Category: Climate

Introduction

Luckily, the naturally occurring processes of geology concentrate on the minerals and metals that become valuable in human daily activities and convert them into forms that are useful of us. These processes enable people to take these minerals and metals out of the ground using less efforts and this is caused by the manner in which plate tectonics function naturally. Humans have been very successful species compared to other species and about 250,000 years ago, just a small percentage of human species resided on Earth.

However, in 2000, the Earths human population went above 6 million and the effects of this population on the planet are massive. The solar system consists of the five dwarf planets, eight planets, and the Sun, and their 174 identified moons, comets, and asteroids, where the planets, comets, and asteroids rotate around the Sun, which is the core of the solar system (Backma and Seeds 414). This paper discusses the process of plate tectonics, ways humans have altered the planet, and composition of the solar System.

Plate Tectonics and Natural Sciences

Certainly, it is only the natural series of ocean rifting and the movement of the ocean seafloor through the mantle, the plate movement above another plate in the mantle, and eventually the succeeding volcanism, which completes the process of plate tectonics to make minerals and metals valuable (Stille, Larson and Young 13).

For instance, gold contains around three parts per billion in crust of the earth and this is equivalent to 0.0000003% of the earths crust, and to create a welding band, it is required to break up and crustal rock, around 3000 tons, is used to extract these minerals and metals (Pani 137).

Unfortunately, this is impossible, but the processes of geologic have the capacity of performing this. These processes of plate tectonics concentrate minerals and metals using approaches that prevent people from performing the same. Currently, there are exemptions with such minerals, for example sand and gravel, which are found in adequate concentrations that people may use them directly from the earth surface.

For most metals and minerals, people require certain processes to concentrate these elements, and the atoms for bigger elements simply do not fit into the structures of the silicate minerals. When forming minerals, they should attain two measures, the electrical charge of dissimilar ions should balance to be zero, but the dissimilar sizes of the ions should be equal as well.

Accordingly, these elements are likely to be the first to dissolve and immediately depart a rock and in hydrothermal circulation across the mid-ocean ridge network, there is heat that brings about expansion of water and later emerges in the seafloor in forms of thermal chimneys or big smokers.

During the process, this pulls water towards the rock for a broad area that encloses the ridge and as the water goes into the rock, it starts to boil over and dissolves those elements that later leave the rock. Therefore, it focuses and concentrates all the heavy materials and are transformed into the hot liquid and as the liquid leaves the mid-ocean ridge, it becomes frozen and freezes or solidifies out to the ground (Silverstein and Silverstein 32).

Therefore, valuable minerals and metals are pulled out of mid-ocean ridge and are placed on the surface of the ocean seafloor. The ocean seafloor goes into a subduction zone that concentrates the elements even more and different sediments get pieced off and become these huge accretionary wedges found along the continents. After some time, probably within a continent collision, which accretionary wedge turns into section of a mountain range, and finally uncovered through erosion (Luongo 44).

Erosion process concentrates the minerals and metals even more and this makes plate tectonics very important course. A great quantity of more concentration happens through hydrothermal motion at the continental arc volcanoes or island arc volcanoes and seduction regions are luckily to contain the richest mineral and metal elements since the process of plate tectonics or geology processes occur around these zones.

Ways Humans have Altered the Planet

Human have changed almost 50% of the earth surface to use it for forestry (11%), farming (11%), grazing land (26%) and the remaining parts have been changed to other activities such as transportation, factories, and other human activities as well, which have altered availability and existence of natural resources (Spoolman and Miller 126).

They have also deformed the flow of around 75% of the natural rivers through creating artificial lakes and rivers for irrigation, hydroelectric power, and other commercial activities, as well as distorting natural ecology. The oceans have been altered by humans and even though they use just 8% of the main output of the oceans, two-thirds of sea fisheries have been exploited to their maximum or farther than expected.

Agricultural fertilizer, deforestation, human waste, overhunting, human forest encroachment, industrial emission, and other major and minor human activities have contributed to alteration of natural growth of plants and animals.

Climate has changed due to human daily activities and carbon dioxide has gained a bigger deal of concentration from different studies on climate change since it is a greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gasses absorb the heat discharged by the planet and this causes warming of the planet and atmosphere.

Methane is also greenhouse gas, but it is less profuse than carbon dioxide and some are more potent. Methane is mostly released from factories and makes only 1.8 ppm of the air, but it is around 20 times stronger as a greenhouse emission than carbon dioxide (Richardson, Steffen and Liverman 30).

Regardless of their minimal input to the composition of the air, greenhouse emissions have a great impact on climate change. With absence of greenhouse, the standard temperature on planet would be about 18 °C rather than a preferred 14 °C, and due to this strength, even small changes in their composition may have huge impact on temperature.

Through application of fertilizers for agricultural reasons, people have distorted nitrogen cycle, and the quantity of nitrogen going into the cycle is twice the amount in the last century. Humans now give 50% more to the nitrogen cycle than all other species combined and the occurrence of excess nitrogen has brought about undue growth, which has resulted to poor forest soils.

High nitrogen content in ocean brings about poisonous marine plants and creation of oxygen-free dead regions and through burning fossil fuels, people have raised carbon dioxide concentration in the planet by around 35% through pre-industrial stages, and raised the methane concentration in the planet by around 150% over natural stages (Maestripieri 992).

