the negative impact of globalization and climate change.

It is easy to understand why Starbucks is targeted by critics when it comes to exposing the evils of globalization and the multinational corporations contribution to global climate change. This is because Starbucks seems to be everywhere, but more importantly it is the fact that Starbucks imports its coffee beans from farmers who will never be able to afford the highly expensive lattes they are serving everyday. The irony of this fact plus the enormous profits the company is raking in every fiscal year is enough to drive human rights and environmental activists to frenzy.

Aside from the radical groups that would love nothing else to do but stage protests outside Starbucks outlets, the company is also well aware of the fact that public perception can easily change their fortunes. A mass boycott of Starbucks products can be accompanied by a significant drop in stock prices and the next thing the executives will know is that Starbucks is in the brink of bankruptcy. Before all these things can happen Starbuck is on the offensive and the company is partnering with Fair Trade groups not only to help improve the lives of coffee farmers but also to ensure that the environment is taken cared of and not exploited simply to meet production quotas.

There is much that can be achieved if the public help support Starbucks. At this point there is very little criticism that can be leveled against a company that tries to help alleviate poverty in Third World Countries. The only thing that can be done is to continue exerting pressure so that Starbucks will find more ways to give back to the farmers and to the environment. If FLO is monitoring the farmer groups there must be also another agency that continues to monitor Starbucks if the company is doing more than expected.

References

1. Allison, M. (2007). Q&A with Starbucks CEO: Im just trying to keep it small as we grow. Seattle Times.
2. Cliath, A. G. (2007). Seeing Shades: Ecological and Socially Just Labeling. Organization Environment. 20: 413-436.
3. Fair Trade Certified. (2009). Fair Trade Overview. Fair Trade Certification. Web.
4. FLO International. Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International. Web.
5. Fridell, M. et al. (2008). With Friends Like These: The Corporate Response to Fair Trade Coffee. Review of Radical Political Economics. 40: 8-32.
6. Hertsgaard, M. (2007). On the Front Lines of Climate Change. Time Magazine Archive.
7. Kiviat, B. (2006). The Big Gulp at Starbucks. TIME Magazine Archive.
8. Liedtke, M. (2009). Sequels to Iconic CEOs rarely as Good as the Original. Seattle Times.
9. Lindenberg, M. (2001). Reaching Beyond the Family: New Nongovernmental Organization Alliances for Global Poverty Alleviation and Emergency Response. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. 30: 603-614.
10. Mulady, K. (2001). Retail Notebook: As Starbucks Marks 30^th Year, A Look Back at Beginning. Seattle Times.
11. Peters, M. (2007). Starbucks Stores to Promote Film About Climate Change. Seattle Times.
12. Power, C. (2008). The Burden of Good Intentions. TIME Magazine Archive.
13. Salzer-Morling, M. & L. Strannegard. (2007). Aint Misbehavin Consumption in a Moralized Brandscape. Marketing Theory. 7: 407-422.
14. TransFair USA. Transfair USA and Fair Trade: Empowering the People Around the World. Web.

Natural versus anthropogenic climate changes

The wealth of information acquired by environmental scientists across the world has revealed that the current state of global climate change is attributed to both natural and anthropogenic climate changes. Natural climate changes occur in cycles in the world, and they are caused by the natural interaction of the world with different forces, whereas human activities cause anthropogenic climate changes. Over the past century, anthropogenic climate changes have been overly witnessed, especially in the past two decades.

The similarity of natural and anthropogenic climate changes over the past years is that they both lead to global warming. The difference between the two is that natural causes of climate changes take a very long time, whereas anthropogenic ones have caused very fast changes to the worlds climate.

Previous trends in global warming took thousands of years, but the current trends are too fast. Another difference between natural and anthropogenic climate changes is that past natural causes did not involve any human activities, whereas the current changes are primarily caused by humans. Some of the natural causes of climate change include the amount of solar energy retained by the Earth over a long period, and natural forces on the Earth like heat waves.

Nature activities like volcanic eruptions are natural causes of the emission of greenhouse gases to the environment, but the effects on climate are slow. Anthropogenic causes include human activities, such as the emission of greenhouse gases, leading to global warming effects on the Earth. These activities include the emission of carbon dioxide from manufacturing companies, vehicles exhaust pipes, and power generation plants (NASA, 2014).

Global warming is taking place

Over the past half millennium the climate of the world has gone through seven complete cycles of glacial retreat and advancement. One of the clearest evidences of global warming is the rise of sea levels across the world. The rate of sea level rise over the last decade is double the rise in the last century.

The second evidence is the fast rise of the Earths surface temperature. Glaciers across the world are retreating at a very fast rate, indicating fast rates of global warming in the world. Ice sheets are also shrinking at a very fast rate, and sea ice in the Arctic is also declining (NASA, 2014).

Current mitigation strategies

Alternative energy sources

The use of oil is attributed to being the leading cause of global warming with reference to human-related causes. The emission of greenhouse gases is the cause of global warming, hence, reducing the rates of emission from some industries, such as the manufacturing and the transportation industries, is the most feasible way to mitigate climate changes.

Many nations have developed facilities to provide cleaner energy sources to different industrial sectors to reduce their greenhouse gas emission levels. The use of alternative sources of energy, like solar, wind and bio-fuels, are gradually gaining popularity across the world (Michaelides, 2012).

Effectiveness, cost and policy implications

Alternative energy sources are the most effective way of reversing the drastic changes in climate change because they slow down the global warming rate. The cost of purchasing alternative sources of energy like solar and wind energy is relatively lower than oil. Governments across the world have adopted international policies on the use of sustainable energy sources to reduce the over reliance of the world on oil.

Carbon taxing

Carbon taxing is a popular policy in the modern world. Authorities across the world have adopted a policy to compel companies to reduce their carbon footprints. Manufacturing companies are some of the biggest consumers of oil for energy, hence, their carbon footprint has a big effect on global warming. Many governments across the world have placed very high rates for the levy to lure manufacturing companies into using cleaner energy sources.

Carbon taxing has resulted in many companies across the world being forced to develop new strategies to go green in their production processes. Reducing the rate of greenhouse gas emissions from various human activities is the only viable way of slowing down the rate of global warming; hence, carbon taxing should prevail in this era (Marron & Toder, 2014).

Effectiveness, cost and policy implications

Carbon taxing is an effective global warming mitigation option, but companies across the world have managed to meet the taxes levied; thus, most companies are still polluting the air at will. The cost is quite high for some companies, and it has compelled them to use cleaner energy sources. Carbon taxing policies should be re-evaluated to make it difficult for companies to meet the taxes.

Recommended policy changes

One of the policies that should be applied on a global scale is taxing companies across the world, depending on their ability to use alternative energy sources. Companies with deep pockets have little problems with paying carbon taxes in the developing nations, because carbon taxes are lower. Applying carbon taxes on the merits of a companys financial performance would yield better results in the compliance of the reduction of emission levels (Burniaux, Chateau & Duval, 2013).

Authorities across the world need to develop policies that target the biggest air polluters. These polices should include imposing huge carbon taxes to transport companies and manufacturing companies. Governments also need to develop policies that compel companies in the major cities to depend exclusively on renewable energy sources like solar.

References

Burniaux, J. M., Chateau, J., & Duval, R. (2013). Is there a case for carbon-based border tax adjustment? An applied general equilibrium analysis. Applied Economics, 45(16), 2231-2240.

Marron, D. B., & Toder, E. J. (2014). Tax Policy Issues in Designing a Carbon Tax. American Economic Review, 104(5), 563-68.

Michaelides, E. E. (2012). Alternative energy sources. New York: Springer.

NASA: A blanket around the world. (2014). Web.

