Category: Global Warming

The Paris Accord: Macroeconomics and Global Warming

The Paris Accord, which is a worldwide agreement among nations, is intended to counter the effects of climate change. Its primary purpose is to strengthen the international response to the dangers of this appalling effect by maintaining global temperature increments below 2 degrees Celsius (Falkner 1109). This move is aimed at enhancing the ability of countries to deal with effects associated with climate variations. Despite this Paris strategy being the first international common course to ratify ambitious efforts against pollution through the United Nations Framework Convention (UNFC), President Donald Trump not only withdrew from the pact but also stopped the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and donations (Falkner 1110). Examining this subject cannot be exhausted without a mention of the role of economic growth in contributing to increased carbon dioxide emissions. In addition to investigating this issue, this paper seeks to find out whether economic growth is incompatible with the recorded rise in carbon dioxide emissions. It will also analyze the role of the free-rider problem and negative externalities in shaping President Trump’s resolution of pulling out from the Paris Accord. Human beings’ capacity to address the issue of global warming will also be investigated.

Economic Growth and Carbon Dioxide Emissions

The 21st century has been characterized by the unstoppable emergence of industries due to the diverse demands of the ever-increasing world population. This turn of events has resulted in the excessive burning of fossil fuels in factories and the automobile sector. Operations from these industries have led to the release of excessive carbon dioxide among other toxic gases into the atmosphere (Falkner 1108). Deforestation that is currently being witnessed due to the need for creating space for industries and infrastructure has worsened this situation. As a result, it can be concluded that economic growth has greatly contributed to increased carbon dioxide emissions. According to Greenlaw and Taylor, the excessive use of fossil fuels and land resources since the Industrial Revolution era is the greatest reason why the world is experiencing the effect of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (117). As the global population rises, the demand for more products goes up. This situation has resulted in the sprouting of additional industries that have contributed to the inexorable levels of carbon dioxide. Consequently, these economic activities are attributable to today’s increased carbon dioxide emissions.

Various studies that have been conducted to establish the relationship between energy use and the Gross Domestic Product per person indicate that countries with lower GDP use less energy and vice versa (Greenlaw and Taylor 130). However, in heavy manufacturing countries such as China and the U.S., this trend is distorted since most commodities are produced mainly for export. In the last decade, global emissions and GDP per capita have increased at an alarming rate. The combined emission of carbon dioxide in developing countries is higher compared to the amount released in industrialized economies (Greenlaw and Taylor 214). Nonetheless, the above expositions reveal that indeed economic growth has a bearing on the witnessed rise in the levels of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.

Incompatibility of Economic Growth with Reductions in Carbon Emission

The discussion of the impacts of economic growth on climate change has often given rise to controversial views on whether developments recorded in various countries are incompatible with efforts made to reduce carbon emission. Numerous ecological economists demonstrate that unsustainable economic growth is harmful to environmental safety (Kasman and Duman 100). The implication here is that a country cannot increase its GDP while at the same time reducing the associated ecological effects.

In my view, a degree of compatibility exists between economic growth and reductions in carbon emissions. The mitigation of climate change and the continued increase in the Gross Domestic Product of a country can be executed if sustainable production processes are adopted across the world. Realizing this goal requires global leaders to boost unified actions geared toward mitigating climate change, for instance, by embracing the Paris Accord (Falkner 1120). Various environmental regulatory bodies have collected useful information regarding strategies for lessening carbon dioxide emissions by accentuating the role of cities, investing in clean energy, and developing more efficient types of machinery in all sectors. I believe that decoupling economic developments from the growth of greenhouse gases can be a benchmark for sustainable production. However, this approach calls for proper knowledge about carbon dioxide flow and its feasible effects on ecological systems (Kasman and Duman 102). In this regard, relative and absolute decoupling approaches form a benchmark for increasing GDP while adopting sustainable production models to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

Relative decoupling involves controlling the rate of emissions to keep it below that of the GDP. It is important to note that this approach does not help in curtailing the climate crisis since greenhouse gases (GHGs) continue to flow into the atmosphere provided there is an increase in GDP. However, under absolute decoupling, it is presumed that economic growth can continue with little or no emissions (Kasman and Duman 106). The adoption of renewable energy resources and low-carbon resource-efficient growth frameworks in some of the most developed economies such as North America and Northern Europe provide good examples where this approach has been useful in mitigating climate change. In my viewpoint, ambitious efforts should be put toward implementing absolute decoupling to address the crisis of global climate change.

