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Emma Daigle
Davis
Government 4
26 October, 2016
Climate Change
Climate change is forcing people to come up with new solutions to prevent extreme devastation.
For over two decades people and scientists have struggled to accept that climate change is affecting the
globe. After a tedious amount of analysis of the earth's habits and past climate records, an overwhelming
majority of scientists agree that climate change is a prominent threat to society today. The problem is
getting people to change their ways and clean up thousands of years of pollution. But they need to know
how this affects them now and how it will affect them later because we are already seeing the
consequences. The people need to be educated on the causes of climate change, what is happening
because of it and how they can do to make a change, but most importantly safety precautions need to be
put into place to protect what is still left to protect.
There are many processes that can speed up the process of climate change and cause harm to the
environments around them. And though many are known as harmful few are actually not in use. Climate
change can also be caused by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels and the conversion of
land for forestry and agriculture. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, these human influences
on the climate system have increased substantially.(Causes of Climate).The majority of causes of global
warming are either caused or the process has been sped up but human activity within an area creating a
whole mess of problems like deforestation. Fossil fuels and natural gasses are being extracted by an
exorbitant amount daily. These processes such as fracking, mining, and drilling are putting more and
more pressure on whats already a collapsing environment. Extraction of groundwater or fossil fuels, and
sometimes simply generations of farming, are causing large metropolitan areas in coastal zones around

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the world to subside surprisingly quicklymaking the relative rise of adjacent seas an even greater
potential hazard(Brennan). Not only is the surface of the earth being tampered with at a dangerous level,
but due to a change in climate, farmers are forced to develop more land to farm and the cycle continues
repeating to slowly deteriorate the earth.Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) and other
air pollutants collect in the atmosphere and absorb sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the
earths surface. Normally, this radiation would escape into spacebut these pollutants, which can last for
years to centuries in the atmosphere, trap the heat and cause the planet to get hotter.(MacMillan). For
those who do not know, atmosphere does just get rid of whatever gets thrown up there, it traps it and that
substance grows and grows and destroys the planet. As these toxic gasses are trapped they are not able to
be released as they normally should be, and with burning oils and gasses human activity adds to the
carbon dioxide that is naturally there. The Results of these actions without consequence are devastating.
Recently the effects of climate change have caused many to lose families, homes, and towns.
With major storms such as hurricanes and floods becoming more and more prevalent in coastal regions, it
is necessary that the public be educated so that steps can be taken to prevent or prepare for the
consequences of global warming. Rising ocean temperatures have already caused massive coral
bleaching, leading to the collapse of these ecosystems which sustain huge numbers of fish. Larger floods
are expected to increase erosion levels, reducing water quality and degrading aquatic habitat.(Effects on
Wildlife). The whole process had a domino effect, when climate, or community, or species topples, one
by one their surroundings crumble with them. Not only will this result in a loss of food but a when one
species suffers another thrives and not always does this work out in favor of the ecosystem. Infact, there
have been many instances where this effect has made species gone extinct. Protecting and preserving
habitats has never been so dire, so necessary. But its not just our food supply, or animals and water

resources that are being damaged by climate change, there are also serious health risks that can impact
populations of humans. Climate change impacts add to the cumulative stresses currently faced by

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vulnerable populations including children, the elderly, the poor, some communities of color, and people
with chronic illnesses. These populations, and others living in certain places such as cities, floodplains,
and coastlines, are more vulnerable not only to extreme events but also to ongoing, persistent
climate-related threats. These threats include poor air quality, heat, drought, flooding, and mental health
stress. Over time, the accumulation of these stresses will be increasingly harmful to these
populations(Balbus). Significant damage can be done to anyone really. And if nothing continues to be
done the stressors will just become worse and more common for a more vast amount of the population
across the globe. More regions will be hit with drought or floods, or extreme weather conditions that will
ruin homes, towns, communities, and even the economy. All the impacts that global warming causes are
costly and they will continue to have a heavy impact on health issues as well as cause more money issues
for those who experience health problems. Climate change projections show that there will be continuing
increases in the occurrence and severity of some extreme events by the end of the century, while for other
extremes the links to climate change are more uncertain. Some regions of the United States have already
experienced costly impactsin terms of both lives lost and economic damages from observed changes in
the frequency, intensity, or duration of certain extreme events. While it is intuitive that extremes can have
health impacts such as death or injury during an event (for example, drowning during floods), health
impacts can also occur before or after an extreme event, as individuals may be involved in activities that
put their health at risk, such as disaster preparation and post-event cleanup(Usgcrp).Few know all the
risks of climate change and the significance it has on the community around them. These health risks are
life threatening and so is climate change. Change is the only way that can effectively make a difference in
the world to put the earth back on a course that will better our health, lives and communities. The article
continues to go on about after severe events and the variables that can be manipulated. Health risks may
also arise long after the event, or in places outside the area where the event took place, as a result of
damage to property, destruction of assets, loss of infrastructure and public services, social and economic