NASA: Global Climate Change. (2014). Web.

Introduction

The purpose of my PSAs was to answer the question on how the car emissions affect the global warming. It has been noted that in the UK, the environmental problems, such as these emissions, cause various health problems to the people. The emission by the cars is seen to affect the ecosystem a lot.

Other than the health problem, the emissions affect and harm the climate. This shows that car transport should be able to sustain the environment. I believe that answering the question on how the car emissions cause global warming will enlighten on the suitable means through which this problem can be avoided to improve the health of all the living beings as well as sustain the environment in the most effective manner.

Reflective essay

The PSAs addressed the environmentalists, the fuel companies, dealers, and the general community as a whole. To address these audiences, I tried to show that the car emissions were the main cause of the global warming according to the previous researches, and that every mentioned point has a role to play to find the solution for the problem at hand.

Car dealers should design new cars, communities should go for the cars that cause no harm to the environment, and the fuel dealers should reduce the contaminant that caused carbon monoxide to the environment. On the other hand, the environmentalists are addressed in a view to define their role as that of sensitizing the general public on the effects of the carbon emissions (Macnair 2).

Logically, I tried to explain what mobile emissions were in reality, and how they came about to pollute the environment and contribute to global warming. As a matter of fact, I have really discussed on the problems that the emissions had a bad influence on our health and other helpless organisms.

Car emissions pollute the air by producing dangerous gases which include: carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, benzene, formaldehyde, polycyclic hydrocarbons, lead and tiny suspended particles, which are very harmful to human health.

Man contributes to global warming, and global warming causes environmental and health problems which affect humanity in its turn. People should change their attitude towards buying the cars that use energy efficiently. The society should unite if it want to help to reduce the emissions caused by cars.

In order to identify with my audiences, I had to adapt my language to that which every body targeted would understand. For the environmentalists, I made sure that I talked about the pollution caused by the emissions in a more clarified way.

For the manufacturers and car dealers, I made sure that I mentioned everything that pertained to them and identified how the produced fuel contributed to the problem of global warming. For the general community, I stated different health issues that accompanied the emissions with an aim to show how important it was for everybody to join in the fight.

Today, there are a lot of health issues brought about by car emissions to the environment. I believe that my PSAs are timely since a health issue is something that needs to be managed as soon as it is identified. Currently, with the available research tools, it is easier to identify clearly methods through which the emissions can be controlled for safer lives.

For this reason, I presented my PSAs targeting to the people who need to join their efforts in this fight. I also feel that it is not late to find solutions to health issue that may affect the coming generation tremendously.

After viewing the feedbacks from my peers and the instructor, I revised my PSAs and made sure that they covered the ideas I needed to put across. First, I identified my targets and addressed them accordingly. Secondly, I made sure that the language I employed suited my audience very well and that they understood the intensity of the problem very well.

I also ascertained that I was very convincing in trying to answer the question on car emissions and global warming. This way, I found my work more appealing than it was before the corrections. All the suggestions given to me for revision were well considered because they were relevant in making my PSAs.

This project taught me a lot about rhetoric. As a writer, I know that rhetoric helps in informing and persuading any audience that one chooses to address. I could persuade my audiences on the problems caused by car emissions and how they cause global warming. I succeeded to observe my situation keenly to be able to persuade my audiences in writing. Due to rhetoric, I realized that understanding of a subject could be maximally attained by the audience. I was also able to understand the subject better through rhetoric.

If I had more time, I would make sure that my PSAs were more persuasive to sensitize people more on the issue and the importance of coming together with a common goal to achieve better environment and improve our health.

Work Cited

Macnair, Trisha. BBC. Health: Exhaust emissions. 2011. Web.

Introduction

This paper examines the concept of global warming with a focal point on car emissions. It is expected to aid policy makers in national governments, automobile manufacturers, fuel industry CEOs, and city planners. This paper is meant to ensure that authorities across the world, industries and members of the public jointly implement programs to reduce emissions from the private car and the generally public transport. The paper has examined various strategies and actions that work to reduce car use and emissions reduction.

The paper concludes that there is a need to engage the different stakeholders in taming global warming. This paper suggests that to address global warming, public policies and action programs should be formulated and finally changes in behavior and financial assistance

There are definitions of terms associated with global warming. Air Pollution Costs implies the automobile atmospheric noxious wastes injuries, such as human health, ecological and esthetic degradation.

Tailpipe emissions are chemicals emitted directly from vehicle exhaust pipes. Lifecycle emissions encompass both tailpipe emissions and indirect emissions during the process of fuel extraction and in the refineries, as well as vehicle production facilities, and building of facilities for logistical purposes. Most of these sources contribute to climate change. Effects are abounding.

Global warming and the society

Car or automobile use has been blamed on climate change or global warming..Air pollution is also basically seen as an external effect of automobile use. Mobile (automobile) emissions are believed more difficult to control than other emissions sources, like power generation plants and industries, because they are many and scatter, and can cause more harm or destruction costs because cars are used closely by the people hence health effects are likely to be felt by them-climate Change.

Climate change (also called global warming and the greenhouse effect) means the alterations in climatic patterns as a result of the increased emissions of green house gases in the environment that increases the atmospheric temperatures (Anup Shah). Motor vehicles emit a range of dangerous discharge in the air. Some of the emissions are as a result of car use while others are a result of industrial activities.

These chemicals include; Carbon dioxide, Carbon monoxide, Fine particulates (PM10; PM2.5), Road dust (nontailpipe particulates), (CO), (CO2), Lead, Methane (CH4), Nitrogen oxides (NOx) and nitrous oxide (N2O), Ozone (O2), Sulfur oxides (SOx), VOC (volatile organic hydrocarbons), and Toxics (e.g. benzene).

Some the effects of these pollutants are felt locally, therefore, when emissions happen, it affects the locals, but the rest are regional or global, and hence the location is immaterial to global warming.

In spite of the widely publicized impacts of climate change, some institutions believe the available facts are not conclusive or emission reduction financial overheads outweigh the perceived benefits (for instance, Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change), these groups usually have no climatic or environmental grounding or expertise, and mostly speak for factories that reap from increased effects of global warming. The main scientific institutions deem man-made global warming as majorly critical.

According to a study by Environmental Defense, the U.S. automobile industry and light vehicles account for almost half of all greenhouse gases emitted by automobiles world wide. Also, the study entitled, Global Warming on the Road, established that the lead automobile manufacturesGM motors, Ford and DaimlerChryslerwere responsible for almost three-quarters of the carbon dioxide emitted by cars and other vehicles on U.S. roads in 2004 (West n.d). The figures are as per the latest year for which these figures could be located.

According to the writer of the report, John DeCicco, reducing greenhouse gas discharge from the U.S. automobile industry is very important to any policy for curbing climate change. The report, further suggests that to deal with the problem of global warming, there is a need for a clear understanding of the sources of green house gases and how they are contributing to the problem. Car pool cannot work to combat global warming (Lallanilla)

Causes of Greenhouse Effect/global warming

Solar energy from the sun drives life on earth. Therefore, life is entirely dependent on energy from the sun. Nearly 30 percent of the sunrays that illuminates the Earth is diffracted by the outer atmosphere and reflected into the outer space. The other radiation strikes the earths surface and is reflected into the atmosphere as long wave radiation. These radiations carry less or slow energy with them.

The heat energy emitted by long wave radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases like water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone, and methane, which prevents it from escaping into the outer space. Greenhouse gases account for only 1 percent of the Earths atmosphere; they play a great role in moderating the planets climate by trapping heat and maintaining it, thereby forming a warm-air mantle that encases the earth.