The Role of the Free-Rider Problem and Negative Externalities

President Trump’s decision received strong criticisms from world leaders, civil societies, international organizations, and the media. The United States’ move to pull out from the agreement created a deficit in unified leadership needed to lead the objectives of alleviating climate change globally. Problems associated with the free-rider problem as well as negative externalities played a considerable role in influencing the decision of President Trump to withdraw from the Paris Accord. In particular, the free-rider challenge refers to the use of resources freely without bothering to pay for their consumption (Greenlaw and Taylor 98). In the context of climate change, the Paris Accord required nations of the world to collaborate toward reducing the release of poisonous gases such as carbon dioxide. However, China turns out to be a free-rider because it has not shown its commitment to facilitating the realization of a sustainable environment.

As such, the free-rider problem influenced President Trump to consider withdrawing from the Paris agreement seeking to achieve reasonable carbon emissions. Amid China’s pledge to collaborate regarding the mitigation of poisonous gas emissions, its large industries have continued to encourage the pollution of the environment, thereby undermining efforts made by the United States to attain sustainable carbon emissions. Therefore, President Trump decided to withdraw from the Paris Accord due to the economic unattractiveness of the agreement since it encourages the development of the free-riding problem.

The above dilemma is influenced by the lack of enforcement provisions that guide the implementation of the Paris Accord. According to Greenlaw and Taylor, free riders such as China benefit economically by disregarding the essence of allocating resources towards the mitigation of environmental pollution (112). As such, free-riders compete unfairly in the free market at the expense of damaging the environment through the emission of poisonous gases. As such, this problem is connected to the issue of negative externalities because the environment as a third party is considerably damaged. Therefore, the negative externalities problem also influenced the decision of President Trump because the cost of free-riding not only interferes with the environment but also the American economy. Greenlaw and Taylor uncover that the same reason prompted the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Kyoto Protocol in 2001 (83). Particularly, developing countries, as well as middle-income economies, did not commit to establishing measures that could curb the release of hazardous gases such as carbon dioxide to the environment.

The Ability of Humans to Deal with the Global Warming Issue

The current political landscape provides opportunities and challenges associated with the management of the global warming issue. Political views regarding climate change offer opportunities for human beings to adequately address the issue of global warming. Electorates in contemporary times take into account the commitment of aspiring leaders toward facilitating environmental sustainability. As a result, I am optimistic about the global population’s capacity to manage the global warming problem. The power of people in politics plays a significant role in facilitating the election of leaders who uphold the importance of combating the global warming issue. Therefore, I believe that the new political landscape provides the opportunity for people to select administrators who support policies aligned to environmental sustainability.

The current political atmosphere supports the embracement of climate science to mitigate the issue of global warming. Greenlaw and Taylor argue that climate science provides an opportunity for human beings to develop sustainable solutions to the issue of global warming (112). Therefore, despite the United States withdrawing from the Paris Accord, there is still hope for the development of scientific solutions such as the adoption of strategic measures that can help to minimize carbon emissions. Therefore, through the adoption of progressive politics, it is possible to influence people to embrace climate science to address the problem of global warming.

The modern political landscape also embraces technological advancements that facilitate the realization of effective environmental management processes. In this regard, the adoption of policies, which support the development of technologies that combat climate change increases the ability of human beings to manage the issue of global warming effectively. Some notable technologies that have the potential of rescuing the world from global warming include boosting energy efficiency and the development and deployment of low-carbon and zero-carbon innovations. As such, technological innovations offer humanity the hope of realizing a sustainable environment.

Conclusion

The issue of global warming is a major challenge in the world today because it influences the sustainability of the human race. The rapid growth of economies in the world accounts for the unprecedented rise in carbon dioxide emissions. The release of poisonous gas harms the environment in a way that undermines the well-being of society. Therefore, there is a need for establishing measures such as the ones implemented by the UN to mitigate the release of carbon emissions to the environment. However, the adopted strategies need to address the problem of free riding and negative externalities due to the lack of commitment by some countries such as China. Moreover, the current political landscape offers human beings opportunities to develop mechanisms that can facilitate the effective mitigation of global warming problems.

The Alarming Threat of Global Warming: A Call to Action for a Future

The Global Warming Controversy

The issue of global warming has become a growing concern over the last few years. Although our president doesn’t seem to believe this is an issue, I believe it is a growing problem that will have a significant impact on the future and the Earth. Many people believe it is caused by the population of humans creating humanic gases polluting the earth’s environment. Some others, such as Donald Trump and even Global Scientists, do not believe in Global Warming. This has become a big debate worldwide, and global warming can be supported by many factors.