The use of fossil fuel is nearly connected with growing global temperatures and humans have gained huge impact on the lives of planets animals and plants. Since 1600, 656 plant species and 485 plant species have been wiped out and humans have brought about other animals and plant species to vanish from the planet, less directly, but simply as eternally through removing them from essential environment.

Composition of the Solar System

Several contributors of the solar system rotate around the Sun in a nearly spherical courses or orbits, and every planet rotates around the Sun in the anticlockwise path, if observed from the top. The Sun includes about 99.8% of the entire substances in the solar system, and the planets, which are compacted out of similar disk of elements that created the Sun, contain just 0.135 percent of the collection of solar system (Irwin 25).

Jupiter contains above 50% of the components matched up to other planets put together, and around 0.02 percent of the components found in the solar system are contained in satellites. The Sun, which contains almost all the elements in the solar system, is made up of around 98 percent helium and hydrogen, while Saturn and Jupiter have atmospheres that are made up of around 99 percent of helium and hydrogen (Encrenaz 83).

Solar system also contains composition gradients that are generated by light and heat force produced from the Sun and some substances, which are located near the Sun and are greatly affected by light and heat force, are made up of compositions with greater melting points and can be accommodated by these elements.

Elements that are far from the Sun are made up of matters with lesser melting points, and the border in the solar system where these unstable materials might condense is identified as the frost line and is found at 4 Astronomical Units from the Sun.

The elements of the internal solar system are made up mainly of rock, which is a joint term for compounds with greater melting points, which stay in solid forms in nearly all states in the photoplanetary nebula (Encrenaz 83).

Conclusion

The theory of plate tectonics supports in understanding how and where metals and minerals are formed and shows how plate tectonics essential in our daily lives. Some consider that this geological process is very important for the growth of humans, and might be employed in the future as a biosignature to identify livable regions.

Plate tectonics help in changing forms of metals and minerals to be more useful to human activities through the process of concentration. Lastly, plate tectonics describe mostly the major surface marks and activities on the planet. These are earthquakes, faults, hills, mountains, volcanoes, and even the foundation of the ocean basins and continents.

The severe effects of human activities on our natural environment depend mainly on the rate at which the population is growing and the growing needs, as well as the impact of existing waste disposal. In several cases, human effect on planet goes beyond that of all other species on Earth combined and now evident that the expectations and prospects of our Earth are in humans inexperienced hands.

Composition of the solar system includes five dwarf planets, eight planets, and the Sun, and their 174 identified moons, gas, comets, and satellites. The Sun consists most of the elements of the solar system and the planets have different composition of the elements of the solar system.

Works Cited

Backma, Dana and Michael Seeds. The Solar System. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.

Encrenaz, Thérèse. The Solar System. Paris: Springer, 2004. Print.

Irwin, Patrick. Giant Planets of Our Solar System: Atmospheres, Composition, and Structure. Oxford: Springer, 2009. Print.

Luongo, Charlotte. Plate Tectonics. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish, 2009. Print.

Maestripieri, Dario. Primate Psychology. International Journal of Primatology 26.4 (2005): 991-993. Print.

Pani, Balram. Textbook Of Environmental Chemistry. New delhi: I. K. International Pvt Ltd, 2007. Print.

Richardson, Katherine, Will Steffen and Diana Liverman. Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges and Decisions. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Print.

Silverstein, Alvin and Virginia Silverstein. Plate Tectonics. Minneapolis, MN: Twenty-First Century Books, 2009. Print.

Spoolman, Scott and G Miller. Living in the Environment. New York: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.

Stille, Darlene, Roger Larson and Terrence Young. Plate Tectonics: Earths Moving Crust. Menneapolis, MN: Compass Point Books, 2006. Print.

The concepts of climate and weather are closely related to each other; the key distinction between the two is that climate is attributed to a particular region and even a certain season, whereas weather is not (Lutgens and Tarbuck 339).

Among the six elements of weather, temperature, humidity, perspiration, atmospheric pressure, clouds and wind are traditionally listed (Lutgens and Tarbuck 340).

Despite the common myth about oxygen and air being the same substance, the actual percentage of this gas in the atmosphere of the Earth  or, at least, in the lower layers of the troposphere  makes around 20% (20,1%, to be more exact). Surprisingly enough, nitrogen makes most of the atmosphere (78,1%), the rest being filled by such elements as argon, neon, helium, and various compounds (CO2, CH4, etc.).

If the production of CFCs was miraculously stopped, it would take around a century for the ozone depletion to stop and the ozone layer to recover fully (NASA, NOAA Data Indicate Ozone Layer is Recovering para. 10).

Traditionally, four key layers are identified in the Earth atmosphere; these are the troposphere, the stratosphere, the mesosphere and the thermosphere. With the increase in height, the density of the gases and, therefore, the pressure, drops. The layer known as the exosphere is also mentioned often; however, since it borders space and contains gases at extremely low densities, it is often omitted (Lutgens and Tarbuck 341).

High temperature of the thermosphere is predetermined by the absorption of the solar radiation; the small amount of oxygen that the thermosphere contains is heated fast, releasing the kinetic energy through rapid movement of the molecules (Lutgens and Tarbuck 340).

