Persuasive Essay - Final

 

Climate Change: Humankind’s Worst Nightmare

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 one’s 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 the yet unexplored options that humankind and the world could benefit from.

Imagine what might happen to the earth if the climate change isn’t curbed immediately. Think of yourself in about 20 years from now during summer and the temperatures

rise to such extreme levels that you’re stressed out more than ever. ever.

Between 2030 and 2050, it is believed that there will be an additional 250,000 deaths

 

Climate Change: Humankind’s Worst Nightmare

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 isn’t taken. Here’s an artist’s interpretation of what Manhattan might look like if global warming isn’t 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 mustn’t 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

 

Climate Change: Humankind’s Worst Nightmare proportions. Think of the simplest of activities which you might do on any typical day like driving a car or turning the air conditioner on. All these are consuming resources and adding additional pressure on the earth.

 

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 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 doesn’t 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

 

Climate Change: Humankind’s Worst Nightmare simple and easily understandable way, the complex impact of global warming on the

earth we live in. Source: www.epa.gov  

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.

 

Climate Change: Humankind’s Worst Nightmare  

People are becoming more concerned about the climate change due to the

Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaigns, ably aided by the positive activism of the print and electronic media. In fact, a lot of people never knew about this phenomenon when the World Health Organization started its advocacy project on climate change. But now, the awareness levels have risen considerably in comparison with the past. But there are still a few people who don’t seem to care and we should be glad that our leaders aren’t among such minority. The United Nations Climate Change summit that will be held at the end of this year in Paris is billed as a crucial, gamechanging event. Because, in this forum, several countries will be publicly sharing their targets and how they are willing to contribute to saving the earth.

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

 

Climate Change: Humankind’s Worst Nightmare should take advantage of solar equipment and invest in it. Energy generated from water (hydroelectric power) is another good, sustainable option, though hydroelectric power projects are beset with problems of land acquisition as well as rehabilitation and resettlement of project affected families and persons. Also the gestation periods of hydroelectric projects are higher. But these are issues that could be addressed. Oceans (tidal energy) can be used to generate electricity and this in turn is also said to help in decreasing the rising water level. Geo-thermal is another promising source, albeit in its nascent state. One of the big questions that countries are asking is if nuclear energy is indeed a safe and viable option. Personally, I feel that at this point in time, the governments must focus on tapping solar, wind, hydro and tidal energy and not focus much on nuclear energy even though it is cheaper and its use is predominant in countries like France. The Chernobyl disaster of Russia in the yesteryears and the more recent accident of Fukushima, Japan (in the picture below) where meltdown of the plants caused havoc and widespread destruction raise serious safety concerns in the stakeholders. They act as reminders that the technologies and built-in safeguards need

 

Climate Change: Humankind’s Worst Nightmare to advance and mature to a level of fool-proof use. Because radiation leaks can assume

humongous proportions, adversely affecting human beings for generations and the flora and fauna, for centuries, leading to liabilities of unimaginable scale.

There are also

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.

 

Climate Change: Humankind’s Worst Nightmare  

Another important step that the policy makers should take is set up high efficiency

and low emission standards for buildings, houses, schools, power plants and industrial units. It is heartening that the Environment Protection Agency has already set up several norms, guidelines and standards to address this and so have regulatory agencies in several other countries, to an extent. But this is not enough yet. Governments should ensure industry, institutions and consumers in their respective countries comply with the laid-down environmental standards. Greater awareness should be created on limited and efficient use of personal vehicles. Use of public transport should be encouraged, so that emission of carbon dioxide could be contained. Governments should consider signing treaties with one another because cooperation will lead to compliance with commonly agreed principles and norms helping combat with climate change at a faster pace. It is laudable that the first step in this regard has already been taken by the US which has formed alliances with China and India to set up  joint, ambitious targets to reduce emissions by 2030.

Another endeavor that deserves to be strengthened is the United Nations Global Compact, an initiative of the United Nations, under which businesses from over 100 countries have joined hands to adhere to certain standards and meet the requirements set up by the UN in order to curb pollution and emissions in the industrial sector.

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.

 

Climate Change: Humankind’s Worst Nightmare

 

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.

So what do we take away from this essay?

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.

 

Climate Change: Humankind’s Worst Nightmare

Sources Cited: 

1) World World HealthOrgani HealthOrganizat zation ion, , “Climat “Climate e Change Change and and Health” Health”, , (August (August, ,2014 2014) ) Weblink Weblink: : http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs266/en/ 2)NASA,“ABlanketAroundTheEarth”Weblink:http://climate.nasa.gov/causes/

3 ) ) U ni n i te t e d d N at a t iio o ns n s G lo l o ba b a ll C om o m pa p a ct c t , , “ En E n vi v i rro o nm n m en e n t” t ” .. W eb e b llii n nk k :: h tt tt p ps s ::// / www.unglobalcompact.org/AboutTheGC/TheTenPrinciples/environment.html

4) 4) Davi David d Biel Biello lo, , “7 “7 Solu Soluti tion ons s To To Clim Climat ate e Chan Change ge Happ Happen enin ing g Now” Now” Webl Weblin ink: k: ht http tp:/ :/// www.scientificamerican.com/article/7-solutions-to-climate-change-happening-now/

5) David David Suzuk Suzuki, i, “Top “Top 10 Way Ways s You You Can Can Chang Change e Cl Clim imat ate e Chan Change ge” ” Webli Weblink: nk: ht http tp:/ :/// www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/top-10-ways-you-can-stop-climate-change/

 

Climate Change: Humankind’s Worst Nightmare