Introduction
The changing climate has brought to the fore the negative impacts human activities have on the environment. The social, physical, and economic repercussions have upset the traditional order of life in hitherto unseen ways. The rise in temperatures and the depletion of the ozone layer has resulted in erratic weather patterns that have affected livelihoods, caused the displacement of communities, and increased humanity’s susceptibility to adverse conditions. The atmospheric changes previously thought to be a preserve of the future are impacting lives today. The debilitating consequences of a changing climate have caused significant distress to vulnerable populations that are facing new challenges to their health and occupations.
Grounds: The Changing Climate
The world is experiencing perceptible changes concerning its climate. Global data indicates that 2016 was the hottest year ever recorded, and in the U.S., the resultant high degree of precipitation led to fifteen disasters that included storms, fires, and drought (Grossman 345). Additionally, the acidification of the ocean is decimating ecosystems and denying communities a vital resource in the form of marine animals. The changing climate is believed to be the biggest threat to human health in contemporary times. Human beings experience a myriad of illnesses linked to changes in the climate. It is estimated that if the degree of greenhouse gas emissions is not controlled, heat waves will affect a significant portion of the global population in the future (Grossman 346). In addition, even if radical interventions are implemented to combat the problem, heat waves are all but assured.
It is vital to note that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) attributes the worsening of the climate-related adversities to human activity, and it estimates that global temperatures will rise significantly in the coming years (Harris et al. 1). Scientists agree that the rising temperatures are causing a rise in sea levels, the collapse in marine ecosystems in addition to increasing the frequency of disruptive weather patterns. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 140,000 lives are lost annually as a direct consequence of the changing climate, especially in Southeast Asian and African countries (Harris et al. 2). The impact of a changing climate is evident given the increasing pace of human activity across the planet.
Warrants: Explicating the Change
The fact that global temperatures are on the rise has been confirmed through rigorous scientific experimentation. For instance, the atmospheric concentration of CO2 has increased by approximately 40% compared to the pre-industrial levels (Harris et al. 3). The rise is the direct result of the utilization of environmentally harmful fuels in addition to the manufacture of ozone-destroying materials such as nitrates and methane. The increased density of CO2 in the stratosphere traps heat, leading to a rise in the earth’s temperature. The rise in sea levels that leads to adverse weather phenomena is caused by the thawing of glacial masses. The increased volume of runoff floods surrounds landmasses, leading to the destabilization of ecosystems and the displacement of communities living in areas surrounded by large water bodies. For instance, in 2012, global temperatures rose by 0.5 degrees, which resulted in a 2mm rise in sea levels annually (Harris et al. 9). The resultant devastation has significantly altered the course of life for vulnerable populations across the globe.
The acidification of the ocean is a matter of grave concern. A 2012 report published in the science magazine demonstrated that the oceans are changing at a faster rate than any recorded in the last 300 million years (Harris et al. 11). As a result, the coral reefs, are dying off at an alarming rate are unsuitable habitats for marine animals. Heatwaves and wildfires are becoming a common phenomenon across the globe. For instance, the Western United States, regions of Australia, and parts of Canada experience fire all year round. The 2016 wildfires in Alberta destroyed an area stretching more than 350 miles, resulting in the displacement of over 80,000 people (Harris et al. 12). The negative impacts of a changing climate are to blame for the adversity that vulnerable populations must suffer as the planet chokes under the weight of human enterprise.
Backing the Claims
The rise in temperature and the consequent elevation of the sea are impacting people in extreme ways. For instance, two islands in the nation of Kiribati have already been submerged by the rising water level, while communities in neighboring islands are experiencing challenges in agriculture, given that the soil has been contaminated with sea salt (Harris et al. 10). In addition, the rising sea has contaminated freshwater reserves, meaning that as the problem worsens, the islands will progressively become uninhabitable. In the U.S., the government has pin-pointed thirty-one settlements in Alaska that are in danger of submersion, and the increasing frequency of flooding is costing Florida approximately 400 million dollars in damaged property annually (Harris et al. 10). The frequent hurricanes are displacing communities across the globe in addition to endangering people’s lives.