Though the two words sound very similarly, the difference between them is huge. Revolution is the movement of a planet around the sun; for the Earth, for instance, it takes roughly 365 days and predisposes the change of seasons. Rotation, in its turn, is the movement of the planet around its axis; in the case with the Earth, takes 24 hours, while on Neptune, rotation takes about 16 hours (The Planet Neptune para. 2).

In summer, the angle at which the sun beams hit the Earth is much steeper. As a result, the refraction percentage is lesser and the temperature is higher.

Seasons:

The handle of a saucepan on the stove is heated due to the process known as thermal (or heat) conduction. The speed of heat conduction depends on the type of material; for instance, a wooden handle of a metal saucepan practically does not conduct heat (Lutgens and Tarbuck 351).

The length of microwaves is higher than that one of X-rays (1 mm compared to 0.1 nm) (Lutgens and Tarbuck 352).

On the Moon, the sky is black, since there is no atmosphere and, therefore, no possibility for sunlight refraction.

Greenhouse gases are the gases in the atmosphere, which emit radiation. Methane (CO4), carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O) are the most common greenhouse gases (Lutgens and Tarbuck 366).

Among the key effects of global warming, melting of ice capes, destruction of a range of ecosystems due to the increase in average temperature, and a steep rise in the global sea level can be expected (Lutgens and Tarbuck 378).

The difference in the climate of Winnipeg and Vancouver in summer is predetermined by their geographic location. Vancouver is located closer to the sea, the latter serving as a means to make the changes in temperature less noticeable, thus, serving as a means to bring the rates of thermal conduction down (Lutgens and Tarbuck 383).

Works Cited

Lutgens, Frederick K. and Edward J. Tarbuck. The Restless Ocean. Foundations of Earth Science. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. 2014. 339372. Print.

NASA, NOAA Data Indicate Ozone Layer is Recovering. 2003. Web.

The Planet Neptune. n. d. Web.

Introduction: Global Warming Is Coming

The issue of climate changes not new; it has already been on the agenda of the world ecologists in 1990s, and in 2010s, the issue seems to have gained a new significance. The phenomenon is traditionally defined as a process strongly affecting the water resources management as well as the flood frequency of the extreme events (Brocca, Camici, Tarpanelli, Melone and Moramarco 2011, p. 98) and is clearly affecting the environment, peoples health and even some of the economic processes. Despite the relatively slow speed of the global warming process, it is bound to have drastic effects, including the rise of sea levels and the following threat of floods, a drop in rates of human health (primarily, the development of respiratory diseases and the speed of spreading diseases) is expected relatively soon (). While the measures used currently in order to address the climate change process can be viewed as adequate, they can only postpone the negative effects that climate change triggers, yet can hardly prevent it.

The Major Problems and What They Ensue

Triggered by the process of global warming, the gradual climate change of the Earth does have a tangibly negative effect. Traditionally, several key results of the climate change process are identified. Among these, the destruction of the natural habitat (the melting of ice caps and the following increase in the number of floods, the destruction of tropical forests and their replacement by savannah, etc.), the health concerns (rise in respiratory diseases and disease spreading speed, etc.), and the possible issues with food supply (caused by the extinction of certain species due to the aforementioned habitat destruction) should be named. Though clearly not the only ones, these are the most threatening ones.

The Benefits and Flaws of the Key Strategy

Much to the credit of researchers, a range of measures for addressing the problem of climate change have been suggested. The existing measures of addressing the problem can be split into two key types, i.e., mitigation and adaptation. One of the most reasonable mitigation strategies, reforestation should be viewed as a viable opportunity for restoring the natural harmony. Reforestation, as opposed to deforestation, presupposes that the depletion of the existing woodlands and forests should be addressed and that new forests and woodlands should be grown. For example, Gray et al. claim that large-scale reforestation programs could be a potent and cost-effective climate change adaptation strategy (Gray, Gylander, Mbooga, Chen and Hamann 2011, p. 1591).

True, in some cases, reforestation may become a counterproductive tool, particularly, in boreal regions, since albedo cooling dominates over CO2 warming in boreal regions (Pongratz, Reick, Raddatz, Caldeira and Claussen 2011, p. 5). However, as a general strategy, the idea of replenishing the forest resources seems a legitimate solution to the climate change issue.

By referring the specified strategy to the mitigation category, one presupposes that its application will finally lead to the eradication of the negative aftermath of the climate change process. Indeed, a closer look at the strategy in question will reveal that it, in fact, attempts at reversing the effects of climate change.

The Supplementary Strategy and How It Works

Unlike the previous strategy, which creates the premises for eliminating the aftereffects of the climate change, this one, being an adaptation, involves the strategies for dealing with the possible consequences, not mitigating them. This explains the radical differences between the two strategies specified. The sustainability strategy is aimed at reducing the harmful impact of industries, as well as the use of natural resources. Supposedly, with the help of the sustainability principle employed into the operation of entrepreneurships, a range of areas, including tourism, and everyday life, the factors contributing to the climate change (i.e., CO₂ emissions, Freon emissions, etc.) will not have as much effect as they do now. For example, a factory producing toxic waste may adopt a less harmful strategy of waste disposal (reuse instead of landfill (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 2010, p. 9)). The specified strategy takes admittedly much time  in fact, it is lifelong  and may happen to lack efficiency. However, it is quite cheap; moreover, with an appropriate promotion campaign, it will become very feasible.

