Essay Example on Climate Change: A Global Challenge Exacerbated by Human Activity

Today, climate change, which loosely implies a shift in regional and global climatic patterns, is the leading environmental challenge worldwide. As a result, there is a growing global concern on this matter. According to Wheeler and Braun (2013), climate change can occur naturally. However, today it is significantly exacerbated by emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (C02) and methane from human activities. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) affirmed in 2007 that emission of greenhouse gases from industries and other social movements has led to changes in the water supply and availability, alterations in ecosystems and unprecedented global warming (Sussman, 2008). Global warming in this Century is significantly higher than in previous centuries. The global medium temperatures since 1900 have risen by around 1.5 Fahrenheit and are forecasted to increase by between 2 to 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100(Karl et al., 2009).

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In recent, climate change is posing a myriad of challenges worldwide for both humanity and other biotic factors. Foremost, the resultant higher temperatures are propelling heat-related mortalities globally. In the U.S for instance, heat-related deaths are estimated at 658 on an average annually (Change, 2006), and extreme heat-related deaths surpass the total mortality tally from all other extreme weather events combined. Worse, with measurement models indicative that median and apparent temperatures are increasing by 3.3 and 4.5 Centigrade respectively, it is still predicted that health risks inherent with extreme heat will continually rise. According to Limaye et al. (2018), the warmer temperatures are predicted could raise annual deaths from cardiovascular stress amongst persons aged 65 years and above.

Secondly and significantly critical, climate change is threatening agricultural productivity and global food security. As quoted by Karl, Melillo, Peterson and Hassol (2009), albeit most crops respond positively to high carbon dioxide concentrations and low heat levels, the rising heat levels are substantially threatening the growth and yield of many plants. The forecast reveals that with the dramatic shift in climatic patterns and the increased heat, there will be a growing decline in agricultural productivity and food security and that vast portions of North East America could become unsuitable for cultivating apples, blueberries, and cranberries (Karl et al., 2009). A recent systematic analysis of alterations in yield of the major crops grown across Asia and Africa amid climate change predicted that for both regions there might be an 8% decline in the average crop yields by 2050s (Wheeler and Braun 2013). In particular, there were pieces of evidence of robust impacts of climate change on wheat, maize, millet, and sorghum. Moreover, climate change is also threatening the lucrative 3.6 billion dollars worth of production U.S dairy industry due to repercussion of increased heat levels on cows. Given these shreds of evidence, it is discernible that climate change poses a significant threat to global food security.

Yet, the adverse effects of climate change are far-reaching beyond human health and food security alone. As Karl et al. (2009) argue, climate change poses a significant risk to the multimodal transport systems of many nations like the U.S and by extension, disrupts other economic sectors. For instance, the major floods in the Midwest in 1993 and 2008 hampered every means of regional travels disrupting freight and rail critical shipments across the nation like coal for power plants. Another classic example is the Canadian Diavik Diamond Mines Incorporation. In 2006, in the aftermath of higher temperatures, experienced a shut down on their road channels since the ice was not compact enough to sustain the weight of heavy trucks. At the back of the difficult choice to slow down operations, the company executive opted to haul their mined diamonds using the expensive alternative airlifts. Even worse, however, is the threat of climate change to the naturalism in the ecosystem. Climate change is already affecting biotic species globally through distribution shifts and the risk of extinction.

At the back of the adverse impacts of climate change witnessed globally, humans are continually coming up with models to control this ever-growing disaster and mitigate possible risks from the latter. At the centre of means to prudently address climate change is the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDGs are part items of the UN's post-2015 development agenda primarily initiated with the motive to end poverty. In the recent, however, SDG goals have ambitiously expanded beyond poverty eradication and focused on climate change as one its core agenda (Assembly, 2015). With the latest Anthropocene conventions warning that humans are on a climatically dangerous path, the 21st Century has been marked with an ever-surging momentum towards the realization of SDGs globally. Berkhout, Hertin, and Gann (2006) argue that there is a broad recognition that climate change will inflict new stresses on both socio-economic and natural systems. In response, it is imperative that persons adjust to these stresses through adaptation. Understanding adaptability model is critical, as it will enable analysts to evaluate vulnerabilities and possible future consequences.

For businesses and organizations, climate change brings a host of strategic challenges and opportunities. According to Winn et al. (2011), climate change through biophysical impacts like extreme weather events is directly affecting businesses through global political efforts to curtail carbon emissions and is indirectly shifting the competitive landscape for businesses. At the back of this, companies are increasingly becoming aware of the risks, opportunities inherent with greenhouse gas mitigation, and recent, and future policies on climate change. ). Businesses are taking into account the myriad of impacts of climate change, potential regulation policies from state and federal governments, stakeholder perceptions, and alterations in consumerism and supplier markets, for instance, current and future cost of business. Globally, many organizations have taken voluntary measures to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (Sussman, 2008 Moreover, some other few companies are integrating within the strategic plans the risks and opportunities inherent with the physical impacts of climate change.