The aforementioned adversities significantly impact people’s health. The 2017 Lancet Countdown on Climate Change noted that the symptoms created by the adversities associated with a changing climate are potentially irreversible and have an immense impact on population health (Hayes et al. 1). The WHO estimates that the world will experience an unprecedented rise in mortality as a result of heatwaves, respiratory diseases, and extreme weather phenomena caused by changes in the climate. In addition, huge sections of the population are expected to suffer from mental illness as they face the loss of their homes, family, and livelihoods. The main threat to health arises from the fact that a changing climate worsens prevalent inequalities (Hayes et al. 2). Therefore, marginalized communities face greater threats and are more likely to lose their lives.
Qualifying the Argument
The changing climate affects most of the world’s population. The impacts vary depending on the region affected. Some of the areas where the impact is most felt are health, socio-economic status, and housing, especially in areas where the government has failed to implement mitigation strategies to protect its population against the devastating effects of adverse climatic changes. In regions where attempts are being made to address the problem, vulnerable communities may suffer transition-associated job losses, especially in the context of the financial-global crisis (Markkanen and Anger-Kraavi 836). Therefore, the negative impact of a changing climate on human health and socio-economic status is, without question, a fact in contemporary societies.
A Different Perspective
Various proponents argue that the changes witnessed are part of the earth’s natural progression. They posit that human beings have not influenced the accumulation of greenhouse gases, which has led to the rise in global temperatures. While they contend that the planet has indeed become warmer, they insist that the effects proposed by the scientific community have been exceedingly exaggerated (Office of Planning and Research). It is vital to note that the belief that the rising sea level is not directly linked to adverse weather conditions and deteriorating human health has gained traction in the denier community. However, the aforementioned counter-arguments have been quashed by the IPCC, which constitutes authorities from various fields and nationalities from different regions of the world. The consensus is that human activity is the leading cause of climatic alterations. In addition, the impacts occasioned by a rise in global temperatures are an undeniable fact. Scientific expeditions and research studies on vulnerable populations demonstrate the far-reaching effects that the changing climate has on human beings.
Conclusion
The incapacitating consequences of a changing climate have resulted in significant distress among vulnerable populations as they face various health and economic challenges. The world is experiencing a rise in global temperatures as a result of intensified human activity. The trapping of greenhouse gases has resulted in a rise in sea levels as well as an increase in the frequency of severe weather events. Human life is increasingly being lost as a result of heat waves and respiratory diseases. The loss of habitats and the acidification of the ocean are resulting in the loss of income streams for vulnerable populations. The loss of arable land and freshwater is making islands uninhabitable while wildfires are displacing thousands of people from their homes. The changing climate’s effects are impacting life today with such ferocity that vulnerable populations that fail to cope with new and devastating challenges are facing extinction.
Works Cited
Grossman, Rosso Margaret. “Climate Change and the Individual.” American Journal of Comparative Law, vol. 66, no. 1, 2018, pp. 345–78, Web.
Harris, Jonathan M., et al. “The Economics of Global Climate Change.”, Global Development and Environment Institute, 2017, Web.
Hayes, Katie, et al. “Climate Change and Mental Health: Risks, Impacts and Priority Actions.” International Journal of Mental Health Systems, vol. 12, no. 1, BioMed Central, 2018, pp. 1–12, Web.
Markkanen, Sanna, and Annela Anger-Kraavi. “Social Impacts of Climate Change Mitigation Policies and Their Implications for Inequality.” Climate Policy, vol. 19, no. 7, Taylor & Francis, 2019, pp. 827–44, Web.
Office of Planning and Research. “Common Denier Arguments.” State of California, 2021, Web.