Human activities contribute to disturbing climate changes

The orbiting of earth on its side is causing great changes in solar and lunar energies affecting human life and the biosphere (living creatures on land, water and air). In addition, people do not completely understand how modern technology in food production, transportation, and the water system have added to environmental problems.

Atmospheric and man-made gases

To comprehend climate management, key terms must be explained:

GREENHOUSE GAS. Natural and anthropogenic gases in the atmosphere absorb and secrete energy at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of long-wave radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, the atmosphere and the clouds. This property causes the greenhouse effect. Water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrous oxide, methane, and ozone are the primary greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, but there are a number of entirely man-made greenhouse gases such as the halocarbons and other chlorine- and bromine-containing substances. The irresponsible use of these man-made gases were dealt with under The Montreal Protocol, which is “an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion.”

CARBON DIOXIDE EQUIVALENT (CO₂e). A measure used to compare the emissions from various greenhouse gases, based on their global warming potential (GWP).

KYOTO PROTOCOL to the UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC). Adopted in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, it contains the legally binding commitments of countries under the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development or OECD that have agreed to reduce their anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions by at least five percent below 1990 levels.

How transportation aggravates greenhouse gas emissions

International trade, travel and a growing dependence on motor vehicles are making transportation one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for nearly one-quarter globally. The primary force behind this is the increasing mobility of goods and people associated with a consumer lifestyle, urban sprawl and affluence. Passenger vehicles (cars, motorbikes, etc.) and truck travel contribute to the bulk of these emissions by about 75 percent worldwide, with shipping and air travel following suit. The total passenger journey worldwide via air is predicted to reach 7.4 billion in 2020. The International Energy Agency (IEA), foreseeing a doubling in transport energy use by 2050 based on current data, is pushing for a dramatic cut in associated CO₂ emissions as part of an over-all sustainability strategy to cut energy-related CO₂ emissions by 50 percent.

Food security

Climate change threatens food security, although crop yields in temperate regions may improve. Agriculture is highly adaptable: crop calendars can be adjusted to avoid extreme hot periods, new varieties of plants can tolerate a range of conditions, and good soil management can overcome water stress. With economic incentives, world food production should not be adversely affected by climate change over the next 50 years or so.

Agriculture accounts for about a third of global emissions of CO₂, greenhouse gases, methane and nitrous oxide, but in many developing countries it is the main economic activity of the rural population. It is essential to meet basic needs: food, employment and income.

Threats to health

Climate change threatens human health. Where people are already vulnerable to disease as a result of poverty and malnutrition, even small changes in climate have an effect on health. The poorest regions are likely to be the hardest hit.

Rainfall, temperature and humidity have a major influence on the distribution of disease pathogens and pests. Warmer temperatures, longer growing seasons, the absence of pest-killing sub-zero temperatures, and increased rainfall all extend the habitat ranges for diseases, as well as for insects, rodents and other organisms that carry them. Climate changes favor the spread of diseases into previously unaffected areas.

While fewer people die from cold, warmer weather leads to increased heat stress. It also leads to higher levels of air pollutants from forest fires in rural areas, including the formation of ozone and volatile organic compounds in urban areas. Thus, the number of deaths related to respiratory conditions is expected to rise even more.

Flooding increases the risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and dysentery, as well as mosquito-borne diseases, including malaria, yellow fever and now the zika virus. The cumulative effects of environmental stresses including malnutrition, further reduces the ability to fight off infections.

Threatened water supplies

Water is a vital resource often taken for granted. With populations increasing in some regions and a rising demand for water to irrigate crops throughout the world, water supplies are already a cause for concern in many countries.

An increase in temperature makes surface water evaporate more quickly, reducing supply and increasing demand, especially for water to irrigate crops. Warmer and longer summers also cause snow packs and glaciers to melt more quickly. More rapid melting increases river flows in the spring, but may reduce summer flows. Over the long term, a reduction in snow and ice may seriously threaten many river basins.

If water supplies fail completely, contaminated water, lack of hygiene and thirst will take their toll.

Many of the effects of climate change can be countered by prioritizing the most urgent uses, adopting water-saving technology and more efficient irrigation methods. However, less-developed countries in drier parts of the world, which lack the technology and infrastructure to effectively manage their water resources, will suffer the most.

Renewable energy to adapt to change

increasing the use of renewable energy sources is an important way of reducing greenhouse gas emission, while continuing to provide power. It could be the technological key to economically and socially sustainable societies.

SMALL-SCALE HYDRO. Hydro systems generate electricity from running water. They can provide power for isolated villages, or feed power into the electricity grid. Small-scale hydro does not involve artificial reservoirs, and so avoids the formation and release of methane from decaying biomass.

BIOMASS. Plant material – purpose grown or waste – can be burned or fermented, and used to generate electricity or heat. The CO₂ released is the same amount as was removed from the atmosphere during the plant’s lifetime, so biomass is considered carbon neutral.

GEOTHERMAL. In geologically active areas, the earth’s intense heat can fuel power plants. Elsewhere, its temperature, which remains constant at 1.5 meters below the surface, can be used to heat and cool buildings.

SOLAR. Photovoltaic panels convert the sun’s radiation into electricity. Thermal panels convert the sun’s radiation into heat.

WIND. Wind turbines of varying sizes are used to generate electricity for the national grid or for isolated communities.

TIDE, WAVE, OCEAN. The movement of the sea can be used to generate electricity.

Local commitment to climate/disaster management

Most countries have acknowledged the problem of changing climate by signing the Convention on Climate Change. However, in many places, local and regional authorities are developing more aggressive emission reduction policies than federal governments. Cities around the world are not waiting for the national governments to debate its implementation. They have signed their own commitment as part of the campaign, Cities for Climate Protection.

In the USA, mayors urged the national government to slow the rate of global warming. In February 2005, the mayor of Seattle issued a Climate Protection Agreement, pledging to curb the greenhouse gas emissions at the local level. The agreement was endorsed by the US Congress of Mayors and by May 2006, 230 mayors had signed up.

In Curitiba, Brazil, the city’s urban planning is fostering more efficient public transportation. In the same light, in Hyderabad, India, traffic flow is being improved in order to reduce the amount of time vehicles spend on the road.

In Rayong, Thailand, a biogas facility has been installed to handle municipal wastes and provide an alternative fuel source. Meantime, heat-reflective paint has been used on the roof of the Mareeba Heritage Museum in Queensland, Australia to reduce the temperature in the building, as well as its air-conditioning needs.

Individual efforts are an essential starting point, but the major changes in the design of efficient buildings, transportation, energy and other systems will require long-term vision, leadership, cooperation, innovation, and investment from business and governments at all levels. Assuring a public commitment to action is as important as our individual efforts.

(Reference: The Atlas of Climate Change by Kirstin Dow and Thomas E. Downing)

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