Naturally, this strategy may seem somewhat slow and even lacking in efficiency due to the fact that it does not prevent the effects of the climate change. However, in a number of ways, the specified strategy can be viewed as a more adequate one, since it does take the positive effects of the climate change into account, therefore, being less aggressive.

Conclusion: The Catastrophe Can Be Prevented

There is no point ignoring the fact that the climate change not only takes place, but also escalates at a comparatively fast pace. A range of strategies have been suggested for addressing the issue; while the idea of eliminating every single effect of global warming by putting a stop to the process sounds very alluring, the concept of adaptation may bring more satisfying results due to its flexibility. Therefore, the supplementary strategy, which is traditionally shoved at the bottom of the priorities list, seems the most appropriate manner of dealing with the climate change process.

Reference List

Brocca, L, Camici, S, Tarpanelli, A, Melone, F and Moramarco, T 2011, Analysis of climate change effects on floods frequency through a continuous hydrological modelling, Climate change and its effects on water resources, Springer Science & Business Media, New York, NY, pp. 97104.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 2010, A strategy for hazardous waste management in England, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Web.

Gray, L K, Gylander, T, Mbooga, M s, Chen, P-y and Hamann, A 2011, Assisted migration to address climate change: recommendations for aspen reforestation in western Canada, Ecological Applications, vol. 21, no. 5, pp. 15911603.

Pongratz, J, Reick, C H, Raddatz, T, Caldeira, K and Claussen, M 2011, Past land use decisions have increased mitigation potential of reforestation, Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 38, no. L15701, pp. 15.

By definition, climatology denotes the study of climate. Climate for its part refers to a set of weather conditions that characterize a given location (Monin, 1986). With these definitions in mind, theories of climatology refer to the ideas that attempt to explain some climatic phenomena. There are two well known theories in the field of climatology, which try to explain the global warming phenomenon. These include the Greenhouse Gas Effect Theory and the Theory of Cosmoclimatology. This essay is a summary of the latter.

Henrik Svensmark postulated the theory in 1995. It states that, if a higher magnitude of cosmic rays reaches the lower atmosphere, it becomes cloudier (Svensmark, 2007). Alternatively, if the magnitude of cosmic rays that reach the atmosphere is lower, cloud cover reduces (Svensmark, 2007). The first scenario implies that the increase in cloud cover causes a cooling effect in the atmosphere thereby lowering global temperatures. Similarly, a reduction in cosmic rays that reach the lower atmosphere and the subsequent reduction in cloud cover lead to higher atmospheric temperatures, which result in global warming. The cosmic ray count that reaches the atmosphere is regulated by the suns magnetic field (Svensmark, 2007). Variations in the earths magnetic flux either lower or increase the magnitude of cosmic rays reaching the atmosphere. At low altitudes of about three kilometers above the earths surface, cosmic rays cause increased ionization of the air in the atmosphere (Svensmark, 2007). In so doing, they release electrons, which catalyze the formation of particles that act as core basic elements of cloud nuclei. With the nuclei already formed, tiny water particles continue to gather around them to form clouds. Therefore, lower cosmic ray counts result in lower cloud forming activity.

References

Monin, A. S. (1986). An Introduction to the Theory of Climate. Houten, Netherlands: Springer.

Svensmark, H. (2007). Cosmoclimatology: A new theory emerges. Astronomy & Geophysics, 48(1), 1.18-1.24.

Introduction

The current situation of air pollution and climate change results in almost 7 million premature deaths yearly, making it a significant priority issue for several global health organizations. The state of the air pollution issue is worsened by the possibility of future change in climate that would end in increased frequency and duration of weather conditions that enhance air pollution exposure. This paper will define the importance of the issue, explore the issues history, analyze the impact the problem has on people in selected areas, and cover current efforts to overcome the issue.

The Importance of the Health impacts of Climate Change in China

Climate and environmental change have affected the people in China in a way that is not comparable with other countries. Although the research on the impact climate change could make on air quality is relatively new, the issue implies a significant risk in China. More than 7 million people die prematurely because of air pollution globally, and China numbers over one million of them (Hong et al., 2019). As the climate is related to the emission, transportation, and dispersion of pollutant emission, it also could interfere with various meteoritical conditions such as temperature, humidity rate, and wind (Orru et al., 2017). Climate change and reducing air quality could increase the number of cases of respiratory diseases like allergies, and asthma and worsen respiratory symptoms in patients suffering from chronic lung disease. Moreover, there are pieces of evidence that the air quality issue could be connected to cases of diabetes, rheumatic diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases (Orru et al., 2017). Although climate change could not directly impact the health conditions, in combination with air pollution, it will most likely increase air pollution-affected issues health.

The History of the Health Impacts of Climate Change in China

The future prognosis shows that climate change would significantly exacerbate future air pollution mortality compared to other countries. Hong et al. (2019) estimated that climate change would affect air quality for more than 85% of China in the middle of the century. Further prognosis shows that additional 12,100 or 8,900 Chinese would die per year due to ozone exposure and increased population-weighted average concentration of fine particulate matter. Although the climate change prognosis results could not compare to the aftermath of infectious diseases which appeared due to ecological changes, like SARS outbreaks, the summary of yearly results would exceed them (Liu et al., 2018). The changes could also negatively affect mortality in cases of aging populations in China. The implications of future climate change based on analysis of air circulation and temperature data suggest that extreme weather events would affect the air quality and especially the fine particulate matter concentration.