Evidences Supporting Global Warming

One reason I think Global Warming is real is because of all the fires occurring in places. Just a few months ago in California, there were wildfires happening all over the state, burning over 77,000 acres of forests and natural lands. In Australia, almost the whole continent has fires burning down just about everything that there is. There have been 28 deaths since the fires, and approximately 18 million acres of land that has just burned. All of Australia’s artifacts, landmarks, and nature have almost all been destroyed because of this. Another follow-up reason for my claim is that ice in Antarctica is melting, and polar bears are dying. This is causing the ocean levels to rise up. The average temperatures there should range around -10 degrees to -45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Now Antarctica has been getting low negatives, such as -6 degrees and even up to 15 degrees. It may seem really cold to humans, but there it is actually warmer than usual, causing big chunks of ice to fall off of cliffs or ice caps and fall into the ocean, making it rise. The ocean is now rising ⅛ of an inch per year, which actually is a lot. The icebergs in the water are also melting, making animals such as polar bears need to swim farther in the ocean trying to find one and end up drowning from exhaustion. Polar bears’ thick coats also are getting too hot for them, also making them die from the heat. Lastly, the coral reefs are dying. From 2016 to now, over half of the coral reefs have bleached to death. Because the waters have warmed up due to rising temperatures, the coral is dying.

Counterarguments to Global Warming

Other people do not think global warming is real for many factors. Some people believe that there isn’t just one answer to global warming. Some say that human gasses are doing it, while other scientists may say global warming is caused by just natural heat increase. A quote on climate.nasa.gov says, ‘Climate change is real. There will always be uncertainty in understanding a system as complex as the world’s climate. However, there is now strong evidence that significant global warming is occurring.” (2005, 11 international science academies). When the California Wildfires occurred, lots of people believed that global warming was the issue, for that isn’t the case.

According to https://www.npr.org, the wildfires were actually started by power lines falling down and leftover campfires in campsites and forests. Others could consider that if natural disasters are actually caused by accidents such as powerlines or lighting strikes that it wouldn’t be true that global warming exists. However, that isn’t the case for most worldwide situations. The coral reefs are dying, and it’s not mainly because of pollution left over by humans. It is actually because of warming waters caused by warmer temperatures than usual near Australia and the fires occurring everywhere there. The Australian fires were caused by various ways, such as lighting strikes but mostly because of human gases. The global warming caused by human gases causes temperatures to rise all over the planet.

Global Warming: Immediate Action Required

Many places all over Earth are in danger, and it’s best for everyone to pitch in. If this keeps happening, everything on planet Earth could be destroyed. It may not seem like the biggest concern as of now, only happening in some areas, but it could spread globally soon enough if we help by not causing pollution in the air, such as burning oil and having power plants in cities. We can use clean energy sources and improve our land usage. We can even do the smallest things, like cleaning up our trash and not littering on the streets or putting a bottle in a recycling bin will already improve the economy. The Earth is dying, and it needs our help. In my opinion, I think global warming is real, and we need to act fast and help our planet.

References:

1. Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet. (n.d.). Retrieved from NASA: https://climate.nasa.gov/
2. DeCapua, J. (2020, February 17). Australia’s Wildfires Are Releasing Vast Amounts of Carbon. Retrieved from NPR: https://www.npr.org/2020/02/17/806981021/australias-wildfires-are-releasing-vast-amounts-of-carbon
3. Global Warming. (2021, August 6). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming
4. Global Warming: Causes, Effects, and Solutions. (n.d.). Retrieved from National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/global-warming-overview/
5. Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser. (2020). “CO₂ and Greenhouse Gas Emissions.” Our World in Data. Retrieved from: https://ourworldindata.org/co2-and-other-greenhouse-gas-emissions
6. NASA. (2005). Climate Change. Retrieved from: https://web.archive.org/web/20090225045242/http://nationalacademies.org/onpi/06072005.pdf
7. Pearson, H. (2019, January 22). Most Coral Reefs Are at Risk unless Climate Change is tackled, Report says. Retrieved from Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00186-7
8. State of the Climate: Global Analysis. (n.d.). Retrieved from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/202001
9. Ward, B. (2018, November 26). What Causes Wildfires and How Do Humans Contribute? Retrieved from National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/what-causes-wildfires

Unveiling Impacts and Active Solutions: The Global Warming Crisis

Understanding Global Warming

We all know that we have to do something about global warming. Do you want to have a closer look? You may already have a personal observation from the unusually warmer winters and autumns coming late…let us take a look at some facts about global warming before getting deep inside.

For ages, global warming has been a great crisis that slowly develops every day and badly affects the world environmentally, economically, medically…almost in every field of our life we find it involved in one way or another. The temperature of the average global has risen by 0.8C since the start of the industrial revolution. That may not sound like too much, but the consequences are really huge. Occasionally we need to examine the world we have always evaded in order to find supervision for the choices we brand today.