This occurrence is what scientists regard as global warming or the greenhouse effect. Scientists believe that greenhouse effect has contributed to stabilizing the average temperatures on the earth surface by nearly 30 degrees Celsius (54 degrees Fahrenheit), which is very too far from supporting the planets existing current flora and fauna (Shellenberger).

The link between human kind and the Greenhouse Effect/global warming

Global warming is an important ecological precondition for life on the planet Earth. In this case, the greenhouse effect is crucial for the survival of flora and fauna as aforementioned above.

Global warming is not always harmful to creatures on earth; woes only start if human activities alter and hasten the natural process by emitting additional greenhouse gases in the environment than are required to warm the planet to a standard temperature. The relationship between mankind and global warming is that of causal-effect and effect causal. In other words, man contributes to global warming, and global warming contributes to mans environmental and health problems.

Man contributes to greenhouse effect /global warming in the following ways; firstly, Combustion of fossil fuel; man has continued to use natural gas, coal, and oil -including petrol for car engines-increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the air or environment. Secondly, agricultural practices such as farming and land-use alterations have raised the amount of methane and nitrous oxide.

Thirdly, industrial activities, for example, a lot of industries emit industrial gases that do not break up easily and hence stay in the environment for many years. These are artificial gases produced by the man that are no naturally occurring in the ecosystem. These gases play a part in immensely in increasing the greenhouse effect and global warming. Fourthly, indiscriminate cutting down of trees, in the long run, may lead to global warming.

Trees take in carbon dioxide and exude oxygen, which gives rise to the most favorable gases in the atmosphere. Continued logging activities for wood or wood products, felling of trees to pave the way for farming, has left very few trees to perform this important role. Finally, rapid population growth is further contributing to global warming.

Simply, when many people make use of fossil fuels for energy, transportation, and production processes, the amount of greenhouse gases in the air keeps on rising. As more and more farming activities take place to produce food for billions of individuals who born day in day out, additional greenhouse gases go in the environment. Extra greenhouse gases imply extra long wave radiations confined and maintained, which slowly raises the temperature of the globe and the air in the lower layers of earth (Shellenberger)

The Average Global Temperature

Nowadays, it is believed that the planets temperature is rising at an extraordinary rate. To shed light on how fast global warming is taking place, mull over this observation made in the 20th century. It was discovered that the average world temperature rose by nearly 0.6 degrees Celsius (slightly above 1 degree Fahrenheit).

Applying, computer climatic methods, scientists, have approximated that by the year 2100 the average world temperature will rise by 1.4 degrees to 5.8 degrees Celsius (almost 2.5 degrees to 10.5 degrees Fahrenheit) (West n.d). However, some scientists disagree with this line of thinking. In spite of the many conventional scientists have the same opinion that global warming is a grave dilemma that is becoming progressively worse, some scientists oppose the view point or differ about global warming.

One such scholar who ascribes to a dissimilar opinion is John Christy, a professor, and director of the Earth System Science Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. John Christy is an esteemed climatologist who claims that global warming should not send shivers across the world (Carey). Christy arrived at this view after examining millions of observations from weather satellites in an attempt to unearth world temperature pattern.

He discovered no indication of global warming in the satellite information and accepted as true that forecasts of global warming to the average of 10 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the 21st century are not correct. Scientists have come to a consensus that, just a slight rise in the earth temperature would contribute to a noteworthy climate and weather alterations. Firstly, it will negatively impact on cloud cover, precipitation, wind patterns, the frequency and severity of storms, and the period of seasons.

Secondly, increasing temperatures would lead to rising sea levels consequently, gradually slowing down supplies of fresh water because of increased flooding along coastlines globally and thus saline water making its way in the inland. Secondly, most of the planets endangered species would become disappear because of the increasing temperature that changes their home.

Thirdly, thousands of people also would be impacted negatively, mainly the poor people who live in dangerous environments or rely on the land for survival or their livelihoods. Fourthly, various vector-borne infections carried by animals or insects, like malaria, are predicted that will be experienced in places never experienced before as it is projected more and more areas will become warmer. These warm conditions are a favorable environment for the insects to thrive

Carbon Dioxide discharges are the greatest challenge

Today, carbon dioxide is responsible for over 60 percent of the artificial greenhouse effect caused by the rise in the levels of greenhouse gases, and the amount of carbon dioxide in the environment is rising by over 10% after every 20 years. With the current emissions of carbon dioxide expected to persist at that rate, it follows that the amount of the gas in the environment is likely to increase twofold, or perhaps increase three times today, compared to the amounts in the pre-industrial period.

Global warming is unavoidable

According to the United Nations, global warming is by now unavoidable because of discharge from industries that have happened since the emergence of the Industrial Revolution. It is hypothesized that the planets climate does not react fast to peripheral alterations; scores of scientists agree that global warming up to date has gained momentum because of the activities of over 15 decades of industrialization in various countries around the globe.

Consequently, climate change will keep on shaping life on the planet Earth for millions of years, albeit greenhouse gas releases are decreased and the rise in atmospheric amounts curbed. Mankind is, therefore endangered when it comes to effects of global warming on the survival of mankind.

Measures to reduce global warming include:

1. 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle: people should minimize wastes by selecting reusable materials as opposed to those which can be discarded. They should purchase products with minimal packaging materials as this will assist in trimming down waste.
2. Fewer Heat and Air Conditioning: the citizens should install insulation materials to their walls and attic, as well as weather stripping or caulking around doors and windows. This will go along way in reducing costs by over 25 percent, and also minimize the amount of energy. Simple practices like setting heat low while sleeping is also vital
3. Substitute Bulbs: if possible, changing normal light bulbs with efficient fluorescent light (CFL) tubes can help to save power consumed. Using one 60-watt incandescent light bulb with a CFL will cut costs by $30 for the entire lifespan of the florescent. CFLs are more durable compared to incandescent bulbs. For instance, in the U.S., if all families switched from the regular light bulb to a CFL, it is believed that it can help cut down greenhouse gases emissions by more 90 billion pounds, which is equal to removing 7.5 million cars off the road (West n.d).
4. Driving effectively: Less driving implies less emission. A part from cutting cost on fuel, walking, and bicycle riding are vital ways of exercising. Individuals identification and knowing their community mass transit systems, and selecting alternatives such as carpooling to work. Citizens need to ensure that the tires as well inflated to ensure the car is operating on optimal. Walking does not necessarily reduce (Block 45).
5. Purchase of Energy-Efficient cars and products: Inculcating the behavior of buying cars and home appliances that use energy effectively is very important. Awareness creation must be made to ensure citizens shun away from materials that have been packaged using excess materials and avoid the use of plastics that cannot be recycled.

In conclusion, to minimize some of the lasting impacts of global warming, many countries, societies and citizens are taking steps to minimize greenhouse gas releases and gradually reduce greenhouse effect by the diminishing over-reliance on fossil fuels, stepping up efforts the use of renewable energy sources, re-a forestation and a forestation programmes, and promoting sustainable development and lifestyles.

Taming global warming or greenhouse gases on the road is a collective responsibility. Every citizen all over the globe can aid to lessen the need for fossil fuels, eventually curbing global warming, by consuming energy efficiently (Anup n.d)

Introduction

A large percentage of people have continuously ignored scientific attests on the severity of global warming. According to research, the large-scale intervention will effectively counteract global warming effects. Environment advocates accentuate public to participate in all initiatives to counteract environmental degradation due to global warming.

Dire messages about the impending chaos and unpredictable catastrophe seem to bring minor efforts. More so, although man activities have continued to elevate the greenhouse effect and global warming, they are frequently disregarded (Lindzen 5). Undoubtedly, global warming is a dramatic problem. The solution to this problem lies in everyone through the adoption of a responsible lifestyle.

Such solution ranges from daily activities at home to complex government initiative such as carbon trading to minimize these effects. This paper endeavors to delineate the history of global warming, the causality and every potential revelation towards the diminution of the impacts of global warming.

The History of Global Warming

Scientists predict that the planet will get warmed by 1.1 and 6.4 Celsius in the next 100 years due to global warming. Economists rate the effect to cost 20% of World GDP. Such threat brings the urge to comprehend the history of global warming theoretically, and the evidence that supports it (Lindzen 5).

It is over 100 years since global warming was discovered. This was by a Swedish Scientist, Svante Arrhenius, in 1896. Other researchers also discerned that human activities were degrading atmosphere by adding Carbon dioxide to the air; consequently, warming the earth.

The conclusion became common as another research demonstrated that the decreased carbon dioxide was the causality for the ice ages. This theory still stands up to date. The 1987 Antarctic Vostok ice score results confirmed the theory that atmospheric carbon dioxide had a pivotal role in controlling global climate. However, the notion lacked popularity then.

This was because the scientists of that time felt the influences were due to other factors too such as ocean circulation and sunspots and argued that though human activities had influences, they were insignificant when compared to geology and astrology forces (Weart 1). The idea became reinforced in the 1940s. However, then there was fear that the next great ice age generation was about to occur.

Several factors led to recognition and acceptance of global warming, including the honey stick upturn of global temperature in early 1980s, increased knowledge about the past climate, the advanced technology that would facilitate prediction of future changes, the emergence of environmental awareness and the realization by the politicians and economists on the potential threats bestowed by climate change (Weart 1).

Global Warming Causality

The greenhouse effect is the major cause of global warming. Earths atmosphere is made up mainly of three primary gases namely oxygen (20.95%), nitrogen (78.09%) and argon (0.93%). These gases have high absorption rates. Therefore, they allow a controlled amount of energy to reach and leave the earth.

However, there are traces of rare gases such as methane, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, chlorofluorocarbons and ozone that cause the greatest effect on our climate. These trace gases are often referred to as the greenhouse gases or Radiately Important Trace Species (RITS). These gases alter the normal gas concentrations in the atmosphere.

RITS allows heat radiated from the sun to pass through to earth and also trap emitted heat. The increase in greenhouse concentration has lowered the atmosphere heat absorption and radiation rate, consequently, allowing most of the light to reach the earths surface (Newell and Pitman 1003).

Green gas house effect has been fully attributed to human activities. Carbon dioxide is one of the green gases that warm the atmosphere. Research indicates that Carbon dioxide gas concentration has been on the rise since the pre-industrial times. The increase was estimated to be 280 parts to 380 parts per million (ppm).

From various sources, human activities such as burning fossils and deforestation are the major cause of global warming. Deforestation is carried out to create land for use. Deforestation is also done due to many reasons, including urbanization, settlements and agriculture practices such as wetland rice cultivation, livestock rearing, artificial fertilization of nitrogenous waste and solid waste landfilling (Nordhaus 4).

Other arguments indicate that human activities are not wholly responsible. Arguably, carbon dioxide has natural sources such as volcanoes and exhales from other animals. It is evident that natural processes emit large quantities of carbon dioxide. However, they also remove it at an almost identical rate.

The fingerprint shows scientists that the major share of additional carbon dioxide accumulation is from burnt fossils. A significant amount of carbon dioxide emissions comes from energy production. This may include industries and transport system. Therefore, the industrialized nations contribute carbon dioxide to the atmosphere (Xianlai 1876).

Potential Ways to Mitigate Global Warming

Strikingly, global warming has macroeconomic effects. These effects are impacted in fields such as agriculture where production has declined substantially. As a result, there is an increase in world food price. Consequently, famine is experienced especially in the developing world.

The rise in sea levels has resulted in increased losses due to floods, the property destroyed and in relocating the displaced refugees. Such costs are obtained primarily from the tax payers money. Other associated problems include water shortages, health-related complications such as malnutrition, hypertension among other diseases (Newell and Pitman 1003).

These effects need interventions. Interventions to mitigate potential global warming can be personalized, and government based. Personalized interventions include adopting lifestyles that emit a minimal amount of greenhouse gases. These activities would include the use of compacted fluorescent light bulbs, recycling of waste from home such as shopping bags, walk or cycle for short distances, or even sharing cars to reduce net emissions.

More so, deforestation should be stopped. The environmental activist Prof. Wangari Mathai had continuously encouraged tree-planting activities. Governments too should play a part in conserving the land by protecting government lands such as Forests and water catchment areas (Anon. 3).

International efforts to curb global warming include the establishment of non-governmental associations such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change (ICCP) and the Kyoto protocol. Such organizations have laid down policies and regulations to member countries to reduce the amount of RITS emission.

They have also incorporated the aspects of carbon trading and carbon taxes where countries can trade carbon units and for countries that defy the set regulations respectively (Xianlai 1876). Other organizations view population control as another means of mitigating global warming.

This can be done via family planning, reduction of nationalistic politics, and community-based education on the dangers of overpopulation about global warming. It has been evidenced that population size impact differently on countries and in the production of anthropogenic greenhouse gases.

The other alternative is carbon sequestration. Cutting down the level of industries to reduce greenhouse gases will affect the economy and lifestyles of many. Therefore, an alternative must be reached. Geo-engineering is one of the ways suggested by scientists. It involves tinkering with the climate. Various researches have been funded by the U.S. government, especially on those that study on ways to pump carbon dioxide into coal seams.

Some idea that has been reached is plankton boom. The tiny ocean plants are known to absorb carbon dioxide. However, its growth is limited by low iron rates. Such studies will facilitate the reduction of greenhouse gases thus mitigating global warming. Such and other marine organisms will provide the blue carbon sinks (Coast track 1).

Future Forecast

From the brief discussion above, there is strong evidence that points to human activities as the main contributor to greenhouse gases emissions. The sophisticated technology and powerful computer models suggest major climatic changes to occur by the end of the 21st century.

Estimates have been made on the consequences of global warming but in reality, it is very difficult to do such prediction as impacts on one area will have an indirect influence on the other. More so, the climate is complex, and many uncertainties arise to properly predict the future outcomes.

Researchers argue that they have enough knowledge about climate to sufficiently make useful long term forecasts about global warming. However, there are suggestions that scientist predicts that the planet will get warmed by 1.1 and 6.4 Celsius in the next 100 years due to global warming. Economist rate the effect as cost 20% of World GDP (Leiserowitz 6).

To provide forecasts that are useful, the following should be put into consideration; temperature changes, the effects of any temperature changes and the effects of feasible proposed policy changes.

Conclusion

It is incontestable that global warming poses a great threat to society at large. Undoubtedly, global warming is a dramatic problem. The increased technology and industrialization are creating more harm to the universe. These effects include water shortages, agricultural productivity, human health, and civil conflict. The challenge of coping with global warming is very difficult because of its diverse disciplines in society.

Ecologists view it as a threat to the ecosystem, marine biologists worry about the acidification of the ocean, economists and politicians view it as a challenge or an opportunity. It is, therefore, upon everyone to adopt sustainable life lifestyles.

Such solution ranges from daily activities at home to complex government initiative such as carbon trading to minimize these effects. This paper endeavored to delineate the history of global warming, the causality and every potential revelation towards the diminution of the impacts of global warming. More discoveries on environmentally friendly technologies should be adopted.

Works Cited

Anon. Global warming. Columbia University, 2010. Web.

Coast track. Issues and challenges in coastal management. Blue carbon. Introduction and concept on the roles of mangroves in Blue carbon, 2011.

