Essay Sample on the Major Causes and Effects of Climate Change

Introduction

Climate change refers to a shift or adjustment in the worldwide weather phenomena that associates with an increase in the global average temperatures. In this case, the global temperatures have been increasing around the world for various decades. There are various major causes of climate change.

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Human activity is one of the main causes of climate change (Shahzad). People burn more fossil fuels and change large areas of land into farmland. They destroy natural forests and trees and convert them to furniture while the land is converted to an industrial land or used for settlement. This negatively affects the natural ecosystem and reduces plant coverage, which consequently affects the water catchment areas. Moreover, fewer trees result in an increase in the number of fossil fuels and carbon dioxide in the air that results in depletion of the ozone layer and changes in climate.

Humans also burn fossil fuels that result in the production of greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide, also known as the 'greenhouse effect' that increases the earth's temperature making it warmer.

Carbon dioxide is a major cause of human-induced climate change. The gas stays in the atmosphere for a long time while other substances result in short-term effects. Other gases whose concentration increase in the atmosphere includes methane, fluorinated gases, and nitrous oxide. They trap heat more effectively than carbon dioxide and even tend to be stronger in most cases. The rise in gas emissions is attributed to the increase in the US and a global population that results in deforestation, burning of coal, oil, and gas, increase in livestock farming and use of fertilizers that contain nitrogen among others. Climate change results in various negative effects that include:

• A change in the rainfall patterns, i.e., excessive and frequent rainfall and droughts, hurricanes, and floods (Shahzad). However, other areas experience drought throughout the year.
• Depletion of the arctic ice. Even if the greenhouse effect is vital for life on this planet, an increase in the gases results in a rise in the global temperatures that can provide harmful effects to the environment and ecology such as a shrink in the arctic ice.
• Wildfires. The hot and dry conditions result in wildfires that spread across the dense forests and make it appropriate for disasters (Shahzad). They reduce the green cover and push the forest animals to higher altitudes causing them to be endangered. It, therefore, contributes highly to the loss of wildlife species and a shift in their habitat.
• Rise in the sea level. Climate change causes some parts to be naturally warmer than others, while others may lack enough precipitation. It may also result in melting of some glaciers causing flooding in some areas and a rise in the sea level.
• High temperatures due to the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that result in an increase in temperatures through the greenhouse effect.
• Government policies (regulations) that are implemented to address the causes of climate change.

The US has implemented or participated in setting up various policies that aimed at addressing climate change and establishing mitigation measures. Some of them include:

• The Lugar Practical Energy and Climate Plan (S. 3464).

This policy was unique, in that it didn't set up a price on carbon to control or reduce its emissions (Pindyck). It instead focused on setting up a clean energy standard to increase energy efficiency and reduce oil imports in a bid to address the environmental and economic concerns that are associated with energy. It focused on establishing a bipartisan framework that would make meaningful progress on energy-driven national security, environmental concerns and the economy. The policy would help Americans to save money, make businesses better and minimize the fiscal impact. The policy produces an outline that would produce monetary, measureable energy and greenhouse gas savings. The objectives of the policy were to:

• Reduce the requirement for foreign oil by over 40% or more than 1.3 billion barrels by 2030.
• Cutting energy use by 11% or more than 9 quadrillion BTUs by 2030.
• Reduce greenhouse emissions by more than 20% or approximately 1.6 gigatonnes by 2030.
• The policy would consequently save households 15% on electricity charges, no cost to GDP growth and no net job losses.
• The federal policy on the Paris Climate Agreement 2017-2020.

Under this policy, the signatory countries including the United States, pledge to reduce their carbon emissions in a bid to reduce or limit the climatic changes resulting from human activities. The agreement was signed during the Obama administration in April 2016, and the US among other signatories agreed to a long-term objective of maintaining the increase in the average global temperatures to below 2 degrees Celsius.

Specific examples to illustrate if the policies and regulations are working.

Some of the specific examples put in place to ensure compliance with the set climate change policies include:

The Clean Power Plan

This power plan provides an amendment to the Clean Air Act that allows the EPA to specify the performance targets for both coal-and oil-fired power plants as well as natural gas units. The Clean Power Plan was enacted in 2015 and was marked as the first federal legislation that is concerned with the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions especially from power plants. The plan was designed to be flexible and allows states to implement tailor-made strategies that would enable them to reach their reduction targets using the least available cost. The states were allowed to work together to achieve their objectives and were required to submit their final plan by September 6th, 2016. This example shows how the federal policy on the Paris Climate Agreement was working.

The Vehicle Standards of the Model Year 2012-2016

In April 2010, the Transportation Department (National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration-NHTSA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established a national program that would set up the final new standards for the model year 2012 to 2016 passenger cars, medium duty passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks. The new standards were expected to meet an average level of carbon emissions of 250 grams per mile by cars made by the model year 2016. This was the first time the EPA took measures to regulate the GHG emissions from vehicles under the Clean Air Act. The administration additionally established a Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. The administration went ahead and expanded these standards on vehicles for model years 2017 to 2025 in August 2012 while establishing finer rules and standards where the vehicles were to result in a 163 gram emission per mile. These are just but a few examples that show that the policies and regulations set forth on climate change are working.

Sustainability as a Long-Term Solution to Climate Change

Sustainability branding provides an excellent way of bringing money-minded people on board with concerns to environmentalism. Sustainability solutions provide the ultimate mutual-benefit solutions by maintaining or increasing profits while reducing any negative impact on the environment. Many people will withhold support for environmentalism when it lacks a strong economic incentive, and this indicates the greater problem present in our overall value system. People prefer the vague and individualistic concepts of money over their society and planet's greatest natural resources.

Any rational human being values a habitable environment with fresh water, clean air, and healthy food to any other thing (Pitler). This can be achieved by establishing economic changes which should not cloud our appreciation but offer respect for nature. With the slow pace of implementing changes in business and politics, controlling climate change requires careful and strategic communication that will enhance sustainability and encourage compromise between business, people and environmental scientists.

Sustainability operates on the basic concept that deniers can be convinced to change their opposition after being informed on the pro-environment policies that could be neutral and even beneficial for business (Pitler). It involves the leaders getting away from the idea of seeing the money before getting on board with policies that aim at protecting the most valuable resources vital for sustaining humanities. It also involves embracing the incremental progress that can be achieved with sustainability and providing room for some thought leaders that remain ignorant and additionally toxic.

References

Pindyck, Robert. CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY: WHAT DO THE MODELS TELL US?. NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH, 2013. Web. 8 Dec. 2018.

Pitler, Ben. "Sustainability Branding: Is It Sustainable For The Long-Term? | Sustainable Capital Advisors." Sustainablecap.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 8 Dec. 2018.

Shahzad, Umair. "Global Warming: Causes, Effects And Solutions." Researchgate. N.p., 2015. Web. 8 Dec. 2018.