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Climate Change: Humankinds Worst Nightmare

Anirudh Mylavarapu

Prof. Mary Miles

ENGL 138T

April 6th, 2015
Abstract:
The target audience for this essay are the world leaders on whom the responsibility of
making policies rests, for combating and containing the climate change. One of the
most important and crucial topics being debated about today, in the governments,
business enterprises, research institutions, academia and of course the civil society
across the globe is climate change that has the lethal potency to change the course of
humankind. Climate change has disastrous consequences and hence, everyone needs
to do something about it, in ones own way, however modest it might be. In this essay, I
will be discussing some of the main causes of climate change and the available and
viable options that countries could consider to help the world from environmental and
ecological degradation. In this context, I will be raising some relevant questions and
making comments on matters such as - whether nuclear power is the best option right
now and what could be some of the yet unexplored options that humankind and the
world could benefit from.

Imagine what might happen to the earth if the climate change isnt curbed
immediately. Think of yourself in about 20 years from now during summer and the
temperatures

rise to such extreme levels that youre stressed out more than ever.

Between 2030 and 2050, it is believed that there will be an additional 250,000 deaths

Climate Change: Humankinds Worst Nightmare

due to heat stress if the climate change is not taken care of now. Just try to imagine for
a minute the condition of the earth severely degraded from all the effects of global
warming. We will only be placing a huge burden on the future generations if steady
action isnt taken. Heres an artists interpretation of what Manhattan might look like if
global warming isnt subdued. And Manhattan, when compared to the whole earth, is of
course a really tiny part. When the destruction is so devastating in such a small place
itself, the worldwide destruction is unimaginable and unfathomable. We mustnt wait any
longer.

Temperatures are soaring, droughts are becoming more frequent, water level is
rising from the melting ice glaciers and lives are at risk. This is what global warming is
doing to our dear old earth. And who is to blame? We. It is our creation of monstrous

Climate Change: Humankinds Worst Nightmare


proportions. Think of the simplest of activities which you might do on any typical day like
driving a car or turning the air conditioner on. All these are consuming resources and
adding additional pressure on the earth.

Fossil fuels are a non-renewable source of energy and have been used now for
several centuries as one of the main sources of energy. They have added tons of
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases like methane to the atmosphere causing an
increase in the global temperature by 33.350F (0.750C) in the last 100 years. It is
deleterious effects such as these that bring climate change to the top of the agenda of
global leaders, trying to grapple with the problem. One of the most important steps that
policy makers must take is to find renewable alternatives which could be substituted for
fossils. CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) have been another major contributor to the climate
change. Who doesnt have an air conditioner nowadays? Every office, home, mode of
transport and perhaps every closed place that you can think of has air conditioners
which, unknown to most people, release CFCs into the aerospace. These are degrading
the ozone layer that protects the earth from the harmful UV (ultraviolet) rays. Power
plants and industrial units are another major cause of pollution which in turn add
greenhouse gases (GHGs) like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide etc. to the
atmosphere. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the US has depicted in a

Climate Change: Humankinds Worst Nightmare


simple and easily understandable way, the complex impact of global warming on the

earth we live in.


Source: www.epa.gov

Weather related disasters have tripled in since 1960s. The water level in the seas
and oceans is rising, raising the chances of flooding and if this phenomenon is not
arrested, the majestic Manhattan will look like in the picture shown above. Rainfall
patterns are changing affecting the availability of fresh water for humans and
agriculture, increasing the chances of water and food shortages. The rising
temperatures are also increasing the possibility of water-borne diseases and rendering
earth, a fertile breeding ground for insects.

Climate Change: Humankinds Worst Nightmare


People are becoming more concerned about the climate change due to the
Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaigns, ably aided by the positive
activism of the print and electronic media. In fact, a lot of people never knew about this
phenomenon when the World Health Organization started its advocacy project on
climate change. But now, the awareness levels have risen considerably in comparison
with the past. But there are still a few people who dont seem to care and we should be
glad that our leaders arent among such minority. The United Nations Climate Change
summit that will be held at the end of this year in Paris is billed as a crucial, gamechanging event. Because, in this forum, several countries will be publicly sharing their
targets and how they are willing to contribute to saving the earth.

