The fact that the warming climate is directly responsible for habitat destruction is a foregone conclusion. The primary cause of elevations in global temperature is human activity. The production and combustion of fossil fuels have led to the release of gases that cause the planet to retain heat. As a result, ice sheets and polar ice caps are melting at a hitherto unprecedented rate, flooding oceans with meltwater.
The production of coal is one among many human activities that are directly linked to planetary rises in temperature. The resultant warming has triggered accelerated melting in the Arctic’s ice sheets. The loss of ice has predisposed the planet’s human population to adverse weather conditions. The vicious cycle that was activated by the industrial revolution must be stopped to save human populations, plants, animals, and the ecosystems within which they reside. Humanity’s desire for excess has triggered a cataclysmic chain of events that, if left unaddressed, will see the loss of vital habitats on which vulnerable populations depend.
The production of coal results in the emission of pollutants, which contribute to global warming. One gas that the process emits is methane which has “a global warming potential (GWP) 28-36 times that of CO2” over a period of 100 years (Kholod et al. 1). Even though methane is a valuable energy source, it is significantly detrimental to the ozone layer, which is responsible for the maintenance of global temperatures. Coal mines are by far the “largest sources of anthropogenic coal emissions” (Kholod et al. 1).
The production process is associated with the release of methane gas that is naturally trapped in the ground. The coal mining industry is responsible for an estimated “11% of global methane emissions from human activities” (Kholod et al. 1). Current estimates indicate that continued mining operations will significantly increase the quantity of methane that is released into the atmosphere. Research indicates that even in the context of aggressive climate mitigation procedures the rate of methane emission “increases even faster” in the future (Kholod et al. 10).
The fact that the rise in temperatures caused by the greenhouse effect is a threat to humans development has focused global attention on the “emissions generated from the combustion” of fossil fuels (Jiang et al. 191). The use of coal in industrial settings results in the release of Carbon dioxide (CO2), which has been implicated as one of the main causes of increased planetary temperature. The carbon discharges attributed to coal “account for the biggest share of emissions” (Jiang et al. 202). The implementation of measures aimed at curtailing the production and combustion of coal is essential to address rising global temperatures.
The rate at which Arctic Ice Sheets are melting has accelerated as a result of an increase in global temperatures. In the past century, the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest in the Arctic, has “lost mass at an accelerating rate” (Boers and Rypdal 1). Human activity is believed to have caused a “rise in global mean temperature (GMT) by 0.9 °C” (Wunderling et al. 2). The increasing global temperature has triggered a mass discharge of solid ice into nearby water bodies. The process is further aggravated by the fact that “Arctic temperatures have increased more than the global average” (Boers and Rypdal 1).
Therefore, these regions are exposed to more intense solar radiation than other regions of the world. It is estimated that the complete loss of the Greenland Ice Sheet would result in a “global sea level rise of more than 7” meters (Boers and Rypdal 1). The increase in seawater would destabilize ecosystems and result in the displacement of human beings and animals. The increased flow of fresh water into the ocean is likely to precipitate flooding and destroy habitats.
The loss of the reflective capacity of ice means that the planet will absorb more heat, further raising temperatures. It is also important to note that the reduction in height occasioned by melting exposes “the ice sheet surface to warmer temperatures, which further accelerates melting” (Boers and Rypdal 1). The resultant cascade is likely to aggravate the adverse weather conditions experienced in various parts of the planet.
The loss of Arctic ice has aggravated human population starvation given the severe reduction of hunting grounds. Scientific evidence indicates that the survival of ice-associated animals “will be threatened once sea ice disappears” (Kohlbach and Lange 6). Sea ice is a vital habitat for a wide variety of organisms. Microscopic creatures and large animals like human beings and seals depend on them for survival. The loss of habitat occasioned by melting Arctic ice causes a serious disruption in the food chain. Sea algae are the primary food source for zooplankton, on which larger animals like fish survive. Seals then eat the fish and transfer the energy to human beings. It should be noted, however, that the interaction between organisms in the Arctic is non-linear, given the fact that “many animals have more than one food source” (Kohlbach and Lange 4).
In addition to causing a decline in the number of fish and seals, the rising temperatures and the loss of ice mean that a stable platform on which Inuit communities can hunt their prey is virtually non-existent. Seals and other animals on which Arctic communities depend for food and sustenance also require a stable surface to rest, reproduce and raise their young. Multilayer ice, which characteristically reaches a “thickness of over 10m,” has all but disappeared (Kohlbach and Lange 3). Instead, there is a predominance of thin layers of ice that are between “2 to 5m” thick (Kohlbach and Lange 3). These ice surfaces are unstable and unsuitable for seals to breed and Arctic communities to hunt.
Conclusion
The fact that the rise in planetary temperatures is the direct result of human activity is an irrefutable fact. Enterprises such as the production of coal have resulted in the release of high levels of trapped methane gas, which has a more potent greenhouse effect than carbon dioxide. The result is elevations in global mean temperatures to appoint where large ice sheets are now melting at a higher rate than ever before. The reduction in ice densities has resulted in a disruption of the Arctic’s food chain. The seals and fish on which Arctic communities depend have become scarce as the ice platforms on which the people hunt melt away. The changing climate is a threat to vulnerable humans around the world. The limited food supply results in starvation and the decimation of populations. Humanity’s quest for industrial success has brought forth a cataclysmic chain of events that must be addressed to arrest the loss of vital habitats on which vulnerable populations depend.
Works Cited
Boers, Niklas, and Martin Rypdal. “Critical Slowing down Suggests That the Western Greenland Ice Sheet Is Close to a Tipping Point.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 118, no. 21, 2021, pp. 1–7. Web.
Jiang, Ping, et al. “Coal Production and Consumption Analysis, and Forecasting of Related Carbon Emission: Evidence from China.” Carbon Management, vol. 10, no. 2. 2019, pp. 189–208. Web.
Kholod, Nazar, et al. “Global Methane Emissions from Coal Mining to Continue Growing Even with Declining Coal Production.” Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 256, 2020, pp. 1–12. Web.
Kohlbach, Doreen, and Benjamin A. Lange. “How Melting Arctic Sea Ice Can Lead to Starving Polar Bears.”Frontiers for Young Minds, vol. 8, no. 111. 2020, pp. 1–9. Web.
Wunderling, Nico, et al. “Global Warming Due to Loss of Large Ice Masses and Arctic Summer Sea Ice.” Nature Communications, vol. 11, no. 1. 2020, pp. 1–8. Web.