PLANETARY NETWORKS: CLIMATE CHANGE

Global Warming

"The ecological crisis is a moral issue…. Respect for Life and for the dignity of human person extends also to the rest of creation… We cannot interfere in one area of the ecosystem without paying due attention both to the consequences of such interference in other areas and to the well-being of future generations." – John Paul II 1990

     One of the most important issues of our time is in relation to the environment. Humanity has disturbed the fundamental beat of nature. Some of the problems that relate to environmental issues: air and water pollution, toxic wastes, improper garbage disposal, destruction of wildlife habitats, deforestation and mining. These problems were indeed devastating. The pollution of international waters, the irreversible destruction of the world’s forests and increased toxic emissions in the air we breathe, among other things, leave us to ponder our relationship with the environment.

"The most important about global warming is this: Whether humans are responsible for the bulk of climate change is going to be left to the scientists, but it is all our responsibility to leave the planet in better shape for the future generations that we found it." – Mike Huckabee

     The fact remains that people’s lifestyles have largely contributed to some of the environmental problems that confront the world today remains. One concrete effect of this lifestyle is global warming. The use of coal and oil in generating electricity for industrial and residential settings is a big factor in increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which contributes to the warming of the planet.

Climate Change

     One of the big questions in the climate change debate: Are humans any smarter than frogs in a pot? If you put a frog in a pot and slowly turn up the heat, it won’t jump out. Instead, it will enjoy the nice warm both until it is cooked to death. We humans seem to be doing pretty much the same thing. – Jeff Goodell

     The United Nations Forum Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) defines climate change as “a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere.” The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) noted that over the past 200 years, the burning of fossil fuels and the destruction of forests have caused the concentrations of heat-trapping of the greenhouse gases to increase significantly in our atmosphere. With more of these gases in the atmosphere, more radiation is absorbed and radiated back to Earth as heat. Thus, as the concentrations of these gases continue to increase in the atmosphere, the Earth’s temperature also continues to increase.

Today, the impact of climate change is one of the most significant environmental challenges facing the global planet.

“Mitigating this impact requires profound changes in energy production and use, since emission of greenhouse gases from combustion of fossil fuels is the dominant human contribution to climate change.” – Nick Hanley and Anthony Owen on The Economics of Climate Change

     It is clear that human activities are driving the current rate of climatic change. When people burn fossil fuels to heat their homes or fuel their cars, and when land is converted from forests to the other uses, greenhouse gases are emitted to the atmosphere.

     As reported by experts, the effects of climate change will not be the same across sectors, the world, or even within many countries. Some areas could have benefits while other could have damages. Some sectors may see ‘positive’ effects while other sectors may see ‘negative’ effects. Effects may also evolve as climate change continues, altering the nature and distribution of these effects across sectors and regions.

Climate Change Solutions

     The last two decades have witnessed expanding political and economic discussions over the ways of reducing greenhouse gases or, at least, exploring ways of adapting to the predicted climatic changes. In order to avoid the most serious impacts of climate change, humans will have to significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions being put into the atmosphere. There are different approaches to make these decreases, including optimizing vehicles proficiency, expanding access to and utilization of open travel, overhauling building protection, supplanting fossils with renewable energy, and diminishing deforestation. Numerous legislatures, organizations, and people are starting to execute some of these techniques and hence gradually decreasing emissions. The use of cleaner production technologies and change of lifestyle are desired to impact a change in climate.