The Science and Data Behind Global Warming

• What exactly is global warming?
• What actually causes it to happen and increase in the first place?
• What is the latest update on global warming development?
• What impact does it leave? What are the most blamed countries?
• How is the middle east and -specifically talking- I mean Egypt involved in global warming?
• It’s the concern of politicians and world leaders, not me. What difference can I make?

Explaining the definition and the causes of global warming:

Global warming simply happens when carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air contaminants and greenhouse gases collect in the atmosphere and engross sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the surface of the Earth. Global temperatures have varied in step with carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere, and these concentrations shot up way above anything experienced
over the past half-million years. Human activity is the only cause of this sudden surge.

Climate scientists talk about temperatures, greenhouse gas concentrations, and emissions. To understand what they are saying, you must be prepared to study figures, think about probability, and allow for scientific complexity to bring reduced to media simplicities.

• First: temperature.

There is a broad consensus that global temperature shouldn’t be allowed to rise more than 2 degrees C above preindustrial levels, although Prof. Rajendra, head of the international panel on climate change (IPCC) with its 2500 climate scientists, now says that 1.50 degrees C would be more appropriate. Land-based temperatures have already risen by 0.80C, and current levels of emissions in the atmosphere commit us to a rise of 1.30C due to the time lag between cause and effect. The biggest danger is runaway global warming.

Let’s say the area of arctic ice decreases. Then there is more dark water to engross heat from the Sun. This, sequentially, causes more ice to melt, exposing more dark water, causing more melt, more dark water, more melt. This is a chain response that could cause temperatures to rise without any supplementary help from us.

• Second: greenhouse gas concentrations.

The Stern Review (2006) stated that greenhouse gas concentrations at the time it was written were at 430 ppm C02e (parts per million of carbon dioxide equivalent). A figure of 382ppm is sometimes mentioned, but this does not include methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N20). Beforehand the industrial revolution, the figure was 280ppm. According to the Stern Review, ‘stabilization at 450ppm C02e is almost out given that we are probable to touch this level in ten years. It, therefore, set a target for stabilizing at 550 ppmC02e.

• Third: emissions.

Despite the Kyoto Protocol (adopted in 1997), emissions have been rising at an ever-increasing rate. In 2006, James Hansen, who heads the US NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said: ‘A global tilting point be reached in ten years if levels of greenhouse fumes are not reduced. Global warming, at this point, becomes irresistible. The prestigious Tyndall Centre for Climate Change, in a 2006 report, “Living Within a Carbon Budget’, said that a 90 percent cut in United.

Kingdom greenhouse gas releases, including those from delivery and commercial airline, is needed by 2050, adding that emissions must be diminished by an unparalleled nine percent a year from 2010 for up to 20 years. With this kind of reduction, oil factories would no longer be sustainable, so we would be hopefully moving to a carbon-free economy better for us and for the next generation. What about sea levels? Greenland is the size of France and Spain united and mostly covered with ice two kilometers deep. Meltwater is plummeting down fissures and lubricating the base so that glaciers are sliding into the sea faster than expected. It was predicted that Greenland would drop 80 km3 of ice in 2006. NASA’s Grace Satellite showed that it actually lost 287 km3 that year. If greenhouse gas emissions are not stabilized within a decade, sea levels could increase several meters before the end of the era.

Impact and Realities of Global Warming

What changes to the climate are humans causing through global warming?

Global warming, caused by greenhouse gas pollution, is causing instantaneous and direct changes to the planet. The Earth’s temperature had by now warmed by one °C compared to preindustrial levels. This temperature rise may seem small, but small rises in temperature transform into big changes in the world’s climate. This is because the quantity of extra energy needed to increase the world’s temperature, even by a little, is enormous. This extra energy is like force-feeding worldwide.

• Hotter days:

Let us not get so far; you may have noticed the unusual heat waves that have struck our country (Egypt) in recent days; the Egyptian Meteorological Authority is expecting a coast-to-coast heatwave until Friday, with Cairo, Lower Egypt, and coastal zones to be mainly affected by the weather. Upper Egypt is probable to have hot weather throughout daylight hours, with temperatures set to descend across the country at nightfall. We are going to talk about that deep below.

• Expanding sea levels:

Augmented ocean temperatures are melting glaciers and ice caps all over the globe. Melted ice raises the volume of water in our oceans. Warmer temperatures also result in the expansion of the water’s mass, which causes sea levels to rise, intimidating lowland islands and seaside cities.

• More recurrent and intense life-threatening weather events:

Dangerous weather events like bushfires, cyclones, droughts, and floods are becoming more frequent and more intense as a result of global warming.