The Impacts of Climate Change in China on Populations Health

Climate change could affect various aspects of the life of Chinese people. Firstly, the rising of water and sea level could result in human migration, which is essential for health. Next, the change of surroundings implies encounters with different sets of allergens (Deng et al., 2020). Climate change could also impact housing conditions and changes in diet, which are essential for human health. Again, the concertation of fine particulate matter and secondary pollutants is closely related to allergic respiratory diseases.

The Ethical Considerations in the Cause of Climate Change in China

As a past world leader in greenhouse gas emissions, China constantly faced pressure for being one of the causes of climate change. Since 2008, the Chinese government took a proactive stance on climate issues and focused on a model of low-carbon development. Currently, China is considered one of the leaders in mitigating climate change (Engels, 2018). Engels (2018) emphasized the efficient improvements the Chinese government was able to make without the help of an authoritarian political regimen. As China implies a multi-leveled system of local and regional governments, a high level of delegation the effectiveness resulted in a coincidental alignment of interests. Engels (2018) notes that Chinese people resorted to e-mobility despite governmental disincentive plans regarding electric cars. Overall, one could say that Chinese people effectively participate in actions goal of environmental friendliness without pressure from the government, despite the popular opinion of the authoritarian political regime.

An Overview of Current Efforts to Overcome the Issue

Chinese governments development of a low-carbon approach is the most drastic change taken by the country among all CoP 21 Paris Agreement countries. The implementation of such strategic changes requires a significant amount of material recourse. Moreover, the controversy between the low-carbon goals and ways of implementing them will remain strong for an extended time (Engels, 2018). The process of decarbonization in the future will rely more on the engagement of the people. It is valuable to note that a significant amount of the Chinese population effectively participates in preventing climate change. Still, it is unknown if the nation could be united on issues of ecology without the pressure of authorities.

In conclusion, the problem of air pollution and climate change are closely related. Over one million people die prematurely in China due to air pollution, ozone exposure, and a high concentration of fine particulate matter every year. Although climate change could not directly affect the Chinese populations health, climate change interference could increase the number of respiratory system diseases, etc. The policy of low-carbon developments introduced by the Chinese government combined with participation from the people is set on cleaning the air from the concentration of fine particulate matter and greenhouse gas emissions.

References

Deng, S. Z., Jalaludin, B. B., Antó, J. M., Hess, J. J., & Huang, C. R. (2020). Climate change, air pollution, and allergic respiratory diseases: A call to action for health professionals. Chinese medical journal, 133(13), 15521560.

Engels, A. (2018). Understanding how China is championing climate change mitigation. Palgrave Communications, 4, 101.

Hong, C., Zhang, Q., Zhang, Y., Davis, S. J., Tong, D., Zheng, Y., Liu, Z., Guan, D., He, K., & Schellnhuber, H. J. (2019). Impacts of climate change on future air quality and human health in China. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116(35), 1719317200. Web.

Liu, Q., Xu, W., Lu, S., Jiang, J., Zhou, J., Shao, Z., Liu, X., Xu, L., Xiong, Y., Zheng, H., Jin, S., Jiang, H., Cao, W., & Xu, J. (2018). Landscape of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in China: impact of ecology, climate, and behavior. Frontiers of Medicine, 12(1), 322.

Orru, H., Ebi, K. L., & Forsberg, B. (2017). The interplay of climate change and air pollution on health. Current Environmental Health Reports, 4(4), 504513. Web.

One of the most significant environmental problems of the modern world is global warming, which threatens the destruction of flora and fauna, changing the earths surface and natural disasters. The main harmful aspect of global warming is that all of the changes can significantly damage peoples health because it can create life-threatening conditions, such as hunger, excessive heat, natural disasters, and the spread of infectious diseases (Rossati, 2017). People can only take measures to slow down warming to avoid most consequences; however, in the situation of contagious diseases, a more appropriate solution is to prevent them. Consequently, this paper will examine the increasing spread of infectious diseases as one of the effects of climate change, as well as current and possible measures to overcome it.

Climate change has a significant effect on the spread of infectious diseases, since it creates an enabling environment for the development and survival of viruses and bacteria. Rossati (2017) claims that warming contributes to the expansion of mosquitoes and ticks, which are carriers of such diseases as malaria, cholera, encephalitis, and other infections characteristic of the regions of Asia and Africa. Wu et al. (2016) examine climate change in more detail, such as increased winds, droughts, floods, and sunlight, to explain how they affect the spread of disease. In general, each of these weather conditions contributes to the development of pathogenic organisms and the completion of their life cycle. For example, heating seas, lakes, or rivers lead to the growth and reproduction of bacteria that cause intestinal infections, such as salmonella or dysentery (Rossati, 2017). An increase in temperature affects both the life cycle of bacteria allowing them to survive outside the host, and the distribution of animals atypical for the region, such as mosquitoes or ticks (Wu et al., 2016). Consequently, bacteria and viruses are becoming more dangerous and spread in countries where unvaccinated people live.

