Abstract
The current paper provides evidence that climate change is a problem mainly caused by human activity, which has a tremendous impact on the whole ecosystem despite the existing skepticism. Therefore, it is argued that immediate actions should be taken to prevent the worst outcome. For this reason, this essay presents six strategies that should be implemented simultaneously to counter the temperature rise around the world.
Introduction
Climate change and its consequences are becoming more evident every year. In this regard, the majority of people believe that such abnormal temperature changes are strongly associated with human activity. However, some minority groups consider that global warming is a natural process that occurs regardless of human activity or argue that there is no climate change at all. To address the latter views, the current essay will show that the temperature issue exists and poses a serious threat to the planet. Additionally, it intends to elaborate on the strategies that can be used to solve this issue.
Identifying the Problem
The central problem that causes global warming is the increased greenhouse gases such as methane, CO2 (carbon dioxide), and N2O (nitrous oxide) due to human activity. The latter, in turn, is caused by fossil fuels consumption, deforestation, and livestock farming (European Commission, n.d.). The greenhouse gases’ direct and obvious impact on the planet’s temperature is the greenhouse effect. However, other consequences are less easily identifiable as they are indirect and lead to global warming by initiating the chain of reactions (see Wang et al.’s (2018) paper on ocean acidification). Therefore, it is seen how unbalanced usage of the resources leads to increased world temperatures.
As a result, global warming has a tremendous impact on the whole macrosystem. As such, the researchers hypothesize that as many as one million different species of plants and animals are under the threat of extinction in the nearest future (Marks & Winter, 2020). In regards to humans, the increased heat will lead to reduced productivity, increased suicide and crime rates, cognitive decline, and immigration (McMahon, 2019). For those and many other reasons, it becomes clear that such far-stretched negative consequences of climate change should be addressed as soon as possible.
Coping Strategies
There are numerous strategies that can be implied to address the problem of global warming. Firstly, it is essential that people consume less ‘bad’ electrical power – the one that is associated with greenhouse gases emission – than they do now. That, for example, includes the construction of the buildings with better insulation so that less energy is spent on warming or cooling the space. Additionally, the construction of more wind farms and solar panels is imperative. Moreover, a simple solution that can have a significant impact includes unplugging the devices when they are not used. Secondly, people should give preference to the consumption of locally produced edible products as their transportation necessitates a lot of fuel. In this regard, local producers and government officials should work together. The former can encourage people to consume local goods through marketing and advertisement, whereas the latter should develop and implement food control measures that would increase customers’ trust in domestic producers.
Thirdly, people should be encouraged to use more public transport than personal vehicles. It can be achieved through infrastructure development and active public education. Fourthly, the surface-brightening technique can be implemented by painting the roofs with white color so that they would reflect the sunlight (Fawzy et al., 2020). Fifthly, governments should strictly control the forest industry’s activities and encourage area reforestation through subsidies. Finally, all sectors and individuals should be encouraged to use renewable energy through legislative initiatives and financial stimulations or punishments. Nevertheless, what is more important, is the fact that there is no ‘best’ solution to the reviewed issue; rather, all the mentioned strategies should be implemented simultaneously to cause positive change.
Addressing the Skepticism
Despite the fact that the majority of scientists who study climate change advocate for the necessity of immediate actions, some skeptics argue against the need for human beings to solve the temperature increase. One of the most common objections that the latter individuals have is that all the species would eventually accustom to new temperature conditions. However, such a contention fails to recognize that previous changes occurred gradually and, thus, plants and animals had much more time to adapt to external changes, whereas this time, they are happening significantly faster.
Additionally, certain people maintain that it is false to consider the current temperature rise abnormal or believe that there is no global warming at all. The former view is based on the premise that the Earth’s surface temperature has fluctuated throughout history, and currently, it is in the phase of warming. On the contrary, the latter asserts that, in reality, climate change happens in the opposite direction, and the planet becomes colder. Yet, both of these arguments are wrong, as for the last decade, the world has experienced more abnormal hot days and less abnormal cold days than before, and these changes happen at unprecedented speed. Therefore, global warming is not solely another historical temperature fluctuation.
Conclusion
Overall, the current paper analyzed the causes and consequences of global warming and presented possible solutions to this issue. As for the latter, it was found there is no ‘best’ solution, and all the initiatives should be implemented all at once. Moreover, it was shown why most of the global warming skeptics are mistaken and that there is indeed abnormal climate change caused by humans. Finally, it is necessary to mention that scientists claim that after 2030 many consequences of the temperature rise would be irreversible. Thus, it is imperative to act decisively as soon as possible.
References
European Commission. (n.d.).Causes of climate change. An Official Website of the European Union. Web.
Fawzy, S., Osman, A. I., Doran, J., & Rooney, D. W. (2020). Strategies for mitigation of climate change: A review. Environmental Chemistry Letters, 18, 2069–2094.
Marks, A. & Winter, H. M. (2020). On the eve of extinction. Rolling Stone. Web.
McMahon, J. (2019). Eight more effects of climate change: Some surprising, some fatal.Forbes. Web.
Wang, S., Maltrud, M. E., Burrows, S. M., Elliott, S. M., & Cameron, S. P. (2018). Impacts of shifts in phytoplankton community on clouds and climate via the sulfur cycle. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 32(6), 1005-1026.