• Oceans are warming and acidifying:

The oceans have absorbed furthermost of extra heat and carbon dioxide so far – more than the air – making the seas both warmer and more acidic. Warming waters are whitening coral reefs and driving sturdier storms. Rising ocean acidity threatens shellfish, including the tiny lobsters without which marine food chains would, unfortunately, break down.

What is the latest update on global warming development?

This graph shows the change in global surface temperature relative to 1951-1980 average temperatures. Nineteen of the 20 warmest years have happened since 2001, with the exclusion of 1998. The year 2020 is almost certain to rank among the five warmest years on record. 2019 was the second warmest year since record-keeping began in 1880, and the 2010s were by far the warmest decade.

This year, i.e., 2020, has been especially warm in Eastern Europe and Asia, where average temperatures were at least 7.2 F above the historical average, NOAA reported. South America and the Caribbean also saw unusual warmth. In the United States, the average temperature from January through March was the eighth warmest since 1895, according to NCEI records. Temperatures were particularly high in the Southeast, averaging 54.6 F. That fell just short of the January-March record of 54.7 F, which was set in 2012 but was 5.5 F above the 126-year average.

The good news is that global momentum around climate change is building toward an upsurge. Six of 10 Americans are now either “alarmed’ or “concerned” about climate change, a number that has further than doubled in the past five years. Hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life, including students, teachers, societies of faith, and healthcare experts, are taking to the streets to demand climate action. And more than 500 global corporations have dedicated themselves to setting climate goals founded on the best obtainable science. And recently, during the corona pandemic, the ozone has treated itself and closed after years of extreme corrosion in its layer.

Egypt and Global Warming

How is the middle east and -specifically talking- I mean Egypt involved in global warming?

Egypt is a characteristic example of a developing country that is exceptionally vulnerable to climate change and which confronts various threats to its economic, social, and environmental sustainability. This causes massive essential pressures on Egypt’s competitiveness. These pressures can also be defined as developing threats to national security. They are powered by a mounting population and growing demand coupled with the constrictions of a limited resource base and could improve into genuine crisis situations if not rapidly and conclusively addressed.

Declining precipitation levels, changing weather patterns, and rising seas in the Nile Delta are slowly but progressively making a tough situation worse, particularly in the area of food and water. Companies are very much affected by the shortage of available resources, and they cannot survive in the future if they cannot predict and adapt to major trends like climate change.

Taking Action: Every Individual Counts

It’s the concern of politicians and world leaders, not me. What difference can I make?

Let’s imagine: a parent and child are spraying their garden. Father controls the tap while the daughter grasps the hose. When they’ve done the job, he says, “That’s enough for now. Stop all the holes in the spray heads with matchsticks.”
“Dad!” she replies, “Are you mad? Turn the tap off!”

The father’s unwise approach is rather like present strategies where we are commanded to use low-energy light bulbs and travel less, whereas politicians and world leaders are allowed, even inspiring the abstraction of as much fossil fuel as possible. Can’t they recognize that once out of the ground, this reaches the atmosphere?

If politicians are serious about greenhouse gas emissions, they must find a way to reduce, not increase, the amount of coal, gas, and oil that is mined within or imported into a country; unless they control the tap, all your effort to diminish emission in a hundred little ways will be hopeless.

But how will politicians be convinced unless the public put pressure on the commercial lobbyists will twist any difficult legislation to their own benefit? Politicians pretend to the electorate that they are anxious when they introduce objectives, taxes, and incentives, but these dull instruments cannot promise that their promises will be met. A new wave of thinking proposes that the way out must involve individuals. The atmosphere does not belong to companies – not even to countries or administrations. We all (as individuals) have an equal right to its life-maintaining properties.

Other active solutions:

Celebrities are a great inspiration for people. People will love to follow them and see their healthy, non-polluting lifestyle and how they are dealing with such a problem. They can play an important role in increasing awareness. Many celebrities already use their platforms to raise awareness about reasons that are close to their hearts; here are some of the actors that are making climate change and the environment their main priorities.

Leonardo DiCaprio set up his own foundation in 1998, which is ‘devoted to the protection and comfort of all Earth’s populations.’ So far, the foundation has funded over 200 projects around the world and awarded $ 100 million in grants.

Mark Ruffalo

Another celebrity with ties to an organization aimed at protecting the environment and raising awareness about climate change is Mark Ruffalo. A co-founder of The Solutions Project, which also counts his fellow Avengers star, Don Cheadle, in its ranks, Ruffalo is focused on supporting the aim to bring renewable energy to everyone.

