Abstract
The global warming has significant implications for the economic sustainability of many communities. In particular, it is possible to mention the declining harvest of various crops as well as threats to food security in various countries. Furthermore, one should speak about the need to adopt new approaches to production such as the use of genetically modified organisms. Additionally, much attention should be paid to the risk of the natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and tornados that can damage the property of many people and threaten their survival. Admittedly, the mechanisms of global warming are not fully understood. This process may not be caused by only human activities. Nevertheless, the impacts of this process should be of great concern to policy-makers. These are the main issues that should be discussed more closely.
Introduction
The questions related to global warming have been of great concern to scientists, engineers, policy-makers, and journalists. The potential risks associated with this process have led to the adoption of new regulations and significant changes in environmental practices of many manufacturing companies. This research paper is aimed at examining various aspects of this phenomenon. In particular, one should focus on the main effects of global warming; for instance, it is possible to speak about the transformation of agricultural production and the threats to food security. To a great extent, these changes can be caused by the changing fertility of different crops. Thus, it is important to consider the danger of famine in various regions in the world. Furthermore, much attention should be paid to the criticism of the main models explaining or describing this process. Overall, it is possible to argue that global warming poses significant threats to the economic sustainability of different countries; moreover, it can increase the risk of natural disasters that produce catastrophic effects on various communities. Admittedly, the mechanisms of this phenomenon may not be fully understood by scientists; however, its risks should not be disregarded. Therefore, it is vital to reduce the impact of human activities on various elements of the environment. This is the main thesis that should be examined in greater detail.
The effects of global warming
Overall, scholars argue that the global increase in temperature can be explained primarily by the human activities (El-Sharkawy, 2014). This explanation is adopted by the majority of scientists who study the changes in the climate. In particular, one should speak about the excessive use of fossil fuels and deforestation (El-Sharkawy, 2014, p. 161). Furthermore, researchers focus on the release of such gases as methane, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and nitrous oxide (El-Sharkawy, 2014, p. 161). To a great extent, global warming can be attributed to the growth of industrial production throughout the world. These examples highlight the need for changing the environmental practices and adopting new methods of production. It should be mentioned that during the past century the global temperature has risen by approximately 0.75 C (El-Sharkawy, 2014, p. 162). In turn, global warming can influence many biological processes that are of critical importance to human beings. Many of these influences may not manifest themselves immediately, but they can become noticeable only in the long term. This is one of the main details that legislators should consider in order to protect various social groups.
Overall, researchers single out various implications of global warming. In particular, scientists mention the changes in plant disease and pest occurrences (Ayyogari, Sidhya, & Pandit, 2014, p. 145). Furthermore, the increase in temperature can intensify the life-cycle of different organisms that harm crops; for instance, one can mention fungi (Ayyogari et al., 2014, p. 147). Furthermore, it is important to speak about the migration of insects to higher latitudes (Ayyogari et al. 2014). Thus, this trend can create significant challenges for many farmers living in these areas. In particular, they will need to find new ways of protecting crops. These trends can also influence the volume of agricultural production. In particular, some of the plants will better adjust to the changing climate conditions due to such attributes as the tolerance of heat. For instance, it is possible to mention cassava, soya beans, as well as rice (El-Sharkawy, 2014). Nevertheless, many vegetables will be adversely affected by these factors. In particular, one should speak about potatoes (Ayyogari et al., 2014). This crop is vital for agricultural production of many countries. It is important for the food security of various communities. This is one of the risks that can be singled out.
Additionally, global warming forces many farmers to adopt new approaches to production. For instance, farmers located in middle and high latitudes will be able to increase the crops various plants due to the effect of CO2 fertilization. Thus, some stakeholders can actually benefit from global warming, at least in the short term. Nevertheless, the countries located in tropical and sub-tropical areas may suffer from agricultural losses. The problem is that at present, the temperature in these regions has already reached the limits of thermal adaptation (El-Sharkawy, 2014, p. 165). Thus, it is possible to say that global warming can significantly threaten food security in different countries, especially those ones that are more exposed to the risks of draughts. For instance, some African countries can be affected by hunger. This is one of the main risks that should be reduced to the minimum.
It is also necessary to mention that global warming can affect migration of people. One should keep in mind that many people may leave the countries provided that their capacity for agricultural production is undermined (El-Sharkawy, 2014). This argument is particularly relevant if one speaks about African countries and the refugees who need to find a new place of residence. This case shows that global warming can increase the vulnerability of less developed countries that have not fully integrated into the modern economy. Thus, international community should be ready for these challenges because many countries will need to support refugees. This problem illustrates the long-term influences of global warming that can impair the welfare of many stakeholders.
