Global Warming: It’s Growing Prominence In The U.S.
Introduction
With reports indicating that the global temperatures are on an upward trend, many academicians and scientists have called for urgent measures to be taken to mitigate the effects of global warming. It has been noted that that the carbon dioxide concentration in the air, one of the chief causes of global warming has increased by more than 30% percent since prehistoric times.The issue of global warming has however remained a controversial issue with some authors, academicians and conspiracy theorists’ claiming it is some form of hoax or conspiracy fronted by a group of powerful individuals and governments for selfish gains.In this text, I look at the causes of global warming, its effects and what can be done especially by the U.S to mitigate the effects of global warming. I also discuss some of the arguments that have been fronted against the issue of global warming.
Causes of global warming
Maslin (2007) simply defines global warming as the progressive and sustained increase in the earth’s average temperatures. For decades, scientists have been examining natural cycles thought to have an effect on climate in an attempt to determine the exact causes of global warming. Research has lead them to conclude that global warming is chiefly caused by some greenhouse gases whose emission is caused by human beings (Soon 2001). Carbon dioxide has been identified as contributing in a large way to global warming with other leading contributors being industrial process and refrigeration gases, depletion of forest cover that would otherwise act as storage for carbon dioxide as well as nitrous oxide which is mainly associated with fertilizers. With some of the causes of global warming being purely natural, human beings have been identified as the chief contributors of global warming through their activities. Maslin (2007) notes that the U.S accounts for more than a quarter of the total emissions of greenhouse gases caused by humans. These emissions eventually build up in the atmosphere and end up causing global warming by trapping heat.Human caused emissions generally result from activities such as power plants burning fossils including oil as well as coal. The combustion of fuel by automobiles have also been blamed for atmosphere pollution. This has been the chief cause of air contamination in the U.S with some reports attributing over 90% of air contamination to combustion of fuel by automobiles (Soon 2001).
Effects of global warming
There has been substantial evidence of global warming with studies showing a substantial increase of temperatures in the atmosphere as well as near the ocean surface. Other pointers to the phenomenon of global worming and the average increase in the global temperatures are evidenced by the relative increase in the sea level and the melting of the polar ice as well as the increasingly unpredictable weather around the globe with the heavy snowballs that have been a regular occurrence during winter now showing signs of unpredictability (Soon 2001).The increase in temperatures have also been to blame for the high rate of evaporation from the ocean as well as other water bodies whose eventual result is a heavy downfall in the form of rain raising the risks of flooding. This has already been the case in the Northeastern region of the U.S.The effects of these average increases in temperatures are being felt in the human as well as wildlife setting. Global warming has been cited to have adverse effects on the ecosystem and there have been reports that increased temperatures are causing the destruction of the leaves of some plants hence killing an already rare variety of these plants (Soon 2001).Global warming has also been blamed for an increase in the spread of diseases. Environmentalists and scientists argue that with the northern countries experiencing warmer temperatures, insects carrying diseases will tend to migrate to the north carrying with them diseases and as Maslin (2007) argues, this has been why it has been difficult to eradicate malaria in some countries.
What can be done and the role of the U.S in mitigating the effects of climate change.
With the U.S accounting for more than a quarter of emissions caused by human activity that have been cited to be the main cause of global warming, there have been calls for it to lead in efforts to mitigate the adverse effects of global warming. Analysts have also noted that the U.S based on its financial muscle and status as the worlds only superpower has a role as well as a responsibility to play in not only reducing its emissions of gases like Carbon dioxide but also by spearheading and influencing the implementation of effective policies that will have a global impact on reducing the impact of global warming. With the effects of global warming already being felt, several environmental groups as well as governments around the world have come up innovative approaches to contain the situation. The U.S has already enacted laws controlling air pollution. These laws call on various industries to consider changing their methods of production so as to bring down the level of emissions. Soon (2001) however notes that to fully mitigate the adverse effects of global warming as a result of emissions, more needs to be done.
Maslin (2007) argues that this is a problem that should not be entrusted to he political class alone. He goes on to say that most leaders are elected o a platform of rehabilitation and enforcement of laws and approaches with regards to atmosphere pollution but once in office they tend to take a soft and contradictory stand on such issues. The Bush administration for example promised to take bold and decisive approaches towards dealing with environmental changes but instead continued to take a soft stand on economic sectors that had the highest amount carbon emissions hoping that future technologies will help deal with the issue of climate change.With that in mind therefore, Maslin (2007) notes that to fully deal with the issue of global warming as a result of harmful emissions, more innovative, bold and revolutionary measures have to be taken. It should be noted that this should not only be left to those countries that are experiencing the effects of global warming but rather it should be a joint undertaking bringing on board the wide range of stakeholders in this field.
Arguments debating the validity of global warming
Some authors, academicians as well as conspiracy theorists have opposed the whole concept of global warming terming it non-existent. They view this as a ploy by dubious scientists, environmentalists and other shadowy individuals to create a non existent global crisis for some hidden reason.There are claims that the issue of climate change has been twisted by a group of scientists to enable them source funding for research and other purposes. This group of scientists has been accused of fronting their twisted agenda through a wide range of their publications as well as the IPCC. The U.S government has also been accused of using the concept of global warming as an excuse to impose greater taxes as well as more regulation.
This has gained prominence within the left wing who claim that the U.S through the global worming hoax seeks to come up with a communist world government (Moser et al. 2007).Others who have been accused of advancing this theory include environmentalists so as to justify and protect their jobs. Some authors have also accused investors as well as energy companies of being proponents of the global warming hoax so as to rake in great profits from carbon trading.Some also question the scientific methods and parameters used in the prediction of climate change as a result of global warming. They claim the methods used are unrealistic, crude and outdated. Moser et al. (2007) acknowledges that the ice caps at the Kilimanjaro are melting but he attributes this to other occurrences other than global warming. He claims that this melting of ice caps at the Kilimanjaro is as a result of probable volcanic activity in the mountain hence causing its temperatures to rise.
Conclusion
Despite the controversy the phenomenon of global warming elicits, it should be noted that the effects of global warming are already being felt from the Amazon forest all the way to the Gulf Stream and the Polar Regions and with that in mind, urgent measures need to be taken to avoid further and possibly catastrophic problems in future.
References
Maslin, M. (2007). Global Warming: Causes, Effects, and the Future. Voyageur Press
Moser, S.C., Dilling, L. (2007). Creating a climate for change: communicating climate change and facilitating social change. CambridgeUniversity Press
Soon, W. (2001). Global warming: a guide to the science. The Fraser Institute
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