Introduction
There are a plethora of problems humanity faces on a daily basis, and they all vary in their level of complexity and scope. Some of them have a systemic nature and pose a direct threat to the existence of millions of people on the planet. The issue of climate change is among them since it has been observed for a considerable period of time and recognized by many scientists as a potentially dangerous scenario which has to be prevented. Activists, scholars, and environmental organizations have been campaigning to inform the public about the challenges which climate change presents and the ways it can be resolved. Yet, there is still a general lack of any reliable and active measures by countries to counter this problem and even acknowledge it as topical. Moreover, some choose to espouse a careless approach and not to think much about the implications of not addressing this issue, believing that there is no valid evidence to prove it. Yet, despite the claims about climate change being a natural process, it must be treated seriously since it may have a devastating impact on life on Earth.
Main body
Global climate change will inevitably lead to significant changes in weather patterns worldwide, which will destroy centuries-old lifestyles practiced in certain parts of the globe. It will increase the levels of precipitation in some regions and decrease it in others, leaving the territories historically used for agriculture exposed to a risk of being rendered useless. If the global temperature rises and the heat intensifies, the dry areas will become even drier and, as a result, experience prolonged periods of droughts, which may potentially engender devastating wildfires (Merzdorf). Moreover, such events may produce so-called “climate refugees,” people who will have to leave their homes and move to places which are not as affected by the new circumstances. For example, flooding, another possible outcome of climate change, has been linked to an increased level of migration (Burrows and Kinney 7). Therefore, by not keeping the global temperature under control, humanity puts in danger entire populations who happen to reside in the areas prone to natural disasters.
Animals and birds also can be harmed by the consequences of climate change, namely, it may have a considerable impact on their habitat and the established food webs. As it was mentioned before, droughts and flooding have a significant potential to force people to abandon their homesteads, yet the same is true for various types of wildlife. According to one study, a number of bird species were found to be struggling to adapt to climate change, which in turn led to an increased risk to their persistence (Radchuk et al. 7). Yet, it is clear that it will be difficult not only for birds to sustain their life under new circumstances. Some species will simply cease to exist or depart forever from the regions to which they were endemic. Consequently, the fewer number of animals and birds can disturb the current food chains, limiting the possibilities for wildlife to source all the necessary nutrients.
The marine biodiversity is another factor which must be assessed when analyzing the outcomes of not effectively countering climate change. Over the past fifty years, the ocean absorbed ninety-three percent of the heating generated by the greenhouse effect and human activities (Laffoley Baxter 17). This valuable resource is largely responsible for slowing the advancement of climate change, which makes its inhabitants extremely susceptible to major changes in the global temperature. An increase of several degrees may be enough to make certain fish leave their usual regions of habitat. For example, a study conducted in the Arabian Gulf analyzed a habitat of fifty-five marine species and found that it was likely to experience a significant decline in suitability (Wabnitz et al. 10). This will again lead to the loss of some fish resources and affect the local fisheries, which may begin to struggle financially as a result.
There are also opinions of people who do not believe that climate change is a significant issue which is worth countering as soon as possible. One of the main arguments of such individuals is the claim that climate change is a natural occurrence, which consistently takes place on the planet since the beginning of times. Many of them believe that media outlets are responsible for perpetuating the alarmist agenda about global extinction because of temperature increases. For example, Peters wrote that the climate on the Earth is in constant “flux,” and that the existing evidence about human activities as the key driver of the global temperatures is not sufficient (305). This reasoning implies that historically the Earth experienced both spikes and drops in temperature and such patterns are its inherent part. Moreover, resisting these changes may potentially have worse implications on the global environment than not interfering in natural developments.
This argument can be challenged with the facts about the human activity on the planet in the past centuries, namely, since the era of the industrial revolution. For example, during the time interval between 1880 and 2012 alone, the planet’s temperature increased by 1.54 degrees Fahrenheit, which is significant compared to the previous periods (U.S. Energy Information Administration). These changes were likely to be linked to the increased production and manufacturing powers of countries worldwide, making it an important factor. Moreover, the current levels of greenhouse emissions, primarily of carbon dioxide, are at the record high, which is the direct result of burning large amounts of fossil fuels (Nunez). This statistical data clearly shows that the recent changes in climate cannot be simply caused by usual developments in the Earth’s atmosphere. Thus, claims about climate change being a natural event currently do not have proper grounds and can be refuted with the help of available information.
Conclusion
Today, climate change is a topical issue, and the way humanity will choose to address it will determine whether major negative consequences can be avoided. Climate change will lead to droughts and flooding of many areas worldwide, which will create “climate refugees,” people who will be forced to abandon their homes and move to a safer place. Animals and birds will also be affected by the changes, they may experience a loss of habitat, which will interfere with the established food chains leaving many without necessary resources. Marine biodiversity is also under threat, since the ocean is responsible for accommodating large amounts of heat, an increase in water temperature may cause some fish to disappear. Some people claim that climate change is a natural occurrence which follows a steady pattern and therefore is not likely to be promoted by human activities. Yet, the data and statistics show that, over the last century and a half, the global temperate has increased by a record amount. Thus, addressing the problem of climate change is extremely important since life on the planet depends on it.
Works Cited
Burrows, Kate, and Kinney, Patrick L. “Exploring the Climate Change, Migration and Conflict Nexus,” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 13, no. 4, 2016, 1–17. Web.
Laffoley, Dan, and Baxter, John, M., editors. Explaining Ocean Warming: Causes, Scale, Effects and Consequences. IUCN, Gland. 2016.
Merzdorf, Jessica. “A Drier Future Sets the Stage for More Wildfires.” NASA: Climate Change and Global Warming. 2019, Web.
Nunez, Christina. “Carbon Dioxide Levels Are at A Record High. Here’s What You Need to Know,” National Geographic, 2019. Web.
Peters, Kirsten, E. The Whole Story of Climate: What Science Reveals About the Nature of Endless Change. Prometheus, 2012.
Radchuk, Viktoriia et al. “Adaptive Responses of Animals to Climate Change Are Most Likely Insufficient,” Nature Communications, vol. 10, no. 1, 2019, 1–14. Web.
U.S. Energy Information Administration. “Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Atmospheric Concentrations Have Increased Over the Past 150 Years,” U.S. Energy Information Administration. 2019. Web.
Wabnitz, Colette et al. “Climate Change Impacts on Marine Biodiversity, Fisheries and Society in the Arabian Gulf,” PLOS ONE, vol. 13, no. 5, 2018, 1–26. Web.