Climate change
According to Morgan (2003), climate change is the change of weather distribution patterns for a long period. Currently the world is experiencing extreme changes in the weather patterns that have really affected most of the nation’s economy. Climate change is a global problem that has attracted most of the researchers worldwide with an aim of coming up with a concrete solution to this life threatening monster. Several factors cause climate change. Some of these factors are natural while others are as result of anthropogenic activities. Human activities have greatly contributed to climate change. Due to population growth and other human interest like need for quick money, forests have been encroached. Friis (2012) points out that the forests are very crucial in weather regulation. The forests also act as carbon sinks. Industrialization has found its way in many countries. According to Morgan (2003), industries have been discovered to contribute to the global warming phenomenon that leads to climate change. These industries emit various greenhouse gases that have significant impacts to the environment.
Countries like China and the United States are leading in emission of greenhouse gases. Irrespective of where atmospheric pollution takes place, the impacts of global warming are felt globally. Friis (2012) argues that climate change impacts are so evident amongst many nations. These impacts include extreme temperature changes, change in rainfall patterns, rise, and fall of oceans, melting of the ice caps, frequent tornadoes and volcanic eruptions, flooding, droughts and many others. These changes are seriously affecting the economy of many nations. Many researches done show that climate change is the contributor of most of sufferings experienced by many countries today.
Strategy for garnering effective action on climate change mitigation
To come up with a sustainable action for climate change, a number of factors that should be put into consideration. As explained by Morgan (2003), climate change mitigation is not a one-man or nation’s effort. This scholar argues that for any effort to reduce or avoid climate change to yield any fruits a collaborative approach should be applied. Nations should come together and combine efforts in the mitigation. The approach should be participatory in that every member of the community is aware of ways that leads to climate change in order to take the necessary precaution measures.
The Kyoto protocol sets a very important strategy for curbing climate change impacts. It is an international environmental friendly treaty that has set obligations, binding nations to reduce industrial emissions of greenhouse gases and avoid any anthropogenic activities that destabilize the climate system. The treaty also aims at enhancing public awareness on climate change. The Kyoto protocol has very strong principles geared towards avoiding climate change (Moeller, 2005). The objective of this treaty is to make the member countries adopt ways that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases into the environment. To abide in the principles for this treaty, nations are encouraged to come up with low carbon-technologies, adopt renewable energy technologies, promote energy efficiency technologies in industries, promote carbon-trading activities, conserve carbon sinks reservoirs, and encourage land use activities that are friendly to the environment for sustainability. Kyoto protocol also provides a compliance mechanism that is used to check the adherence of member nations to the agreements in the treaty. This treaty sets a very effective target to prevent climate change and its impacts. If strictly adhered to, the Kyoto protocol can provide a very effective strategy for garnering effective action on climate change mitigation.
According to Morgan (2003), the Kyoto protocol efforts have yield fruits in many of the member countries. Friis (2012) points out that there is a reported decrease of industrial emissions in many countries. Many nations have also adopted low carbon technologies in industries and in the transport sector. Carbon trading has also found its way in many countries today. Although emission of greenhouse gases has reduced, much has to be done to mitigate climate change. Many member nations have failed to adhere to principles of the treaty that is very crucial to curb climate change. For climate change mitigation to be achieved, member nations should strictly implement the principles provided by this treaty. All members of the society ranging from students to environmental managers should form role models in campaigning for a zero-carbon emission nation and take the leading positions in creating public awareness on climate change. There is a need to improve in creating awareness to the public on climate change and provide public information access on the same.by so doing the Kyoto protocol treaty would be a very effective strategy to curb climate change.
References
Friis, R. (2012). Essentials of environmental health. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Moeller, D. W. (2005). Environmental health. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.
Morgan, M. (2003). Environmental health. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth.