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Anirudh Mylavarapu
Prof. Mary Miles
ENGL 138T
April 6th, 2015
Abstract:
The target audience for this essay are the world leaders on whom the responsibility of
making policies rests, for combating and containing the climate change. One of the
most important and crucial topics being debated about today, in the governments,
business enterprises, research institutions, academia and of course the civil society
across the globe is climate change that has the lethal potency to change the course of
humankind. Climate change has disastrous consequences and hence, everyone needs
to do something about it, in ones own way, however modest it might be. In this essay, I
will be discussing some of the main causes of climate change and the available and
viable options that countries could consider to help the world from environmental and
ecological degradation. In this context, I will be raising some relevant questions and
making comments on matters such as - whether nuclear power is the best option right
now and what could be some of the yet unexplored options that humankind and the
world could benefit from.
Imagine what might happen to the earth if the climate change isnt curbed
immediately. Think of yourself in about 20 years from now during summer and the
temperatures
rise to such extreme levels that youre stressed out more than ever.
Between 2030 and 2050, it is believed that there will be an additional 250,000 deaths
due to heat stress if the climate change is not taken care of now. Just try to imagine for
a minute the condition of the earth severely degraded from all the effects of global
warming. We will only be placing a huge burden on the future generations if steady
action isnt taken. Heres an artists interpretation of what Manhattan might look like if
global warming isnt subdued. And Manhattan, when compared to the whole earth, is of
course a really tiny part. When the destruction is so devastating in such a small place
itself, the worldwide destruction is unimaginable and unfathomable. We mustnt wait any
longer.
Temperatures are soaring, droughts are becoming more frequent, water level is
rising from the melting ice glaciers and lives are at risk. This is what global warming is
doing to our dear old earth. And who is to blame? We. It is our creation of monstrous
Fossil fuels are a non-renewable source of energy and have been used now for
several centuries as one of the main sources of energy. They have added tons of
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases like methane to the atmosphere causing an
increase in the global temperature by 33.350F (0.750C) in the last 100 years. It is
deleterious effects such as these that bring climate change to the top of the agenda of
global leaders, trying to grapple with the problem. One of the most important steps that
policy makers must take is to find renewable alternatives which could be substituted for
fossils. CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) have been another major contributor to the climate
change. Who doesnt have an air conditioner nowadays? Every office, home, mode of
transport and perhaps every closed place that you can think of has air conditioners
which, unknown to most people, release CFCs into the aerospace. These are degrading
the ozone layer that protects the earth from the harmful UV (ultraviolet) rays. Power
plants and industrial units are another major cause of pollution which in turn add
greenhouse gases (GHGs) like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide etc. to the
atmosphere. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the US has depicted in a
Weather related disasters have tripled in since 1960s. The water level in the seas
and oceans is rising, raising the chances of flooding and if this phenomenon is not
arrested, the majestic Manhattan will look like in the picture shown above. Rainfall
patterns are changing affecting the availability of fresh water for humans and
agriculture, increasing the chances of water and food shortages. The rising
temperatures are also increasing the possibility of water-borne diseases and rendering
earth, a fertile breeding ground for insects.
Let us now turn to exploring some of the main solutions to containing and controlling,
if not curbing climate change, which the world leaders should consider at the UN
summit.
The first and foremost solution is to explore all possible sources of new and renewable
energy that reduce the carbon footprint. As of today, solar energy and wind energy are
the most safest and the most popular renewable resources. However, they call for huge
capital investments. The conversion ratio (into usable forms like electricity) is low.
Therefore, the per unit cost of generation of electricity is much higher than , say that
obtained through thermal sources like coal. These tend to put pressures on the budgets
of the governments. But if these sources are not used, lives will be put at risk, because
fossil fuels would be burnt. One needs to appreciate that human life is far more precious
than budgets and money. Countries which receive a significant amount of sunlight
humongous proportions, adversely affecting human beings for generations and the flora
and fauna, for centuries, leading to liabilities of unimaginable scale.
lurking fears that poor controls could lead, by design or default, to the enriched nuclear
material being put to non-peaceful uses, with disastrous consequences of global
proportions. Nuclear sources therefore, are a technically feasible and commercially
viable solution but the exacerbating climate change needs to be considered with due
care and caution.
Positive and constructive public activism too has a useful role to play in addressing
global warming. Majority of the voters surveyed in the US strongly said that they would
prefer the party that takes up strong measures to fight climate change.
Therefore, one looks forward to, the governments taking up several important steps
at the UN summit this year that will not only help them earn the support of their people,
but also contribute to a better world to live in.
Climate change is a serious matter and cause for worry. A combination of ignorance
and arrogance of the humankind is the root cause for it. There are several factors
causing the climate change, most of which can be controlled. Everyone must act to
arrest the degradation of earth and preserve it for our own future generations. This is
where the policy makers and leaders have a greater role to play. Climate change
analysts believe that if countries can meet their agreed targets, emissions will decrease
by 50%, a significant achievement in our fight against global warming. Use of new and
renewable sources of energy like solar, wind, hydroelectric, tidal and geo-thermal could
contain global warming considerably, due to reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Reduce, reuse and recycle should be the norm. The option of nuclear energy, albeit a
clean energy source when compared to forms of power generation that burn fossil fuels,
needs to be considered after due weighing of pros (benefits) and cons (control, safety
and security risks). World leaders should ensure that practical goals are set and
achieved by all stakeholders. There is still hope for our mother earth to get back onto a
path of recovery and remain clean and green.
Sources Cited:
1) World Health Organization, Climate Change and Health, (August, 2014) Weblink:
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs266/en/
2) NASA, A Blanket Around The Earth Weblink: http://climate.nasa.gov/causes/
5) David Suzuki, Top 10 Ways You Can Change Climate Change Weblink: http://
www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/top-10-ways-you-can-stop-climate-change/