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impacts, environmental degradation, and other factors.(Usgcrp). Climate change needs to be addressed
and talked about so that it can be known and solutions can arise on more ways to undo the enormous
amount of damage that has been done. Or at least a plan for places that are in dire need of help. There are
some really simple and easy ways that everyone can make an impact on global warming, some include
buying locally grown foods. The further your food travels, the more greenhouse gas emissions are
produced in transporting the food from the farm to your plate. You can find locally grown food at a
farmers market and even at some grocery stores.(More Ways).This reduces the amount of carbon dioxide
is emitted into the air due to the fact that the food is not traveling as far as it would be if it was coming
from a different state or even a different country. Adjusting how you get your food is just one way out of
many that people can have a massive impact on their local climate.
Though the majority of society will agree that Climate change is a preeminent issue that needs to
be addressed sooner rather than later. When there is information of a major disaster that will cause a
compelling amount of damage to an area, there are obvious procedures in place to try to protect the people
of that area. Today ...the President directed the development of a new National Response Plan (NRP) to
align Federal coordination structures, capabilities, and resources into a unified, all discipline, and
all-hazards approach to domestic incident management. This approach is unique and far reaching in that
it, for the first time, eliminates critical seams and ties together a complete spectrum of incident
management activities to include the prevention of, preparedness for, response to, and recovery from
terrorism, major natural disasters, and other major emergencies. The end result is vastly improved
coordination among Federal, State, local, and tribal organizations to help save lives and protect America's
communities by increasing the speed, effectiveness, and efficiency of incident management (U. S.
Department of Homeland). New plans are being made for relief and preparation for natural disasters that
can really benefit coastal regions and people living in and around those areas. These are the places that are
being most affected and need these procedures the most. In these past few months there has been a serious

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amount of damage in the gulf. Events like hurricanes and earthquakes are developing a larger need for
reassurance in these communities. ...there has been an increasing demand for hazards insurance, what
types of coverage private insurers are willing to offer, and the role of reinsurance and private and
public-sector initiatives at the state and federal levels for providing protection to victims of natural
disasters(Kunreuther). More and more people are realizing that they need to be prepared for natural
disasters, So they spend more money on insurance to reassure their homes and towns will be saved
Even with all the proven evidence, some people still refuses to accept that climate change is
happening now. And some might argue that putting this bill into action would disrupt the education of
todays children but in the long run it would benefit everyone greatly. Many programs have been brought
into schools that have, when taught, shown effective results such as sexual education. A valid argument
would be how costly teaching and informing towns of safety procedures would be but once the money is
moved from the highway and road expansion projects which spend on average 37.9 billion dollars
annually. These project do not benefit the public in ways that will last and better the future of americans.
Of course this bill will not use all of the highway and road expansion budget just merely take a small and
necessary amount to fund education programs and meetings regarding the need to take a stand against
climate change within communities. As for time within a school lessons, they would be built into already
existing lesson in geography and science.
Climate change is real and it is a threat. As a nation we must accept that there are serious
consequences, and that man-made pollution is speeding up natural processes to an immense speed. Our
society must be ready to deal with the consequences and have a plan for families living in areas that are
being hit with the harsh reality that is global warming. They need to be educated and know what they can
do when faced with the effects. Only then can we begin to effectively make an impact on climate change.

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Works Cited
Kunreuther, Howard, and Richard J. Roth. Paying the Price: The Status and Role of Insurance against
Natural Disasters in the United States. Washington, D.C.: Joseph Henry, 1998. Print.
Marens, Willem Jozef Meine, and Chiung Ting. Chang. The Social and Behavioural Aspects of Climate
Change: Linking Vulnerability, Adaptation and Mitigation. Sheffield, UK: Greenleaf Pub., 2010.
Print.
U. S. Department of Homeland Security. National Response Plan. Washington DC: Dept. of Homeland
Security, 2004. Print.
Balbus, John, Howard Frumkin, Mary Hayden, Jeremy Hess, Michael McGeehin, and Nicky
Sheats. "National Climate Assessment." National Climate Assessment. National Climate
Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, 2014. Web. 08 Sept. 2016.
<http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/sectors/human-health#statement-16524>.
Brennan, Pat. "Big Coastal Cities Sink Faster than Seas Rise." NASA. NASA, 01 Sept. 2016.
Web. 06 Sept. 2016.
<https://sealevel.nasa.gov/news/58/big-coastal-cities-sink-faster-than-seas-rise>.
"Causes of Climate Change." Government of Canada, Environment and Climate Change
Canada. Government of Canada, 27 Nov. 2015. Web. 07 Sept. 2016.
<http://climatechange.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=65CD73F4-1>.
"Effects on Wildlife and Habitat - National Wildlife Federation." Effects on Wildlife and Habitat
- National Wildlife Federation. The National Wildlife Federation, 2016.
Web. 08 Sept. 2016.
<https://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Global-Warming/Effects-on-Wildlife-and-Ha
bitat.aspx>.

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MacMillan, Amanda. "Global Warming 101." NRDC. NRDC, 11 Mar. 2016. Web. 07 Sept. 2016.
"More Ways to Make a Difference." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 03 Mar. 2016.
Web. 07 Sept. 2016.
<https://www.nrdc.org/stories/global-warming-101>.
Usgcrp. "The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific
Assessment." The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A
Scientific Assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, 2016. Web. 08 Sept. 2016.
<https://health2016.globalchange.gov/>.