Leiserowitz, Antony. Climate change in the American Mind: Americans Global warming beliefs and attitudes. George Mason University center for climate-change communication, 2010. Web.

Lindzen, Richard. Global warming: how to approach the science; fourth international conference on climate change. Fourth International Conference on Climate Change, 2011. Web.

Newell, Ben, and Pitman, Andrew. The psychology of global warming improving the fit between the science and the message. American Meteorological Society Journal 91 (2010): 1003-1014.

Nordhaus, William. Economic aspect of global warming in a post- Copenhagen Environment. Department of Economics, Yale University, 2010. Web.

Weart, Spencer. A hyperlinked history of climate change science. The discovery of global warming, 2010.  

Xianlai, Zeng. Integrated solid waste management under global warming. The open waste Management Journal 3.1 (2010): 13-17. Web.

Global warming is a term used to describe the results of man-made pollutants that are offsetting the naturally occurring greenhouse gases of the planet which causes an increase in the average global temperature. It is a subject that attracts great debate and causes tumultuous arguments worldwide. According to all scientific studies conducted, if the manifold sources of greenhouse gasses such as factories, power plants and automobiles are not severely reduced soon, the weather systems on earth will obliterate life as we know it in the relatively near future. The question of global warming has been a subject of discussion in some publications that attempt to describe what is happening and to suggest ways that we, ordinary citizens, might help make a change.

Global warming starts when sunlight enters the atmosphere and hits the earths surface. Since life began, not all of the suns solar energy is absorbed by the planet because almost a third of it is reflected back to space. Atmospheric gases work like the glass of a greenhouse to trap some of the solar energy that would have been reflected and then heats the earth enough to support life (Gilman, 1989). It is a delicate balance to get just the right temperature but man-made sources are adding more of these gasses into the air which works to increase the temperature.

Global warming is proved by the well-documented obliteration of the glaciers in the artic and the less recognized thermal expansion of the oceans. Thermal expansion is surmised by measured increases in sea levels over the last century (Trenberth, 1997). A reduction of snow cover and ice will have important consequences for locations at higher latitudes that depend on these as sources of water that now runs downhill much faster and for places at lower elevations that will tend to get drowned under the extra water, especially in the winter and spring months. It is also assumed that cloud composition will change which could amplify the greenhouse effect. Wanton changes may occur in vegetation patterns, changing the types of plants that can be grown in different regions, which will force changes in human adaptations. The evaporation rate will be increased which will speed the drying effect of soil between rainfalls which will result in drier conditions in many regions. This faster water recycling rate will also cause heavier rainfall amounts and increases in the number of extreme rainfall events experienced each year. Higher and heavier rainfall combined with higher temperatures will cause increased tropical storm intensity (Trenberth, 1997).

One solution to the global warming issue is to create cleaner cars by using alternative fuels. Some possible forms of alternative fuels are vegetable oil which can be substituted for diesel fuel and ethanol as an effective gasoline additive (Science Daily, 2009). These kinds of bio-fuels are made from easily replenished plant sources and release no pollutants into the air.

Energy from hydrogen is also an environmentally friendly gas. The benefit of hydrogen is that it only produces water vapor which would perhaps help the planet but it is not yet widely available and distribution would be a problem (Alternatives to Oil, 2002). But having cleaner cars is not going to solve the problem alone. There also needs to be a new approach to how we power our homes and businesses. Geothermal energy comes directly from the earth as steam and can be used for less complex or mobile applications. In thousands of homes and buildings across the United States, geothermal heat pumps use the steady temperatures just underground to heat and cool buildings, cleanly and inexpensively. Geothermal energy has the potential to play a significant role in moving the United States (and other regions of the world) toward a cleaner, more sustainable energy system (Geothermal Energy, 2006). Solar power is used to power everything from homes and businesses to vehicles. It is an abundant, non-polluting and free energy resource as long as the sun shines (Solar Generation, 2003). Solar power is a prime choice in developing an affordable, feasible, global power source that can substitute for fossil fuels in all climate zones around the world (Solar Generation, 2003).

Oil and coal have served us well over the last few centuries. It is clear that without these resources, the innovations of the industrial age would not have happened and the populations of the world would still be mostly agrarian. They have been the lifeblood of our economy for so long that it is hard for us to think about letting them go, especially when not all are convinced of the dire consequences of their use. However, even these people con recognize that these types of fossil fuels are limited and very costly, particularly in light of the nearly decade-long wars the United States has been fighting in the Middle East. It seems clear that if we choose not to do anything to reduce the use of materials that contribute to global warming, or keep trying to insist that a problem does not exist, it will soon no longer be a question of if, but when, the planet will no longer sustain life as we know it today.

Works Cited

Alternatives to Oil. Disposable Planet? BBC News UK. (2002). Web.

Geothermal Energy: Tapping the Energy in the Earths Core. Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI). (2006). Web.

Gilman, Robert. Whats Wrong with the Climate? In Context. (1989). 2009. Web.

Science Daily. (2009). Web.

Solar Generation Report. Greenpeace. (2003). Web.

Trenberth, Kevin E. Global Warming: Its Happening. National Center for Atmospheric Research. (1997). 2009. Web.

Introduction

Since the industrial revolution took place, it has been observed that there has been a steady and gradual increase in temperature at the earths lower atmosphere and this global warming is the result of a natural process called the greenhouse effect. Visible, shortwave light from the sun travels through the medium of greenhouse gases composed mostly of water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Infrared radiation from the planets surface is reflected away from the earths surface towards space, but some portion of it is kept trapped and reflecting towards the earth by the blanket of greenhouse gases around the earth (CE, 2007). As a result, the planet is kept at a moderate temperature that is suited for living things. However, with the advent of industrialization and advanced transportation methods, there is an increased number of gases in the earths atmosphere, as gases such as chlorofluorocarbons are added to natural greenhouse gases. As a result of additional gases, more heat is trapped and the earths average temperature climbs up steadily. It is predicted that global warming can cause the melting of polar ice which in turn would lead to a rise in sea levels and coastal flooding, cause problems to drinking water supplies; changes in agriculture due to climate change; destruction of ecology; more natural hazards and increased occurrence of tropical diseases (CE, 2007). Global warming is said to be caused mostly by burring of coal and petroleum products, deforestation, increased cattle production, and the use of fossil fuels. The UN Conference on Climate Change, held in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997 focussed on creating an international agreement to fight global warming, by reducing greenhouse gases in developed countries. Though the Kyoto Protocol was not universally accepted by the developed countries, it provided the first framework for fighting global warming.

The significance of the Original Kyoto protocol

The United States was found to be the main contributor towards greenhouse gases producing about one-fourth of the worlds total production. According to the Kyoto Protocol, Annex I countries have to agree to reduce their total GHG emissions in comparison to their emissions in 1990. To be more precise, they had to reduce their total GHG emissions by about 5% on average for the period 2008-20012. Annex I countries include the US, Eastern, and Western Europe, Russia and Ukraine, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. The Kyoto Protocol is very significant because it paved the way for an international treaty to fight global warming, which came into force in 2005 after ratification by more than 125 nations.