Today, countries and governments struggle with global warming and its pace. The methods for fighting are the signing of international treaties that limit the emission of CO2 or greenhouse gas, such as the Paris Agreement, as well as the promotion of environmental trends (Dai, 2019). However, it is virtually impossible to stop these warming processes, especially if the world continues to use the production and transport polluting environment. Therefore, the main measures to prevent the spread of infections are the development of predicting methods, the improvement of the medical system, and infrastructure. Wu et al. (2016) note that epidemic prediction methods already exist and have been successfully applied in some countries, such as Botswana; however, they need to be improved. This step will allow the timely use of vaccines for the population of countries where diseases are not typical. In addition, improving the infrastructure of cities and villages, such as water treatment systems, reduces the risk of contracting gastrointestinal infections. The COVID-19 pandemic also showed that many health systems were not ready for the spread of the virus, which tells governments about the need for improvement.

In conclusion, global warming has many negative consequences, and the spread of infectious diseases can be one of the most serious. For this reason, states need to prepare for such results to prevent new epidemics and pandemics, and nurses have to bring this message to the government. Such preparation requires complex measures; however, it is necessary and inevitable, and it will be useful for the life and health of the worlds population even if climate change stops.

References

Dai, M. A. Z. (2019). The ideological potential of climate change: (Post) politics in the age of global warming. Political Reflection, 5(1), 9-14.

Rossati, A. (2017). Global warming and its health impact. International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 8(1), 720.

Wu, X., Lu, Y., Zhou, S., Chen, L., & Xu, B. (2016). Impact of climate change on human infectious diseases: Empirical evidence and human adaptation. Environment International, 86, 1423.

The problem of global warming has become one of the most severe challenges for humanity in the twenty-first century. Human-caused climate change significantly impacts the ecological situation and many areas of human life, such as health care. In its 2022 policy brief presented at the Stockholm+50 conference, the WHO stated that global warming poses significant risks to mental health and well-being (Baste & Watson, 2022). In addition, along with climate change, medicine will have to deal with the consequences of extreme weather events, the spread of previously uncharacteristic tropical diseases, and famine. Developing a strategy to reduce such adverse effects of global warming is one of the main priorities of modern healthcare.

Mental disorders are the first category of diseases with increasing risk. It has been demonstrated that rapidly accelerating climate change is a growing threat to mental health and psychosocial well-being, causing a wide range of disorders ranging from emotional distress to anxiety, depression, sadness, and suicidal behavior (Hayes, et al., 2018). However, climate change is affecting many social determinants, already leading to a massive burden of mental health disorders worldwide.

As global climate change continues, people in many areas are at increased risk of exposure to vector-borne diseases such as malaria, West Nile virus, and dengue fever. Malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes that breed in certain climates. Warm temperatures and increased rainfall create conditions for the emergence of additional breeding sites for mosquitoes, as a result, which increases their population. In 2010 in the world, there were 216 million malaria cases with 655,000 deaths, the vast majority of which were in Africa (Dasgupta, 2018). Scientists are concerned about the increased risk of spreading waterborne diseases such as cholera and leptospirosis due to warmer temperatures, which can alter pathogen survival rates, combined with increased rainfall and flooding that mobilize pollutants (Lau et al., 2018). With an estimated annual incidence of 1,700,000 cases, 123,000 of which are fatal, leptospirosis is a complex and severe public health problem (Lau et al., 2018). During the last decade, there has been an increase in the reported number of leptospirosis outbreaks worldwide, mainly due to extreme weather events such as floods resulting from tropical cyclones (Lau et al., 2018). The sensitivity of the disease to specific environmental conditions suggests that climate change may influence the nature of the disease and the extent and intensity of its outbreaks.

Excess heat, especially during heat waves, contributes to body dehydration, exacerbates chronic lung and heart failure, especially when combined with air pollution, and can lead to heat exhaustion, heat shock, and even death. Climate is the most critical factor determining the timing of pollen transfer through the air and its type. Over the past 30 years, the prevalence of allergies and asthma caused by airborne allergens has quadrupled in Europe and is estimated to affect 1540% of the population (World Health Organization, 2022). According to the WHO (2022), about 262 million people worldwide currently have asthma, costing billions of dollars. Pollen forecasts are becoming increasingly popular as they help people plan their daily routines and prepare appropriate medications. Sand and dust storms cause respiratory and cardiovascular problems and are associated with meningitis in Africa.

Understanding the relationship between climate and health is the basis for taking protective action against climate-related health risks. One of the challenges for the health community is the ability to recognize, understand, interpret and apply available climate information. Drawing attention to this problem is very important both from the point of view of ecology and public health.

References

Baste, I. A., & Watson, R. T. (2022). Tackling the climate, biodiversity and pollution emergencies by making peace with nature 50 years after the Stockholm Conference. Global Environmental Change, 73, 102466.

Hayes, K., Blashki, G., Wiseman, J., Burke, S., & Reifels, L. (2018). Climate change and mental health: Risks, impacts and priority actions. International journal of mental health systems, 12(1), 1-12.

Dasgupta, S. (2018). Burden of climate change on malaria mortality. International journal of hygiene and environmental health, 221(5), 782-791.

Lau, C. L., Townell, N., Stephenson, E., & Craig, S. B. (2018). Leptospirosis: An important zoonosis acquired through work, play and travel. Australian Journal of General Practice, 47(3), 105-110.

World Health Organization. (2022). Asthma [Fact Sheet]. Web.