In the end, it’s in our hands whether to take this seriously and start making decisions and increasing awareness or to just keep consuming pollutants and increasing toxic emissions harming the ozone and making it worse.

References:

1. NASA Global Climate Change. (n.d.). Global Warming: Vital Signs of the Planet.
2. Stern, N. (2006). Stern Review: The Economics of Climate Change. HM Treasury, London.
3. Hansen, J. (2006). The Threat to the Planet. New Scientist, 2596, 24-27.
4. Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. (2006). Living Within a Carbon Budget. Retrieved from https://www.tyndall.ac.uk/sites/default/files/living_within_a_carbon_budget.pdf
5. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (n.d.). Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved from https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ipcc_far_wg_FAQ.pdf
6. Union of Concerned Scientists. (n.d.). How Does Climate Change Affect Sea Levels? Retrieved from https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/how-does-climate-change-affect-sea-levels
7. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). (2021). Global Climate Report: Annual 2020. Retrieved from https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/202013
8. Climate Reality Project. (n.d.). The Climate Crisis. Retrieved from https://www.climaterealityproject.org/climate-crisis
9. Hassan, R., Scholes, R., & Ash, N. (2005). Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Current State and Trends: Findings of the Condition and Trends Working Group. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Series, Vol. 1. Retrieved from https://www.millenniumassessment.org/documents/document.356.aspx.pdf
10. Ahmed, M., & Zekri, S. (2013). Understanding Egypt’s Vulnerability to Climate Change. The World Bank, Washington, DC.

Multi-Faceted Impacts and Solutions of Global Warming: The Unfolding Crisis

The Gravity of Global Warming

Global Warming is the gradual heating of Earth’s surfaces, oceans, and atmosphere. It is primarily a problem of too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which traps heat and warms the planet. According to Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), we have the largest share of fossil-fuel burning in America. As we burn fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas for energy or burn and cut down forests to produce pastures and plantations, our atmosphere assembles and overloads carbon. Global Warming is affecting weather and temperature, sea levels, coastlines, ocean acidification, and more. The carbon we put in the atmosphere today will determine our climate’s future and our future generations. Some ways we can stop global warming are by using energy wisely, reducing transportation, and consuming less meat.

Impact on Weather Patterns and Ecosystems

Global Warming is making hot days hotter, rainfall and flooding heavier, hurricanes stronger, and droughts more severe. These climate extremes will be the most visible impact on our everyday lives. As humans, we use energy to run vehicles, heat our homes, conduct business, and power factories. It is making a significant difference to the landscape of our world. The frequency of large wildfires and the total area burned have been steadily increasing. The probability of fire occurrence is increasing because of drier conditions. “In 2002, Colorado, Arizona, and Oregon endured their worst wildfire seasons ever. The same year, drought created severe dust storms in Montana, Colorado, and Kansas, and floods caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage in Texas, Montana, and North. Dakota’ says NRDC. Wildfires threaten wildlife because there is no way to escape, their habitats are being destroyed, and bigger fires are changing the balance of the ecosystem.

Rising Sea Levels and Coastal Threats

In addition, global warming is partly to blame for heavy storms and floods. Because warmer air can hold more moisture, heavier precipitation is expected in the years to come. No single storm or flood can be attributed directly to global warming, but climate conditions are at least partly responsible for past trends.

Rising sea levels are being affected tremendously, including the thermal expansion of seawater, melting glaciers, and ice sheets on land. For example, the melting of glaciers and polar ice caps is generated by higher temperatures and then eventually leads to melting glaciers. The result of this leads to a gain in sea levels, and a large rise in global sea levels poses many threats. When sea levels rise rapidly, even a small increase can have devastating effects on coastal habitats. As seawater reaches further on land, it can potentially cause flooding of wetlands. When large storms hit land, higher sea levels create bigger and more powerful storms that can damage anything and everything in their path. Large storm events, such as hurricanes, can dramatically alter coastlines and affect sea level rise as well.

Coastal regions are being affected because the increase in sea level along the coasts of continents is much more significant than the global average. Rising sea levels will have a serious impact on beaches which is a place that people love to visit and great locations for real estate. To live on the coast and enjoy pleasant scenery is the ultimate dream, but beachfront property is at risk from rising sea levels. Many coastal states have added sand to their beaches to offset shore erosion, and many property owners have elevated their structures in low-lying areas. Governments have looked into buying land and having residents relocate their future land because of the result of the erosion and potential harm to properties by large storms.