Let us now turn to exploring some of the main solutions to containing and controlling,
if not curbing climate change, which the world leaders should consider at the UN
summit.
The first and foremost solution is to explore all possible sources of new and renewable
energy that reduce the carbon footprint. As of today, solar energy and wind energy are
the most safest and the most popular renewable resources. However, they call for huge
capital investments. The conversion ratio (into usable forms like electricity) is low.
Therefore, the per unit cost of generation of electricity is much higher than , say that
obtained through thermal sources like coal. These tend to put pressures on the budgets
of the governments. But if these sources are not used, lives will be put at risk, because
fossil fuels would be burnt. One needs to appreciate that human life is far more precious
than budgets and money. Countries which receive a significant amount of sunlight

Climate Change: Humankinds Worst Nightmare


should take advantage of solar equipment and invest in it. Energy generated from water
(hydroelectric power) is another good, sustainable option, though hydroelectric power
projects are beset with problems of land acquisition as well as rehabilitation and
resettlement of project affected families and persons. Also the gestation periods of
hydroelectric projects are higher. But these are issues that could be addressed. Oceans
(tidal energy) can be used to generate electricity and this in turn is also said to help in
decreasing the rising water level. Geo-thermal is another promising source, albeit in its
nascent state. One of the big questions that countries are asking is if nuclear energy is
indeed a safe and viable option. Personally, I feel that at this point in time, the
governments must focus on tapping solar, wind, hydro and tidal energy and not focus
much on nuclear energy even though it is cheaper and its use is predominant in
countries like France. The Chernobyl disaster of Russia in the yesteryears and the more
recent accident of Fukushima, Japan (in the picture below) where meltdown of the
plants caused havoc and widespread destruction raise serious safety concerns in the
stakeholders. They act as reminders that the technologies and built-in safeguards need

Climate Change: Humankinds Worst Nightmare


to advance and mature to a level of fool-proof use. Because radiation leaks can assume

humongous proportions, adversely affecting human beings for generations and the flora
and fauna, for centuries, leading to liabilities of unimaginable scale.

There are also

lurking fears that poor controls could lead, by design or default, to the enriched nuclear
material being put to non-peaceful uses, with disastrous consequences of global
proportions. Nuclear sources therefore, are a technically feasible and commercially
viable solution but the exacerbating climate change needs to be considered with due
care and caution.

Climate Change: Humankinds Worst Nightmare


Another important step that the policy makers should take is set up high efficiency
and low emission standards for buildings, houses, schools, power plants and industrial
units. It is heartening that the Environment Protection Agency has already set up
several norms, guidelines and standards to address this and so have regulatory
agencies in several other countries, to an extent. But this is not enough yet.
Governments should ensure industry, institutions and consumers in their respective
countries comply with the laid-down environmental standards. Greater awareness
should be created on limited and efficient use of personal vehicles. Use of public
transport should be encouraged, so that emission of carbon dioxide could be contained.
Governments should consider signing treaties with one another because cooperation
will lead to compliance with commonly agreed principles and norms helping combat with
climate change at a faster pace. It is laudable that the first step in this regard has
already been taken by the US which has formed alliances with China and India to set up
joint, ambitious targets to reduce emissions by 2030.

Another endeavor that deserves to be strengthened is the United Nations Global


Compact, an initiative of the United Nations, under which businesses from over 100
countries have joined hands to adhere to certain standards and meet the requirements
set up by the UN in order to curb pollution and emissions in the industrial sector.

Positive and constructive public activism too has a useful role to play in addressing
global warming. Majority of the voters surveyed in the US strongly said that they would
prefer the party that takes up strong measures to fight climate change.

Climate Change: Humankinds Worst Nightmare

Therefore, one looks forward to, the governments taking up several important steps
at the UN summit this year that will not only help them earn the support of their people,
but also contribute to a better world to live in.

So what do we take away from this essay?

Climate change is a serious matter and cause for worry. A combination of ignorance
and arrogance of the humankind is the root cause for it. There are several factors
causing the climate change, most of which can be controlled. Everyone must act to
arrest the degradation of earth and preserve it for our own future generations. This is
where the policy makers and leaders have a greater role to play. Climate change
analysts believe that if countries can meet their agreed targets, emissions will decrease
by 50%, a significant achievement in our fight against global warming. Use of new and
renewable sources of energy like solar, wind, hydroelectric, tidal and geo-thermal could
contain global warming considerably, due to reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Reduce, reuse and recycle should be the norm. The option of nuclear energy, albeit a
clean energy source when compared to forms of power generation that burn fossil fuels,
needs to be considered after due weighing of pros (benefits) and cons (control, safety
and security risks). World leaders should ensure that practical goals are set and
achieved by all stakeholders. There is still hope for our mother earth to get back onto a
path of recovery and remain clean and green.

Climate Change: Humankinds Worst Nightmare

Sources Cited:

1) World Health Organization, Climate Change and Health, (August, 2014) Weblink:
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs266/en/
2) NASA, A Blanket Around The Earth Weblink: http://climate.nasa.gov/causes/

3) United Nations Global Compact, Environment. Weblink: https://


www.unglobalcompact.org/AboutTheGC/TheTenPrinciples/environment.html

4) David Biello, 7 Solutions To Climate Change Happening Now Weblink: http://


www.scientificamerican.com/article/7-solutions-to-climate-change-happening-now/

5) David Suzuki, Top 10 Ways You Can Change Climate Change Weblink: http://
www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/top-10-ways-you-can-stop-climate-change/

Climate Change: Humankinds Worst Nightmare

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