Introduction

San Franciscos region has a Mediterranean type of a climate and is characterized by moderate temperature which rarely ranges between the high of 35 degrees and the low of 10 degrees. With this ideal type of climate sometimes it is called, the-conditioned city. The weather in the region is mostly influenced by cool current coming from the Pacific Ocean. The cool current from the Pacific Ocean always regulate the temperature in the area, and thus produces a mild climate which is associated with Mediterranean type of climate and has little seasonal temperature difference.

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Half the western side of the San Francisco in spring seasons and early summer is covered by fog. This is brought about by the meeting of the cold current from the Pacific Ocean and the warm current coming from the mainland California, but the fog is less experience in the eastern part of San Francisco. During fall seasons and late summer seasons, these are the hottest months of the year (Peevers 42).

As a result of different topology in San Francisco, the climate in this area exhibits different distinct micro-climate changes. The mountainous sides of San Francisco are normally found in the middle of the region and account for the difference in rainfall every year between various parts of the city. this variances in temperature protects the eastern part of the city from fog and cool conditions which is usually experienced in the Sunset District.

Even though the temperature is almost the same throughout the year, there is two defined seasons i.e. dry and wet. Most of the rain usually bound between the month of November and March and in summer it mostly covered by fogs as results of cool ocean current backing on the hills.

This area is sometimes called the biome region which has characteristics of a desert conditions. Most of the plant which are found in this region are less than one meter in height and mostly consist of shrubs, having these characteristics similar to those in the desert; the plants have a way of adapting during the dry hot seasons. But many of these plants are yearly, i.e. they flower at a time when there is plenty of water and during dry seasons they exist in term of seeds. These plants are characterized by having small leaves to prevent them from loosing water during dry seasons and their leave are always evergreen. Lastly they curled with their stomata below the leaf (Peevers 65).

The region of Salt Lake City in Utah is a semi-arid region and is found in the Salt: Lake Valley. This region is surrounded by mountains and receives little rain as a result of this barrier. Salt Lake region has four defined seasons. These seasons are; cold season, snow winter season, a hot & dry summer season and wet season.

The region is near Pacific Ocean which influences the climate of the place. Storms are mostly experienced from the month of October to May and it only receives rain during spring seasons. In winters the region experiences snow falls, as a result of effect from the Great Salt Lake. The summers are hot and wet; sometimes the temperature reaches 38 degrees Celsius. Due to monsoon winds from the Gulf of California, it experiences precipitation. Winter is usually cold and snowy but when we compare to other places in the united state, their winter in this region is warmer at this latitude. This is as a result of the effect of rocky mountains that prevent the cold current from affecting this region, this cold temperature will never fall below zero degrees (Zeeya 25).

Conclusion

Most of the trees in the region are ephemerals i.e. they have a shorter life cycle. These trees sprout only during wet season at this time when there is plenty of water to enable them to grow but in hot seasons the availability of water is scarce, the plants exist in form of seeds. These types of trees are smaller in size, their roots are shallow and adaptation is dependant on their quick growth. These trees sometimes form a dense type of stand. Ephemeral annuals are types of trees which stores water during the raining seasons and during dry season they use the water which they have accumulated. This kind of trees have low rate of transpiration during the dry seasons, an example of this kind of tree is cacti (Zeeya 65).

Works Cited

Peevers, Schulte. Lonely planet california.Califonia: Lonely Planet, 2003. Print.

Zeeya, Strahler. Visualizing physical geography. London: Wiley & Sons, 2007. Print.

This is a debate that has been there since time immemorial given the fact that change of global climate has continued to be experienced in different parts of the globe. Controversy has always occurred when scientists carry out research on global climate change and establish that it has been caused by human activities. Some other scientists have also asserted that the existence of global warming will not occur. According to the Global Warming website (2010) Those that argue on the non-existence of global warming even had to come up with a petition which they signed stating that there is no convincing scientific evidence that the human release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause heating of the Earths atmosphere and disruption of the Earths climate. This brings a lot of confusion when one tries to identify the truth and one is left wondering which school of thought he or she should believe. The greenhouse gases that cause global warming can only be present in the atmosphere if they are emitted and thus the emission of such gases can only come out of the activities that human beings carry out in day-to-day life. It, therefore, follows that there is a clear correlation between climate change and greenhouse gases emission from human activities (Global Warming, 2010).

To support the above statement, we shall briefly take a look at some of the human activities which promote global warming. The activities that are undertaken by human beings which lead to emissions of gases such as; sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), hydrofluorocarbons (CFCs, HCFCs, and HFCs), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4) are the ones that lead to global warming which results to global warming. They lead to a lot of heat being held in the atmosphere which makes the planet warm. These gases are sources of the greenhouse effect on the planet earth. A greenhouse effect is a situation whereby, the sun heat reaches the atmosphere but because of the greenhouse gases, the heat does not escape back into the surface resulting in an increase in the global atmospheric temperature (EPA, 2009).

The human activities that lead to the emissions of these gases are such as; use of motor vehicles which emit hazardous gases and deforestation which is the cutting down of trees. When trees are cut down and then burnt, the carbon which is contained in trees is then released into the air as carbon dioxide. Other human activities include farming; the use of fertilizers and other chemicals in farming releases nitrous oxide which is a hazardous gas that causes about 10% of air pollution (Cynthia & Daniel, 1995).