Another indirect effect of global warming is the increasing use of genetically modified organisms that can significantly increase the resistance of different plants to external stressors such as heat and draughts (Fuhrer & Gregory, 2014). The use of genetic engineering can be a solution to the problems that can posed by global warming. Nevertheless, researchers and farmers should make sure that these products do not jeopardize the health of consumers. This is one of the aspects that should be taken into account. On the whole, these examples demonstrate that global warming has significant implications for millions of people whose life and health can be dependent on the environmental practices adopted by different various companies. The most important task is to adjust agricultural production to the changing climate conditions. Apart from that, one should make use of the most energy-efficient technologies that can reduce global warming.
Furthermore, scholars mention that global warming can result in the changes of the river flow regimes (Do Hoai, Udo, & Mano, 2012, p. 541). Thus, these changes can have significant implications for many communities that can face significant risks of floods. Furthermore, researchers assume that such natural disasters as hurricanes and tornados are also caused by the increase in temperature, because warmer atmosphere has more energy to power storms (Masters, 2012, p. 19). Overall, such events as floods and hurricanes can result in significant financial damages. In many cases, they can bring thousands of people to the brink of homelessness and poverty (Masters, 2012). Thus, one should not assume that global warming is only related to agriculture. These are some of the perils that should be distinguished. Certainly, the causal relations between natural disasters and global warming have not been fully investigated. Nevertheless, these possible connections should be taken into consideration by people who develop environmental regulations. These professionals should pay attention to the long-term effects of this phenomenon on various stakeholders.
The controversies related to the global warming
It is also important to mention that some researchers are very skeptical about the validity of scientific models that can explain the global changes in temperature. For instance, they point out that in the past there were historical periods when the temperature rose dramatically in various countries (Leyland, 2005). The most important issue is that these abnormalities were long before the Industrial Revolution. This is one of the limitations that should be taken into account. Moreover, researchers note that the projections about climate change may not be very accurate (Leyland, 2005). These models cannot take into account various variables affecting thermodynamic processes. Additionally, one should not forget about the impact of such a factor as sunspot activities since they can also cause temperature fluctuations (Leyland, 2005). This argument implies that many regulations which are aimed at curbing CO2 emissions are not necessarily effective. To a great extent, these examples show that it is important to evaluate existing models of global warming more critically. In this way, researchers can gain a better idea about the origins of this phenomenon.
Furthermore, researchers note that natural abnormalities can be very difficult to explain. Admittedly, they can take their origins in thermodynamic processes (Seager, Naik, & Vogel, 2012). Nevertheless, they can be caused by a complex set of factors that can be easily described with the help of existing meteorological models. These are some of the limitations that should be taken into account by people who need to make informed judgments about the nature of global warming.
More importantly, some scientists argue that variations in the climate are imbedded in nature, and they are not directly dependent on the activities of human beings (Spencer, 2012). The main problem is that scientists assume that the rise in temperature could be caused the increased emissions of greenhouse gases. Nevertheless, these variations may be inevitable. This argument implies that the modern concerns about greenhouse gases may not be justified since there may not be significant causal relations between human activities and climate changes. Overall, the issues discussed in this section are important because they suggest that people’s activities cannot be blamed for various detrimental effects of global warming. These are some of the main points that can be made.
Discussion
Overall, it is vital to examine a complex set of factors leading to the changes in climate. Nevertheless, the critique provided in the previous section does not invalidate the idea that global warming can be a significant challenge for many stakeholders such as farmers, manufacturing enterprises, governmental organizations, and every member of the community, in general. Admittedly, the mechanisms of this process may not be fully understood nowadays. However, it is not permissible to think that the impact of global warming is negligible. The key issue is that atmospheric temperature increases at a very alarming rate, and it is necessary to find ways of reversing this trend and minimizing its detrimental effects. This strategy can be instrumental for the sustainability of many communities.
Conclusion
On the whole, it is possible to argue that global warming can endanger the sustainability of many societies, especially those ones that are dependent on agricultural production. This problem takes its origins in the inefficient use of energy and excessive deforestation. It is possible to distinguish the following impacts: 1) the increased vulnerability of various crops such as potatoes; 2) the changes in the migration of insects; 3) the increased risk of natural disasters; 4) threats to food security, and 5) decreased economic sustainability of the global community. Admittedly, existing models that are supposed to explain this phenomenon may not be perfect. Nevertheless, the risks associated with this process cannot be overlooked by legislators and policy-makers. One of the main goals is to focus on the development of energy-efficient technologies that limit people’s influences on various thermodynamic processes. These are the main arguments that can be put forward.
Reference List
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