US President Bushs rejection of Kyoto proposal and his own know how proposal

President Bush was against the Kyoto Protocol and he expressed his protest even in the 2000 Presidential election campaign. He talked about the inherent weaknesses in the Kyoto protocol such as its failure to recognize the pollution caused by developing countries such as China and India. However, the public was more in support of the Kyoto protocol as they felt it was pro-environmental and against global warming. Since the public supported the Kyoto Protocol, candidate Bush was forced to obscure his position on the issue by pledging that if he was elected he would label carbon dioxide as a power plant pollutant. He even accepted that global warming is a serious issue in the national television debate in October 2000. When President Bush assumed office, EPA administrator Christine Todd Whitman declared in the Senate in February 2001 that there would be limits imposed on greenhouse gas emissions. But Republican senators such as Helms opposed the setting of such limits. In March 2001, Bush openly expressed his disapproval of the Kyoto Protocol despite the fact he understood the seriousness of global warming. He wrote that he did not believe in government restrictions on power plants. By making his position clear on the issue, President Bush raised the issue into an international legal context. He was widely criticized for his opposition to the Kyoto Protocol. In July 2001, at the global warming conference in Bonn, major blocs such as the European Union and Japan came together and signed the Bonn Agreement to take steps to reduce global warming (Tiefer, 2004). These countries were shocked by the stance of President George Bush.

President Bush formulated a new domestic plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. His proposal focussed on the carbon intensity of the economy rather than on the emissions. He asked generators of carbon dioxide to reduce their emissions increase to one third the rate of economic growth and thus he linked voluntary emission reductions to economic output (Rabe, 2004, p. 14). Many observers felt this proposal was meaningless as the number of greenhouse gases generated in proportion to one unit of economic activity had been steadily decreasing since the mid-nineteenth century and there was no need for any government support to keep it declining. However, President Bush made some changes to existing voluntary and incentive programs to reduce GHG emissions. He excluded carbon dioxide from a related proposal aimed at the reduction of conventional pollutants. According to Bushs energy plan, there would be an expansion of using coal energy in power generation plants, intensification of oil exploration, and a likely increase in the use of fossil fuel to maintain standards of motor vehicle fuel efficiency. Hence, the Bush plan tried to mitigate the possibility of federal efforts to reduce GHG emissions shortly (Rabe, 2004).

The Russian approach, signing of the proposal, and following changes in the international approach to climate change, before the 2005 United Nation Climate Change conference

When the US withdrew from the treaty, the fate of the Kyoto Protocol became dependent on Russia which was responsible for 17% of total emissions. The Russian vote was very important for the treaty to become successful. The European Union tried to pressure Russia to sign the treaty. A minimum of 55 country signatures was needed from the states responsible for 55 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in 1990. (Tulder and Zwart, 2006, p. 321). Russia ratified the Kyoto Protocol on 22 October 2004 and it came into effect officially on 16 February 2005 involving 128 countries  though it was delayed by seven years and did not include the US. Putin and Russia are considered as saviors of the Kyoto Protocol (Tulder and Zwart, 2006).

The justification (or not) of problems involving the exclusion of developing countries in particular China and India

Under the Kyoto Protocol, industries in the United States had to reduce emissions of mercury, sulfur dioxide, and nitrous oxide. Studies show that this can be very expensive and time-consuming. Based on 1990 levels, it was found that the United States was the worlds largest emitter of greenhouse gases  producing over 36% of calculated carbon dioxide emissions  5 million metric tons. The Kyoto Protocol was based on countries that had high emission levels in 1990 and did not include developing countries like China, India, Indonesia, Brazil, and Nigeria which are projected to increase their share of global greenhouse gas emissions in the NEA future. These countries are not under any obligation to reduce their GHG emissions by the Kyoto Protocol and have not accepted any limits shortly. The fact that these developing countries have been exempted from the Kyoto Protocol has raised the fear that American companies might be at a competitive disadvantage and environmental gains might be offset by economic disadvantages and emissions by developing countries (Kowalski, 2004). President Bush has mentioned the exclusion of these countries as one of the reasons why he opposes the Kyoto Protocol. In his words I oppose the Kyoto Protocol because it exempts 80 percent of the world, including major population centers such as China and India. While this accusation may sound justified, it is important to take into account the fact that in these countries, the per capita carbon dioxide emission is very small compared to those in the US. The GHG emissions in the US are ten times that of China and 25 times that of India and their aggregate contributions to the problem are less than that of the US. Statistically speaking, China and Indias combined carbon dioxide emissions were 9% of the global total compared with the USs 30 percent (Vig and Faure, 2004, p. 264). Some figures show that China has been able to reduce its GHG emissions in the late 1990s based on its awareness of the problem. Hence it is not right of President Bush to blame poor countries for greenhouse gas pollutions.

The 2005 Montreal conference. What were the significance and output of this conference, positive and negative, promising and disappointing?

The 2005 Montreal conference was held over two weeks and focused on climate change. It included two meetings: The Meeting of the Parties of the Protocol (MOP)  including developed countries that had agreed to the Kyoto Protocol and The Eleventh Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP 11) that involved the whole world  189 member countries of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (Shah, 2005). In this meeting, several implementation plans regarding the Kyoto Protocol were reconfirmed including emissions trading, joint implementation, and clean development mechanisms. A new working group was set up to discuss future commitments after 2012 and a plan has been set up for having second round discussions for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (20132017). Such discussions may resolve the conflicts involving China and India. Other issues addressed in the conference included helping poorer countries achieve their development goals, ways to adapt to climate changes, the use of technology to develop solutions, and exploration of market-based opportunities (Shah, 2005). The main strengths of the Montreal conference have been that it included developing country commitments such as India and China. The conference emphasized that the Kyoto Protocol will continue with or without the support of the United States and launched a four-track approach under the Kyoto Protocol and under the UNFCCC to be implemented after 2012. The Montreal Conference also ensured that the Marrakech Accords were adopted in full making it possible for the key actions of the Kyoto Protocol to progress further (Morgan, 2006). The COP/MOP approved and adopted methods for compliance on fairgrounds by setting up compliance bodies with elected members. The CDM that was created to assist developed countries to follow the Kyoto Protocol by helping them invest in developing countries was strengthened by the allotment of more funds and provision of a basis for increasing the number of projects approved (Morgan, 2006). The Eleventh Conference of Parties created a five-year program for informing developing and least developed countries about the impact and problems of global warming and what measures can be taken to protect the environment (Morgan, 2006).

The weakness of this program is that there are no specific adaptation activities on the ground to protect the livelihoods of the local people. One of the serious disappointments of the Montreal conference was that the United States attended the first meeting as an outsider and its delegates tried to disturb the implementation and talks on future emission reductions. It is to the success of the conference that the meeting ended with the Kyoto Protocol fully operational and nations promising to work on meeting the targets and set further controls beyond 2012 after negotiations.

The solutions make a lot of sense from the scientific, political, and environmental sustainability points of view. The meeting has signaled an international awareness of the problem of global warming and it has paved a way to counter the problem. If the political and industrial worlds trusted the scientific findings they would cooperate and work together with commitment and planning. The Kyoto Protocol and the Montreal Conference have encouraged a huge amount of study, planning, collaboration, and concern even in the private sector. Many countries in Europe and elsewhere are not aware of the dangers of global warming and are planning to reduce emissions even beyond what is required of them through the Kyoto Protocol. Scientifically speaking to hold temperature change this century to less than an additional 2o F, total global CO2 output must decrease by half before 2050, and then that level must be maintained despite population growth. Politically, as most of the CO2 comes from the developed countries, they need to be responsible and allow lesser developed countries to raise their standards of living. The Kyoto approach of ranking the worlds nations according to their population, economy, and carbon emissions is not the only possible model for cutting down GHG emissions. There can be other models such as the contraction and convergence model which allows all nations to contribute equally to the solution. By estimating the amount of GHG that would be a safe level in the atmosphere, nations must move towards it based on equal distribution of emissions per person (Braasch, 2009). In the research paper titled Environmental Sustainability and Analysis By Michael K. Ewert (2006), Johnson Space Center discusses efforts that can be taken by companies to promote environmental sustainability. According to Ewert, natural resources such as air, water, and food are becoming in short supply and there is a lot of waste being produced by businesses. He suggests that by combining heat- and power-generation systems for the supply of electricity and heat, there would be less waste; increasing efficiency of refrigerators and freezers can prevent damage to the ozone layers and must be used in public places. He also suggests using fuel cells and solar panels can provide more electricity (Ewert, 2006) sustainably. Alisa Gravitz in her article in Yes! Magazine titled 12-Step Program to Stop Climate Change(2007) lists a framework to avoid the perils of global warming: by constructing new buildings with zero emissions; banning cutting of forest trees and planting tree saplings; controlling soil erosion; using conservative farming techniques; harnessing wind and solar power; increasing efficiency of existing coal plants and avoid building new ones; storing CO2 underground; promoting the use of zero-emission vehicles, etc. (Gravitz, 2007).

