Climate change is now occupying the minds of not only scientists but also politicians, entrepreneurs, and ordinary citizens. Fluctuations of the Earth’s climate, expressed in statistically reliable deviations of weather parameters from long-term values for the last hundred years, cause serious fears. While many researchers have remarked the primary role of anthropogenic factors in this regard, given certain institutional and legal obstacles, the ability to address climate change is relatively limited (Crate & Nuttall, 2016). This paper explores anthropogenic and natural causes of climate change examine its potential outcomes and presents actions aimed at stabilizing the climate.
Anthropogenic and Natural Causes
There are several possible causes of climate change of non-human origin. The major ones are the change in the luminosity of the sun and the variations in solar radiation. Also, lithospheric plate tectonics and volcanism may have led to changes in landscape characteristics and atmospheric conditions, which in turn influenced the climate. However, scientists believe that anthropogenic factors are the leading cause of environmental problems during the last century (Crate & Nuttall, 2016).
The list of these factors includes deforestation, the cement industry, and the presence of aerosols in the atmosphere. At the same time, researchers name “CO2 production that would affect all living beings and ecological systems” as the primary cause (Doyle, 2016, p. 4). As a result of increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the average temperature at the Earth’s surface has increased dramatically since the pre-industrial era.
Potential Consequences
The consequences of climate change will be fatal both for the Earth’s ecosystem and for human civilization. These include rising sea levels, changes in rainfall patterns, increased desertification, and increased frequency of extreme weather events, including heatwaves, droughts, and storms (Crate & Nuttall, 2016). Undoubtedly, this can severely affect the infrastructure of many cities, exacerbate the problem of living space and lack of drinking water, and increase the number of disasters. According to Doyle (2016), “the world’s poorest” countries and thus those who “produce the least CO2 emissions will be those most affected by climate change and the least able to deal with it” (p. 6). Moreover, in the long term, this could lead to increased seismic and volcanic activity and dramatic climate change across the planet.
Essential Preventive Measures
At present, environmental protection measures are already being taken at the international level. First and foremost, public strategies and policies that are aimed at climate change mitigation are needed to respond effectively to climate change (Hornsey, Harris, Bain, & Fielding, 2016). That, in turn, requires the commitment of the state authorities to prioritize environmental care over economic and political issues. The primary public measures also provided for in several international agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Treaty, are to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the federal level of all member states.
In addition, according to Hornsey et al. (2016), a multitude of researchers “support for mitigation policies that place a price on carbon (carbon tax or cap and trade)” (p. 624). Civic and business initiatives that include changing the culture of production and consumption, the use of sustainable transport and manufacturing, and environmental awareness and consciousness are also critical.
Conclusion
It should be noted that human activities since the industrial era began to have a strong impact on climate change in the Earth’s biosphere. Greenhouse gas emissions and increased CO2 production can cause disastrous weather changes and increase the number of natural catastrophes. The active participation of states and international organizations in the prevention of adverse effects on the environment should keep pace with the initiatives of ordinary citizens and the commercial sector.
References
Crate, S. A., & Nuttall, M. (Eds.). (2016). Anthropology and climate change: from encounters to actions. New York, NY: Routledge.
Doyle, J. (2016). Mediating climate change. London, England: Routledge.
Hornsey, M. J., Harris, E. A., Bain, P. G., & Fielding, K. S. (2016). Meta-analyses of the determinants and outcomes of belief in climate change. Nature climate change, 6(6), 622-626.