Introduction
Now, the climate crisis is a significant challenge facing humanity. Rising average temperatures substantially impact the planet’s climate, and these effects will become even more potent over the years. Besides global warming and melting glaciers, there is also an imbalance in all-natural systems, leading to changes in precipitation patterns, temperature anomalies, and an increased frequency of extreme events such as hurricanes, floods, droughts. The issue is extremely urgent, and it is still acute today. Every individual is responsible for climate change, so getting people’s attention and learning more about the topic in and out of educational institutions is essential for combating the problem.
Definition of Climate Change
The first thing to do is define what climate change is to understand the nature of the problem. The climate is reasonably stable, meaning that these changes occur regularly, with winter constantly turning to spring and monsoons coming in a particular season. Thus, climate change is a vital and lasting transformation in the statistical distribution of weather conditions, which can occur over decades to millions of years (Dietz et al., 2020). However, the Earth’s climate has changed significantly in recent decades, and it is crucial to understand what has caused such dramatic transformations in such a short period.
Reasons
The temperature of the Earth provides suitable conditions for life. It is due to a natural process called the greenhouse effect (Kweku et al., 2017). When solar radiation reaches the atmosphere, some of it is reflected into space, and some of it passes through the Earth and is absorbed by it; this causes its surface heating. The Earth’s warmth is radiated outward and taken up by the gases in its atmosphere, the so-called greenhouse gases. This process prevents heat from disappearing, providing an average temperature much higher than usual.
In the last century, human activity has also resulted in the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, thus increasing the natural occurrence of the greenhouse effect. Most of these vapors arise from constructing facilities for mining and burning minerals, energy use, emissions from motor vehicles and aircraft, and agriculture. Carbon dioxide makes up the most considerable portion of all greenhouse gases: it is the one that is mainly responsible for global warming. The loss of forest and wetland areas that could store CO2 is also increasing the warming effect.
Consequences
Climate change has long been transformed from a scientific issue into one of the world’s most pressing problems. A possible future scenario is as follows: climate change, global warming, melting ice, ocean encroaching on coasts, climate belts shifting toward the poles, atmospheric circulation increasing. International negotiations on this subject have become an arena of struggle between states, determining the world’s balance of economic and political forces for decades.
Climate disruption changes life in communities in a variety of ways. Scientists warn that if people fail to stop the temperature rise of 1.5 °C, the results could be catastrophic (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2018). The main negative consequences are:
- Significant increase of water levels in the oceans and seas.
- Risen intensity and frequency of abnormal weather events.
- Water and food shortages and, as a consequence, starvation.
- Desertification of areas and declining crop yields.
- Regional tensions and escalation of global conflicts.
- A decline in fishing industry catches and destruction of coral reefs.
- Loss of valuable habitats, biodiversity, vital ecosystems, and species.
- Increased spread of diseases and infections, the emergence of epidemics.
Fighting climate change is thought to be expensive, which might explain people’s reluctance to act. However, these costs are nothing compared to the economic consequences of global warming. Climate disruption is a no-win situation for all nations and society as a whole. It is in everyone’s interest to start taking this issue consciously and seriously and acting now.
Solutions
Global warming also requires an international effort to combat and adapt to it. Given the high inertia of the climate system, even in the case of an immediate and complete cessation of greenhouse gas emissions, the global temperature will continue to rise for another three decades (Clark et al., 2016). Therefore, it is necessary to prevent further climate disruption and take immediate measures to adjust to the process.
A fair and equitable sharing of the obligations to address climate change between the countries is a significant challenge. The steps to be selected will depend on the nation’s ecological footprint, the actions it is already taking, its economic situation, and its geographical location (Carattini et al., 2020). In developed countries, adaptation will be achieved by reducing the costs of extreme natural phenomena. Developing countries will also suffer more from the elements, but they will have to worry about diversifying their economic activities and investing in agricultural production and health care. These efforts are not possible without easing international tensions, without deploying assistance to these countries from economically developed countries. It requires the formalization of global international cooperation on climate change.
Market-based measures to counteract climate change, such as taxes and emissions trading, can be used to create a fair carbon price, as can rationing. However, these mechanisms can work only in the context of an effective global climate policy. Rich developed countries will have to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and help their neighbors. It will be necessary to transfer clean technologies abroad and directly participate in projects to reduce these gases. That is why it is essential to use new mechanisms of attracting finance and create adequate incentives for private businesses. Appeals to the moral obligations of states have so far fallen on deaf ears because each government understands these responsibilities to the extent of their benefit. In addition, the chosen authorities of many developed countries have obligations to the electorate. In their forward-looking tasks, they cannot rely on their support due to human selfishness and irresponsibility. Accordingly, everyone should understand their engagement; only then can all the methods used to solve the problem work effectively.
Actions Everyone Can Take in the Future
People recognize that climate change is happening but do not realize what exactly everyone can do personally. It is possible to partially eliminate driving, decrease air travel, buy eco-friendly products and goods. It will reduce the use of fossil fuels and carbon emissions. People can also influence higher authorities: by using their rights as citizens and consumers, it is conceivable to control the government and demand that they make the necessary systemic changes. All ways are important because they change neighbors’ behavior and make them think (Williamson et al., 2018). It’s critical to share knowledge with others and talk about climate change; then, more people will get involved and understand the magnitude of the consequences.
Conclusion
Climate disruption is becoming the central problem of this century. What sets this one apart from some other global threats is that it is already happening. Studying the course led me to take this topic more seriously and consciously. My immersion in the subject made me realize that the world is not just fighting or about to fight global warming; it is already living in it. Humanity is headed toward social disasters caused by water shortages, famine, disease, and displacement of people. Addressing the issues will require the unity and tension of the entire world community. Everyone’s conscious attitude will help reduce the scale of the problem, slow its pace, and find new rational ways to solve it.
References
Dietz, T., Shwom, R. L., & Whitley, C. T. (2020). Climate change and society. Annual Review of Sociology, 46, 135-158.
Carattini, S., Gosnell, G., & Tavoni, A. (2020). How developed countries can learn from developing countries to tackle climate change. World Development, 127.
Clark, P. U., Shakun, J. D., Marcott, S. A., Mix, A. C., Eby, M., Kulp, S., Levermann, A., Milne, G. A., Pfister, P. L., Santer, B. D., Schrag, D.P., Solomon, S., Stocker, T. F., Strauss, B. H., Weaver, A. J., Winkelmann, R., Archer, D., Bard, E., Goldner, A.,… & Plattner, G. K. (2016). Consequences of twenty-first-century policy for multi-millennial climate and sea-level change. Nature Climate Change, 6(4), 360-369.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2018). Special report: Global warming of 1.5 ºC. Web.
Kweku, D. W., Bismark, O., Maxwell, A., Desmond, K. A., Danso, K. B., Oti-Mensah, E. A., Quachie, A. T., & Adormaa, B. B. (2017). Greenhouse effect: Greenhouse gases and their impact on global warming. Journal of Scientific Research and Reports, 1-9.
Williamson, K., Satre-Meloy, A., Velasco, K., & Green, K. (2018). Climate change needs behavior change: Making the case for behavioral solutions to reduce global warming. Rare: Arlington, VA, USA.