Conclusion

Environmental protection has so far been the prerogative of international meetings and government agencies. There have been many national and international laws passed to protect the environment in many ways. However, all the regulations have not stopped the world from facing global crises such as inadequate water, impure air, destroyed ozone layer, and diminishing fuel resources. Now, the time has come when there needs to be a joint effort to protect the land in such a way that the dangers of global warming are thwarted without causing danger to businesses the world over. This is possible only if companies the world over, develop long-term sustainable environmental strategies that can provide economic profit, social welfare, and a great public image.

Bibliography

Braasch, Gary (2009). Earth Under Fire: How Global Warming Is Changing the World. University of California Press, 2009

CE (Columbia Encyclopedia) (2007). Global Warming. Columbia University Press, 2007

Ewert K. Michael (2006). Environmental Sustainability and Analysis.

Gravitz, Alisa (2007). Commentary: 12-Step Program to Stop Climate Change. Yes! Winter 2007.

Kowalski, Kathiann (2004). Global Warming. Marshall Cavendish Publishers, 2004

Morgan, Jennifer (2006). The Montreal Climate Conference, Results and Next Steps. 2006.

Shah, Anup (2005). COP11Montreal Climate Conference. Global Issues.

Tiefer, Charles (2004). Veering right: how the Bush administration subverts the law for conservative causes. University of California Press, 2004

Tulder, Van Rob and Zwart, van der Alex (2004). International business-society management: linking corporate responsibility and globalization. Routledge Publishers, 2006

Vig, J. Norman and Faure, G. Michael (2004). Green giants?: environmental policies of the United States and the European Union. MIT Press, 2004

Awareness and concerns regarding health and environmental safety have been rising in the past years. It has been realized by the people that the environment has been damaged to such an extent that the proper action needs to be taken to save the environment from any further destruction.

Global warming has not been a new-fangled issue. This alarming situation has made people realize that the environment has been damaged well enough by human society and human society is the only solution provider to this issue. Since the mid-twentieth century, the earths temperature is rising near the air-water surface by 0.74 ± 0.18 °C. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has presented a report saying that this temperature rise has been because of the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases (Weart 23). The human activities that have been involved include the deforestation and burning of fossil fuels. The report also adds that during this century the earths surface temperature shall be rising further by 1.1 to 6.4 °C.

It has been anticipated that in the future years the sea levels will rise with the rising temperatures increasing the amount of precipitation along with the areas of the deserts with deforestation. Sea ice, glaciers are expected to retreat because of the rising temperatures. The highest temperatures are being anticipated in the Arctic in the next years (Houghton 56). Other events that have been anticipated in this case are the species extinctions, extreme weather, and most importantly the drastic changes in agricultural yields. It has been added in the report that if the greenhouse gas emission and fossil fuel burning is stopped even then the warming will continue as the oceans have a greater heat capacity. In addition to this, it has been noticed that the carbon dioxide in the air has a greater lifetime (Maslin 45).

To make people aware of the dangers and the hazards involved in burning fossil fuels, using the aerosol sprays in higher quantities, using diesel oils in their vehicles, which are leading to an increase in the greenhouse gases in the environment, an awareness campaign had been set up. A team of erudite researchers and professionals was arranged. It was realized that the campaign is an awareness campaign thereby a team of professionals had been arranged including environmental sciences researchers as some of the team members had been working for the environmental agencies.

Research had been with the help of these researchers and professionals, on the issue of global warming with the timeline of years as the period before the 21^st century till after the twenty-first century and the future. Thereby the past and present trends and the future implication had been analyzed and researched (Gore 12).

Strategies that had been adopted by the team were because the audience was to be made aware of the hazards and dangers associated with the increasing temperatures of the earths surface with an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases. In this case, some Global Warming posters had been designed and the audience who attended the campaign were to sign these posters thus the posters reflected the number of audiences that had been reached through this campaign. In addition to this, some of the famous music artists had been called thus the campaign leaves a strong effect on social media. Moreover, social platforms as Yahoo music, iTunes, Facebook, and Twitter were contacted to make sure that the web-based audience could also attend the campaign as they were asked to sign the posters online. An idea of the global petition had been given in this case and it was being followed by making use of the web-based social platforms and the online signing of the posters.

In this case, the audience that had been selected included the delegates who have been attending the climate change summit as well as the higher authorities from the environmental agencies. In addition to this, the researchers who were keenly showing interest in global warming and its hazards had been reached and invited to participate in the campaign. These erudite researchers can help add up to the research that has been done for the campaign. The general invitation posters, newspaper ads, and web-based advertisements.

For the campaign to be successful enough the funds were required and these had been planned to be collected from the fundraising that goes on during the campaigning. In addition to this, monetary assistance was asked from the state-owned environmental agencies and the government departments.

The campaign had been divided into three phases. The initial phase is the initial introduction of the campaign through the internet and advertisements. Further, the campaign will be adding concerts and international government agencies to increase the awareness to a higher level.

Analytical research and explanatory research have been seen to be helpful in many ways to increase the awareness that an audience has about issues as global warming. Campaigning can help to gather the target audience and make them aware of the issues on a deeper level with the correct and accurate data.

Works Cited

Gore, Albert. Earth in the balance: ecology and the human spirit. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2000.

Horner, C. Christopher. The politically incorrect guide to global warming and environmentalism: Politically incorrect guide. Regnery Publishing, 2007.

Houghton, Theodore, John. Global warming: the complete briefing. Edition 3. Cambridge University Press, 2004.

Maslin, Mark. Global Warming: Causes, Effects, and the Future: World life library. Voyageur Press, 2007.

Weart, R. Spencer. The discovery of global warming: New histories of science, technology, and medicine. Harvard University Press, 2004.

The modern world faced the problem of global warming which is considered to be the growth of Earths average temperature within oceans and air. It is necessary to underline the fact that this climate change has started to develop since the 20^th century and is still in a progressive state of continuation. The true causes of the greenhouse effect are still open to discussion; it should be stressed that there are some debates among the scientists arguing whether human activities or natural processes are the reasons for the global warming threat. By Climate Change Intergovernmental Panel, human activities are the central causes for the increase of greenhouse gas through the burning of fossil fuel, and deforestation. Nevertheless, according to some sources, the real effects of the natural changes are produced by the nature itself through some gases releases. So, the paper will investigate the key supporting argument as to the causes for global warming spreading based on natural and human processes analysis.

Following contemporary scientific analysis, the true causes for global warming are considered to be contradictory enough; it is necessary to underline the fact that human activities produce the most vivid effects on the changes in natural processes. The ecosystem, consisting of several living organisms, is under the threat of harmful influence produced through numerous human activities in a modern industrialized era. Climatologists state, that the beginning of global warming can be referred to as the nineteenth century, though in that period the problem was not considerably stressed in the society. They managed to investigate that human activities contributed to the enhancement of the greenhouse effect. It is necessary to underline the fact that the greenhouse effect impacts the Earths surface warming through several complex processes, such as gases, sunlight, and atmosphere practices (Horner, 2007).