According to Galbreath (2011), recent analyses propound that the effects of climate change on businesses are significantly contexted specific. The elements of weather-related changes like high temperatures and reduced rainfall associated with climate change have varying degrees of impact on different industries, hence different levels of responses from the latter. The effects of climate change are especially paramount in those industries, especially agriculture, with considerable reliance on the characteristics of the ecosystem such as enriched soils and naturally purified waters, and one classic example of such industry is the wine industry. This industry, in particular, is among the most vulnerable to climate change given that grapes are among the high climate change sensitive agricultural products.

Other pieces of evidence, however, reveal that it is not only agricultural businesses that are keen to address environmental changes within their modalities. Instead, companies from other sectors also perceive this global phenomenon as a matter of crucial concern given their potential wide-reaching implications. According to Sussman (2008), this is because even for businesses in other industries, a wide range of the physical challenges inherent with climate change still presents a wide range of risks and opportunities. For instance, the construction industry in some regions may face disruptions at construction sites or impediments to material delivery because of transport infrastructural damage.

On the other hand, climate change could present an opportunity for the construction sector through minimization of frost-caused work stoppages. Similarly, the tourism sector also faces a picture of mixed opportunities because of climate change (Scott &Mc Boyle, 2007). This paradigm is constructible for other industries, implying that ultimately there will be winners and losers because of climate change.

With the myriad of risks bearable with climate change as it some select companies, albeit reactive, are already pioneering response measures to mitigate worse possible eventualities. For instance, in the agricultural sector, some farmers are already keen on investing in drought and flood-resistant seeds. Three companies, an electric power generator, a travelling firm, and an international mining group are another particular example of firms that have screened for climate risk and taken further steps to address the issue.

Recommendations

Given climate change can have a considerable adverse impact on the general well being of humanity, it is recommendable that person takes action towards cushioning the extent of unwanted climate change impacts. Instead of reactive measures taken by organizations, as Scott and Mc Boyle (2007) put it, people need to develop a valid assessment model and framework that will predict and focus possible threats bearable with climate change. Persons must pursue sustainable models within their operations to avoid worsening further the crisis at hand. Adoption of such items as alternative energy sources, which will ensure reduced greenhouse gas emissions, should be a central issue in contemporary.

For instance, as quoted by Poumadere (2011), as an alternative to traditional power primarily associated with high carbon emissions, nuclear energy could be adopted. Albeit, projections can be conflicting, it is estimated that atomic reactors emit 60times less carbon dioxide. Significantly, wind energy is another good if not the ideal alternative energy source given its low environmental impact on the grounds of greenhouse gas emissions.

Conclusion

It is evident that climate change has become a global concern and that its impacts are wide-reaching. From health, ecosystem to businesses, climate change is posing a threat to almost if not all aspects of human life. Fortunately, the modern-day is marked with growing information and concern for this ever-concerning global phenomenon. However, as some pieces of evidence point out, a person is still slow to respond to this issue, and those who are already responding are reactive.

References

Assembly, G. (2015). sustainable development goals. SDGs. Transforming our world: the, 2030.

Berkhout, F., Hertin, J., & Gann, D. M. (2006). Learning to adapt: organizational adaptation to climate change impacts. Climatic change, 78(1), 135-156.

Change, A. D. C., Blair, T., Pachauri, R. K., & Pachauri, R. (2006). Avoiding dangerous climate change. Cambridge University Press.

Galbreath, J. (2011). To what extent is business responding to climate change? Evidence from a global wine producer. Journal of Business Ethics, 104(3), 421-432.

Karl, T. R., Melillo, J. M., Peterson, T. C., &Hassol, S. J. (Eds.). (2009). Global climate change impacts in the United States. Cambridge University Press.

Limaye, V. S., Vargo, J., Harkey, M., Holloway, T., & Patz, J. A. (2018). Climate change and heat-related excess mortality in the Eastern USA. EcoHealth, 15(3), 485-496.

Poumadere, M., Bertoldo, R., &Samadi, J. (2011). Public perceptions and governance of controversial technologies to tackle climate change: nuclear power, carbon capture and storage, wind, and geoengineering. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 2(5), 712-727.

Scott, D., & McBoyle, G. (2007). Climate change adaptation in the ski industry. Mitigat...