Final

Climate Change: Why We Need Change and the Climate Does Not

Morgan McIntosh

University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College

26 February 2018

Introduction

Being such a controversial topic, climate change, otherwise known as "global warming", sparks a great deal of curiosity and interest. It is clear that climate change negatively affects the planet on all fronts; it causes public health issues, weather, and disrupts relationships between organisms. Climate change is an important issue that we should educate ourselves on in order to improve the increasingly poor state of the Earth's environment and the overall quality of life for its inhabitants. Abrupt shifts in climate cause many problematic events, and it is our responsibility to correct these situations. As stated by NASA's Earth Science Communications Team, "The current warming trend is of particular significance because most of it is extremely likely (greater than 95 percent probability) to be the result of human activity..." (NASA, 2018). As a result of knowing this, the government should step in and begin to regulate waste and pollutants produced by people and companies. While improvement in climate change would cause a loss of jobs and economic standing in the fossil fuel industry, the issues caused by this phenomenon need to be corrected.

Perspectives

The fossil fuel industry is against a solution for climate change because they will lose business and will be negatively affected. Employees will lose their jobs, and employers will struggle to stay in business. As stated in an article in the Houston Chronicle, “Within 25 years, 1 out of every 3 vehicles sold in major markets like the United States will run on electricity…” (Eaton, 2017). This being said, as the awareness for climate change prevention increases, major car manufacturers will begin to cater production toward electric vehicles which will further reduce the demand for gasoline and other fossil fuels. As the demand falls and more environmentally friendly energy sources begin to become popular among consumers, the oil industry will crash.

Moreover, based on this business and economic standpoint, in addition to the current state of America’s economy, the jobs available due to oil fracking, plastic factories, car manufacturers, etc. are more-than-needed. If the fossil fuel industry were to fall, millions of Americans would become unemployed. According to a report by the US Department of Energy, “... finds that the Traditional Energy and Energy Efficiency sectors today employ approximately 6.4 million Americans.” (2017, p.8). Based on this information, it can be inferred that with the loss of these jobs, the American economy would take a major hit, and unemployment would once again begin to rise.

However, the negative effects of climate change largely outweigh the economical factors that would result from implementing plans to become more environmentally aware and work toward improving the current global warming crisis. As a nation, it is necessary to begin to reduce pollution and waste, find clean energy sources, and become informed on the issue itself.

For example, it is believed that the leading cause of climate change is the “greenhouse effect”. The “greenhouse effect” is “warming that results when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from Earth toward space” (NASA, 2018). These gases trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere harm the environment as well as the overall health of the general public. As written in Climate Change: Policy Responses to Protect Public Health, global warming “... threatens population health through adverse changes in air pollution, the spread of disease vectors, food insecurity and undernutrition…” (Watts et al, 2015, p.1). Not only should the government be motivated to implement policy regarding climate change in an effort to protect public health and safety, but also because handling climate change “could be the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century,” (Watts et al, 2015, p.1). Addressing the health risks that accompany global warming could improve the collective health of the world's population, while also improving an issue that is growing worse and worse.

In addition to the negative effects on the health of humans, climate change also harms the health and wellbeing of varying ecosystems. A group of scientists, J. Memmott, P.G. Craze, N.M. Waser, and M.V. Price (2007), researched the effects of climate change on the survival of plants and other organisms as the environment worsens. They specifically focused on the plant-pollinator relationships within a particular ecosystem. Their studies indicate that climate change “reduced the floral resources available to 17-50% of all pollinator species, causing as much as half of the ancestral activity period of the animals to fall at times when no food plants were available,” and that “the predicted result of these disruptions is the extinction of pollinators, plants and their crucial interactions,”. Shifting climate has negative effects on the environment which impairs the relationship between plants and pollinators. Further harming the remainder of the ecosystem, because of this, it is highly possible that the disruptions between plants and pollinators could hinder the amount of goods produced by farms, greenhouses, etc.

Furthermore, climate change has a large impact on weather. In recent years, there has been an increase in natural disasters including: earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. In an article written by meteorologists, R.A. Pielke, C.W. Landsea, M. Mayfield, and R. Pasch (2005), it is stated that, “...the intense 2004 hurricane season and its considerable impacts, particularly in Florida, could be linked to global warming resulting from the emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (e.g., Harvard Medical School 2004; NCAR 2004),” (Pielke, Landsea, Mayfield, Pasch, 2005, pg.1572). Therefore, in order to reduce the number of occurrences of extreme weather, actions to reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses need to be taken. Also, M. Linnenluecke and A. Griffiths (2010) report, “A continued increase in global average temperature has, and will continue to have, impacts on food supply, infrastructure, water resources, coastal and ecosystems, global biogeochemical cycles, ice sheets and modes of oceanic and atmospheric circulation,” which causes a “rise in the magnitude and/or frequency of extreme weather events,” (2010, pg.480) including droughts, heat waves, intense tropical cyclones, and wildfires (2010, pg.480). This shows that there is a direct link between climate change and the extreme weather continuously devastating the world population.

Solution

Despite the fact that there are many opposing views when it comes to climate change, the majority of people acknowledge it as an issue and want to see something done about it. In a survey of 12 students in a Midwestern college, it was found that, all participants believe in and acknowledge climate change. Of those responses, most individuals believe this issue is more important for American society than it is to them personally. Very few know a great deal about climate change with the majority claiming they do not know enough. However, 75% of those surveyed believe that climate change is an issue so important that it should be dealt with by the government on a national level.

Thus, I propose that the solution to Climate Change lies with the governmental enforcement of “green” initiatives to reduce pollution and the damage done to the environment. This can be done by limiting the use of fossil fuels and encouraging consumers to use cleaner energy sources.

Benefits

While this may cause a loss in profit and jobs within the fossil fuel industry, as the American society moves toward cleaner energy, more jobs will be created. By extension, if fossil fuel companies take this opportunity to redirect their businesses toward clean energy they will continue to profit and continue to succeed. In fact, as stated by Thomas Lenne (2017), “clean electricity jobs are no doubt the engine that drives America’s electric energy economy, outstripping the number of paychecks provided by the fossil fuel industry by at least five to one” (US Clean Energy Jobs). This proves that by reducing the use of fossil fuels, the economy will not take the devastating blow that it has previously been predicted to take.

Also, becoming less dependent on fossil fuels will have overall good effects on the health of the general public. The over abundance of pollution, “greenhouse gases”, within the Earth’s atmosphere cause varying health issues regarding the lungs and heart. It is also linked to several diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and cancer; even causing a shortened life span (Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, 2017). By rectifying the current climate situation, we will also reduce the frequency of these risks and better the lives of everyone.

Similarly, improving environmental health means improving the life and function of plants and animals. By reducing the amount of harmful particles in the air, we reduce the disruption of plant-pollinator relationships which will cause a wealth of food sources and species populations to grow.

Finally, if the government were to implement set guidelines regarding waste, pollution, and other human-made factors that contribute to climate change, there would be fewer occurrences of severe and dangerous weather. The Weather Channel reports that in 2017 there were, “Seventeen named storms, 10 hurricanes, and 6 major (Category 3 or stronger) hurricanes… well above the 30-year average of 12 storms, 6 hurricanes and 2 major hurricanes,” (Atlantic Hurricane Season Recap, 2017). With these statistics, 2017 is in the top ten most active seasons of all time (Atlantic Hurricane Season Recap). If nothing else, it is imperative that we begin taking steps to reduce the effects of Climate Change in order to protect ourselves and our homes.

Conclusion

Though my perspective may cause negative results in businesses reliant on the usage of fossil fuels, adopting clean energy alternatives, and convincing the world to take steps to prevent the progression of climate change will have an overall positive outcome. While steering away from fossil fuels, the availability for jobs in other industries will rise. By reducing human contribution to global warming, we will improve public health, restore the important relationships within ecosystems and reduce devastation due to natural disaster.

References

Air Quality Information for the Sacramento Region. (2017). Retrieved February 27, 2018, from http://www.sparetheair.com/health.cfm?page=healthoverall

Eaton, C. (2017, November 13). Report predicts oil industry may lose grip on auto market by 2040. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved February 19, 2018, from https://www.houstonchronicle.com/buticle/Report-predicts-oil-industry-may-lose-grip-on-12354737.php#photo-14542679

ENGL 1001 UCBA, (2018), Survey on Climate Change. [in class survey]

Ettenson, L. (2017, February 08). U.S. Clean Energy Jobs Surpass Fossil Fuel Employment. Retrieved February 27, 2018, from https://www.nrdc.org/experts/lara-ettenson/us-clean-energy-jobs-surpass-fossil-fuel-employment

Linnenluecke, M., & Griffiths, A. (2010). Beyond Adaptation: Resilience for Business in Light of Climate Change and Weather Extremes. Business & Society, 49(3), 477-511. doi:10.1177/0007650310368814

Mccright, A. M., & Dunlap, R. E. (2011). The Politicization of Climate Change and Polarization in the American Public's Views of Global Warming, 2001–2010. The Sociological Quarterly,52(2), 155-194. doi:10.1111/j.1533-8525.2011.01198.x

Memmott, J., Craze, P. G., Waser, N. M., & Price, M. V. (2007). Global warming and the disruption of plant?pollinator interactions. Ecology Letters, 10(8), 710-717. doi:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2007.01061.x

Pielke, R. A., Landsea, C. W., Mayfield, M., & Pasch, R. (2005). Hurricanes and global warming. Nature, 438(7071). doi:10.1038/nature04477

Shaftel, H., & Callerly, S. (Eds.). (2014, June 02). Global Climate Change. Retrieved January 29, 2018, from https://climate.nasa.gov

U., & U. (n.d.). 2017 US Energy and Employment Report (United States of America, US Department of Energy).

Watts, N., Adger, W. N., Aggnolucci, P., Byass, P., Wenjia, C., Chaytor, S., . . . Collins, M. (2015). Health and Climate Change: Policy Responses to Protect Public Health (Vol. 386). Elsevier Ltd. Retrieved January 29, 2018, from http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)60854-6/fulltext

2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season Recap: 17 Moments We'll Never Forget. (2017, November 09). Retrieved February 27, 2018, from https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2017-11-11-moments-hurricane-season-atlantic-irma-maria-harvey