The analysis of global warming effects should be based on the fossil fuels burning covering oil, coal, and natural gas; this human activity involves the land clearing introducing and causing some changes in the natural processes. The burning is the result of automobiles effects, as well as electric power plants and factories providing energy for office buildings and houses. Carbon dioxide, created as a result of fossil fuel burning, has the chemical formula of a greenhouse effect CO2, slowing the heat escape into space. The plants sponge CO2 from the air in the process of photosynthesis, as it is necessary for their food production. Speaking about land clearing, it is necessary to underline the fact it influences the CO2 buildup through reduction of the gas rate at which it is completely removed from the atmosphere, or through dead vegetation decomposition (Langdon, 2003).

It should be noted that scientists argued as to greenhouse gases increase providing no clear differences in the temperature fluctuations; according to their theory, global warming may be the result of natural processes. To explain this fact they highlighted the impact of the suns emitted energy (Global Warming Causes. 2005).

Nevertheless, pollution is recognized as one of the principal causes of global warming; it is necessary to underline the fact that environmental pollution, as well as air one, produces negative effects on natures health. The concentration of greenhouse gases in the air appeared to be the result of modern industrialization and technological progress. According to the report by Schweiger, being the president of the National Wildlife Federation, the problem of global warming is a sharp threat to the modern environment, It is our future that is now uncertain. It is past time to act and solve global warming with the urgency and determination with which Americans have successfully confronted other threats to our security and wildlife. (Schweiger, 2007) the problem of land use as the basic human threat to nature can be expressed through the following reasons:

• Nowadays a lot of agricultural practices have been introduced for animals breeding, cereals growing, as well as vegetables and fruits for human consumption; these practices develop the basic greenhouse gases, such as nitrous oxide and methane;
• Land clearance for human activities expansion;
• Tropical deforestation covering the firing of forests leading to the release of pollutants, for example, carbon dioxide (Houghton, 2004).

Speaking about natural causes of global warming in more detail, it is necessary to underline the idea that solar output changes lead to climate transformations and instability; according to scientific researches, the change in output even by 1% can become the cause for rapid alterations in the average temperature. Besides, it should be stressed that the changes in the Earths orbit characteristics around the sun and also, Earths axis tilt, can lead to the alteration of solar energy total amount received by the planet. As a result, the temperature changes as well. To understand the causes for the problem spreading it is necessary to underline the most important and influential anthropogenic greenhouse gases developed in nature and harming the environment; they are the following: methane (CO4), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and fluorocarbons (HFC). One of the most central gases is considered to be carbon dioxide; methane and nitrous oxide are referred to as the less harmful gases. Taking into account the calculations demonstrated by the scientists, the potential threat of the gases influence on the global warming development will be increased within the next one hundred years, disclosing the following figures:

• Methane  about 20%;
• Carbon Dioxide  73%;
• Nitrous Oxide  9%.

Despite the danger of gases impact outlined by the scientists, it is necessary to stress that not all greenhouse air pollutants provide a negative effect on global warming directly. It was proved that in the air they are transformed into other actual gases; thus, CO, carbon monoxide, can be changed into CO2, carbon dioxide, and produce an indirect contribution to climate warming. Besides, there are several precursor gases, being referred to as non-greenhouse gases; they are the following: nitrogen oxides, NOx, carbon monoxide, CO, and VOC, that is volatile organic compounds (Major Findings of climate change. 2006).

The neutralization of the global warming causes and consequences have been analyzed through the analysis of possible ways and methods aimed at global warming emissions reduction. So, the examination of the problem causes demonstrated the most profound impact of carbon dioxide on the development and spreading of the greenhouse effect. It is necessary to stress that the ways of the problem solution are closely connected with the lifestyle of the modern generation. By governmental considerations, the average footprint of carbon reaches about 42000 pounds annually. This figure is predominantly based on the setting and way of life; the first step in the problem solution is connected with switching to green power. It should be stressed that the production of conventional energy leads to air pollution. Per US Energy Department, green power kilowatt requires less than one pound of CO2. It is necessary to underline the fact that green electricity generated from solar energy, wind, and water is much better for the environment (Maslin, 2007).

The second step in the problem solution is based on insulation and sealing of duct system; the scientists explain that this measure influences the reduction of CO2, as well as costs spent for cooling and heating (Global Warming Solutions. 2008).

Then, fuel-efficient car driving can influence the reduction of hazardous gas in the air; this step will reduce the costs by 8000 pounds annually. Besides, it is necessary to replace the old water heater with the new efficient one. It is necessary to stress that heating water uses about 13% of typical energy, and the replacement can lead to CO2 reduction and more than 3000 pounds every year (Schneider, 1990).

People are to be concentrated on the heating temperature controlling; it was found out that the thermostat lowering will result in the energy cutting by 3%, which is very important for environmental protection. Scientists managed to identify the impact of air conditioners on the irrational usage of energy. Thus, they underlined the necessity to change it with the energy-efficient one, which will help to reduce CO2 emissions. It should be stressed that central air conditioning used in every house influences the affection of the released energy on greenhouse effect development. The usage of the new rational technology will help to save about 2000 pounds annually (Pringle, 2001).

The amount of CO2 is closely connected with fuel consumption without taking into account the vehicle; certainly, fuel economy is reached through the usage of sport-utility vehicles or compact family sedans. The fuel waste can be reduced by 33%; a 6% reduction can be reached through the appropriate usage of recommended motor oil.

It is necessary to underline the idea that technological development is an integral part of C2 release as well; so, Consumer Reports found out that letting the computer system sleep will economize the energy released and reduced more than 576 pounds of CO2 every year.

The final step of the global warming solution is connected with refrigerator and washing machine efficient energy release. To benefit the environment one is to use Energy Star qualified technologies reducing the emissions of CO2 by 25%. The purchase of the most efficient model can contribute to the growth of annual savings in energy release.

The paper managed to investigate the seriousness of the global warming problem, as well as its causes and possible solutions. One is to outline the principle idea of the research lies in the disclosure not only of human activities harm, but natural processes impact on greenhouse effect through the release of hazardous things in the atmosphere.

The paper managed to outline the key methods of neutralizing the problem based on human lifestyle change. People are to concentrate on the problems seriousness and its effects; the basic goal of humanity is to protect the environment we live in through policies and investments into economizing and rationality. The modern generation living in the period of industrialization is to be aware of global warming consequences and take measures to tackle the problem.

References

Global Warming Solutions. 2008. Environment: National Geographic.

Global Warming Causes. 2005.

Global Warming. 2008. World Book at NASA.

Horner, Ch. 2007. The politically incorrect guide to global warming and environmentalism. Regnery Publishing.

Houghton, J. 2004. Global Warming: the complete briefing. Third Edition. Cambridge University Press.

Langdon, K. 2003. Human Activity and Global Warming. Gift of Fire.

Maslin, M. 2007. Global Warming: Causes, Effects, and the Future. MBI Publishing Company LLC.

Major Findings about climate change. 2006.

National Geographic. 2007. Is Bleaching Corals Way of Making the Best of a Bad Situation?

Pringle, L. 2001. Global Warming: The Threat of Earths Changing Climate. Sea Star Books.

Schneider, S. 1990. Global Warming: are we entering the greenhouse century? James Clarke & Co.

Schweiger, L. 2007. Pollution Causing Global Warming. News and Views.

The causes of Global Warming. 2008.

Weart, S. 2003. The Discovery of Global Warming. Harvard University Press.