Warmer oceans affect weather patterns, cause more powerful tropical storms, and can impact many kinds of sea life, such as corals and fish. Warmer oceans are one of the main causes of rising sea levels. Krill, an extremely important link at the base of the food chain, is being affected by temperature because it reproduces a significantly smaller number when ocean temperatures rise. This disturbs the life cycle of marine animals like penguins, seals, and whales, which can cause predators to receive less food as well.

The impacts of ocean acidification are caused when carbon dioxide dissolves into seas and reacts with water. “Oceans have absorbed about 1/3 of the carbon dioxide produced from human activities since 1800 and about 1/2 of the carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels”, stated Teach Ocean Science. Stress on marine life due to acidification leads to dying or severely affected ecosystems. When carbon dioxide dissolves in the ocean, carbonic acid is formed. This leads to higher acidity
mainly on the surface.

Solutions and Proactive Measures

As humans, we are fully capable of making changes to our environment, and it desperately needs help. We can contribute to ending global Warming by simply cutting back on small things in our everyday life. We can save money and reduce the amount of pollution by getting more energy-efficient light bulbs, unplugging our computers, printers, and other electronics when we’re not using them, and washing clothes in cold water instead of hot water. This will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere.

Secondly, we can reduce transportation. Examples of this would be riding your bike to get ice cream on a hot summer day instead of driving to get it, carpooling to work with your co-workers, and riding the bus to get around town for a shopping day. Another option is considering a fuel-efficient vehicle, which would help consumers lower their expenses on fuel and pollute less. This would make a huge impact on the environment.

Lastly, we can make a difference by consuming less meat. The farms that give us access to meat use carbon dioxide to run the greenhouses, and as a result, they produce large amounts of gas emissions, massive volumes of water are consumed, and it causes a lot of pollution. There are several ways we can reduce the amount of meat we consume. Trying to eat one vegan meal per day, making a grocery list before going shopping, and choosing meatless alternatives on the menu when going to restaurants are great ways to cut down on meat.

Overall, global Warming has affected America for centuries. As global warming progresses, natural resources will be further depleted, and there will be risks of wildlife extinction, melting of the polar ice caps, floods and droughts, sea level rise, population risks, unsustainable land, and more. In order to stop global Warming, we need to take action. Risking depletion of this natural environment is happening. With a balance between protecting our environment and developing human technology, this country would be able to simultaneously progress the capabilities of mankind with the beauty and necessity of our natural environment.

References:

1. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). (n.d.). Climate Change: Basic Information. Retrieved from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/how-you-can-stop-global-warming
2. Teach Ocean Science. (n.d.). The Impacts of Ocean Acidification. Retrieved from http://www.teachoceanscience.net/teaching_resources/education_modules/ocean_acidification/the_impacts_of_ocean_acidification/
3. United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2023). Climate Change Impacts. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/climate-impacts
4. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). (n.d.). Causes of Climate Change. Retrieved from https://climate.nasa.gov/causes/

Unveiling the Global Warming Challenge and Urging Action

Understanding the Global Phenomenon

Concern as it does now. No matter how much we know about it, we as a society seem to ignore the future disasters that global warming will bring. We all have an obligation to reduce the consequences of this issue as much as we can because it is a global problem which exactly means that everyone on this planet is involved. This phenomenon has a powerful impact on almost everything in our lives: our climate, our health, and our environment as well.

Origins and Natural Causes

Global warming is a natural phenomenon that includes an increase in the average Earth’s temperature due to energy being trapped within the Earth like a greenhouse. This has been a phenomenon throughout the history of the world, but it really became an issue over the past few hundred years because of an anthropogenic increase in greenhouse gasses.

This phenomenon has been occurring naturally as a result of the rotation of the Sun, which changes the intensity of radiation hitting the Earth. Natural processes, such as volcano products, can create a huge amount of Sulphur dioxide and other gasses, which affects global warming as well. Once these gasses become released and free, they help at trapping more solar radiation within the Earth.

Human Contributions and Resulting Impacts

The reason why this is such an issue nowadays and should be taken seriously is that humans have major contributions to greenhouse gasses. Modern technology and new lifestyles have resulted in human activities that produce a lot of greenhouse gasses, such as deforestation, the combustion of fossil fuels, and industrial action. This phenomenon and greenhouse gasses are very problematic because they raise the Earth’s temperature, but what effect will global warming have on our planet in the near future? Polar ice caps are likely to melt, which will cause terrible flooding all over the world; there will also be an increase in natural disasters that are going to be very harmful to everyone living on this planet.

The greatest danger for human society represents the melting of polar ice caps. As Earth’s temperature increases, these large masses of ice and snow melt and influence the sea level to rise all over the world. In the same way, glaciers will melt and create problems on land as well. According to scientists and their research on global warming, if all that snow and ice melted today, it would result in a raised sea level of over 200 feet worldwide and would instantly harm every low-lying area, such as Holland and other islands over the world. It is very sad that most of the countries that will be affected directly are usually the ones that contribute the least or not at all to global warming and natural disasters in general.