As a result of these human activities the global climate change takes center stage. This can be evidenced from the rate at which the ice caps are melting, the unpredictable change of patterns of weather and the rise in levels of sea water. Drought continues to be experienced in many parts of the world as shortage of water becomes more and more pronounced as well the high intensity cyclones and hurricanes continue to be experienced in various parts of the earth (Global Warming, 2010).

From the U.S global change research information office, an article written by Cynthia and Daniel on the impacts of climate change on agriculture and food claims that; the change in climate change that is being experienced today will automatically affect food supply in the world. This is due to water supply drop on crops which may limit their growth, the rise in global temperature will also affect crop growth and thus it will be very difficult for the world to predict on future food supply. This then means that man will suffer of hunger in the near future. This has currently started to be experienced today in Africa where the Sahara desert has extended and majority of countries in Africa are suffering from shortages in food supply (Cynthia & Daniel, 1995).

References

Cynthia, R. and Daniel, H. (1995). Potential impacts of climate change on agriculture and food supply. Consequences, 1, 2-4.

EPA. (2009). Greenhouse gas emissions. Web.

Global Warming. (2010). Global warming: climate change greenhouse effect. Web.

Study design

The researcher has used the most appropriate research design that enables her to take a closer look at climate change skepticism. The researcher has been able to collect various sources by using a qualitative design that is explanatory in nature hence describing to the readers the behavior of who, what, where, when and how things stand at the moment concerning climate change skepticism. The use of a qualitative design has enabled the researcher to comfortably go through large volumes of data to gather varied opinions of experts and make justifiable conclusion (Kumar, 2005). The writer has gained credibility amongst the readers by exploring and describing diverse documented views and explaining them quantitatively making her report seem reliable and highly factual (Silverman, 2001).

Problem or objective

The objective of the research is to take a closer look at climate change skepticism (Rabinowicz, 2010). The researcher has appropriately politicized the actions of skeptical and mainstream in order for her to achieve the goals of her research. The research was able to stick to the main topic throughout the research by comparing and contrasting conflicting views and supporting her statements with credible sources to meet the objectives of the paper (Kumar, 2005). Despite the fact that the researcher may be criticized for selecting a generalized statement as her problem/objective statement, she has managed to tackle the issue at hand by not deviation out of topic and looking at climate change skepticism from a generalized viewpoint (Silverman, 2001).

Literature review

The researcher should be commended for using appropriate literature to support and substantiate her claims. Additionally, the researcher has used numerous sources and gathered numerous divergent views. This has made her literature review be of high quality and credible to readers. The researchers use of subheadings within her paper has given the literature reviewed consistent flow as the researcher presents her arguments starting with general facts narrowing down to specific tangible facts thereby making her literature insightful and interesting to readers. The researcher has added credibility and articulated her work by substantiating findings using credible sources which are cited in the literature review thereby capturing the attention of an objective reader (Silverman, 2001).

Population sampling for study

The researcher did not carry out primary research by opting to use secondary sources of data. Due to a wide and broad objective of the research, it would have been time-consuming and costly to carry out the research. Therefore, when the researcher decided to use secondary data, she was no longer required to sample a population for her study and this was a good decision for her research (Silverman, 2001).

Measurement

Because the research was secondary, the researcher was not required to use any measurement methods. Measurement methods are used in primary research especially when a researcher is required to collect and record real-time data during observations (Kumar, 2005). This was a good move by the researcher since her secondary research required no measurement.

Data collection methods and analysis

The researchers choice to use secondary sources to address the objective of the research was highly appropriate for the research objectives which were very general and broad. The secondary sources of data that were used were collected from published books, journals, internet sources and published reports. The researcher was able to save time and costs and cross check numerous publications from trusted sources to compile literature review that was accurate and make justified conclusion based on data collected from trusted sources. This was possible because the researcher used a wide variety of sources. Due to the qualitative nature of data and the research methodology, the researcher opted to use qualitative analysis techniques.

Analysis

The link between the analysis and other parts of the report such as findings and conclusions is clear and convenient (Silverman, 2001). The researcher analyzed her findings collected from many sources qualitatively enabling her to give meaning to her findings, and make subsequent conclusions. Even though the research methodology was qualitative, the researcher should have incorporated the use of summarized pie charts and graphs to represent statistical data so readers could easily follow through her findings and interpretations. The use of graphic displays would have made the findings of the research clear, uncomplicated, and accurate thereby captivating readers more (Kumar, 2005).

Limited and justifiable conclusions

The researcher has finished off the research by making conclusions based on findings. This has enabled the researcher stay within the topic. Before the researcher makes any conclusions, she is careful enough to present documented facts. This has enabled her to avoid using unsubstantiated opinions to make conclusions thereby adding credibility to her findings (Silverman, 2001; Kumar, 2005). A clear example is when the researcher makes conclusions that the public is becoming less aware and concerned of climate change using a study carried out by Yale School of environment and Pidgeon, a professor at Cardiff University, whose findings indicated that individuals are less concerned about climate change due to other prevailing factors such as hard economic times. The writer is careful to avoid introducing biased conclusion by using facts to justify her conclusions thus being very objective (Rabinowicz, 2010).

References

1. Kumar, R. (2005). Research Methodology-A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners. Singapore: Pearson Education.
2. Rabinowicz, V. (2010). Spheres of Influence: A Closer Look at Climate Change Skepticism. Environmental Health Perspectives.118 (12). 537-540
3. Silverman, D. (2001). Interpreting Qualitative Data. London: Sage.