It is not only that humans will suffer when this great disaster occurs. Even though humans are mostly involved and are the main cause of this particular problem, biodiversity will suffer all over the world as well. Many species will die off as they won’t be able to adapt to this change, and they simply won’t be able to survive in a new environment. Natural disasters such as hurricanes and tsunamis will occur much more often; just hurricane damage alone will result in billions of dollars worldwide needing to be spent.

Some places will definitely experience more rain and some less. Warmer weather will cause a greater amount of evaporation and leaking from lakes, rivers, and oceans. In northern regions of the United States, an increase in the temperature and rain could actually extend the growing season of crops. This would automatically mean more money for farmers in that specific region. It could also hurt some farmers. Certain areas will actually get less rain, which will cause more droughts and have a negative influence. Warm and wet weather very often brings many tropical storms. This weather would actually lead to tropical storms appearing with much greater frequency. Forests and plant life would migrate naturally, but scientists say that global warming would cause them to migrate at a much faster rate.

As a society, there are many ways we can practically use to prevent global warming and reduce its effects as much as we can. However, it will be difficult for many people to change their daily routines and ways of living in order to help our planet and have an influence on this great issue so we, as humans, can live longer on this planet Earth as well. In the beginning, we could stop burning so many fossil fuels. There are also many other small choices that we can change about ourselves that would really help reduce the risk or at least slow down global warming; for example, we could drive hybrid cars that reduce gasoline consumption, or we could use public transportation instead of everyone using a car every single day which contributes greatly to global warming and adds up on this issue.

Recycling could also be adopted over time, and in that way, it would be less carbon dioxide produced. All these solutions would help a lot if people actually cared enough for the planet we live on, other species living here with us, or at least about themselves. However, the horrible truth is that people only care about living today and living however they want, not thinking about the consequences their habits can have on everything around them and on them alone too.

Political Perspective on Global Warming

On the other hand, how can we even be concerned about people not being aware of something huge as the problem of global warming when even our president is clearly not aware, or he doesn’t want to be because obviously, he has other issues to be concerned about that seem to be more important to him, like dealing with people that come on this land searching for a better life, or simply ‘immigrants’ how he would call it? Trump himself has been an aggressive critic of climate and climate change for years. He certainly does not believe in global warming and that it is actually happening or that scientists even have proof that it is not just some theory that Trump believes but rather a fact.

More interesting, not only that our president, Donald Trump, doesn’t believe in global warming itself, and in that case, he cannot even do anything to raise awareness among people. He even makes jokes about it very often. By constantly making jokes and having fun while he talks about issues like this, he shows that he is not taking problems that occur in the world and his country seriously at all.

He once, trying to be funny but instead simply showing who he is and why he shouldn’t lead any country once again, asked: “Where the hell is global warming? It’s freezing outside.” He also admitted that he believes in clean air and immaculate air; however, he does not believe in climate change at all.

When it comes to election time in general, the US always brings this topic of global warming into the discussion. Although it is discussed by the candidates, after the politician is elected, it looks like the issue disappears by itself. The candidate promises he will do this, and he will do that, but in the end, nothing seems to be done about it.

In conclusion, there are obviously many, many causes and effects of global warming and greenhouse gases. Sadly, it is more likely that the problems won’t be solved that easily or just disappear unless we take action right now, at this very moment, in order to reduce the risks this issue can bring and prevent all the problems that can be a product of this and all the disasters that would eventually occur.

References:

1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). (n.d.). Climate Change: How Do We Know? Retrieved from https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
2. Union of Concerned Scientists. (n.d.). The Consequences of Global Warming. Retrieved from https://www.ucsusa.org/climate-change
3. National Geographic. (n.d.). Causes and Effects of Climate Change. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/global-warming-causes/
4. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (n.d.). Climate Change Indicators: Greenhouse Gases. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/greenhouse-gases
5. The White House. (2019). Remarks by President Trump on America’s Energy Dominance and Manufacturing Revival. Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-americas-energy-dominance-manufacturing-revival/
6. Time. (2019). Here’s a List of Climate-Change Deniers in Congress. Retrieved from https://time.com/5651412/congress-climate-change-deniers-list/
7. BBC News. (2019). Trump ‘Thinks Wind Power Causes Cancer’, Says Book. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47888951
8. Politico. (2019). Trump’s EPA to revoke California’s power to limit vehicle emissions. Retrieved from https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/18/trump-california-emissions-1505074