An Analysis of Climate Change and the Possible Solutions

3169 Words7 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: What are the effects of climate change essay

Introduction Since the 1980s, climate change has transformed from a scientific discovery to being the most prevalent issue within the arena of political ecology. The world today has yet to fulfil the goal of emission reduction to a level that can keep global warming below the threshold of two degrees Celsius. Amidst various approaches used to cure the pressing climate change problems, the IPCC publication of Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis Report suggested that the use of geoengineering technologies could be a possible solution (IPCC, 2013). Serious political and moral issues have arisen in consideration of these large–scale geoengineering projects. Proponents of this ‘technological fix’ believe priority should be placed on preventing the catastrophic climate change effects by any means necessary. Opponents argue for nurturing a more humble connection with nature and taking responsibility for past emissions of humanity. In light of these emerging debates, this essay does not intend to either promote or dishonour geoengineering as a solution to climate change. Rather, this essay aims to help its audience to understand the contested debates associated with geoengineering while hoping to provide a more balanced insight into this discourse. The first section of the essay will give a brief introduction to the current climate change issues. This will be followed by an overview of the most prominent geoengineering proposals to date in the second section. The third section will look into some of the moral questions associated with geoengineering. The fourth section will explore the economics, politics and governance of geoengineering. In conclusion, a recommendation will be provided for building the trust needed among ... ... middle of paper ... ...University Press. Morrow, David R., Robert E. Kopp, and Michael Oppenheimer. 2013. “Political Legitimacy in Decisions about Experiments in Solar Radiation Management.” In Climate Change Geoengineering. Cambridge University Press. Preston, Christopher J. 2012. “Beyond the End of Nature: SRM and Two Tales of Artificity for the Anthropocene.” Ethics, Policy & Environment 15 (2): 188–201. doi:10.1080/21550085.2012.685571. SRMGI. 2014. “SRMGI | Solar Radiation Management Governance Initiative.” Accessed March 12. http://www.srmgi.org/. Urpelainen, Johannes. 2012. “Geoengineering and Global Warming: A Strategic Perspective.” International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law & Economics 12 (4): 375–89. Victor, D., Morgan, G., Apt, J., Steinbruner, J., & Ricke, K. (2009). The Geoengineering Option: A Last Resort Against Global Warming? Foreign Affairs, 88(2), 64-76.

Show More
Related

  • Global Warming and Climate Change

    1069 Words  | 3 Pages

    Global Warming, much of what does or does not happen forty years from now rests on our actions or inactions taken between now and then. The crucial question is whether we should pour all our resources into mitigation – reducing our carbon emissions. According to scientists who study the climate there are other environmental problems; “we now face a global crises in land use and agriculture that could undermine the health, security, and sustainability of our civilization”.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Geoengineering

    714 Words  | 2 Pages

    The author discusses the enticement to political groups because of geoengineering’s alleged potential to reverse global warming rapidly and cheaply, as he presents concern regarding the significant risks and the threat of technology gone wrong. The author looks at the basic authority issues raised by geoengineering, its possible functions, governance, and specifically addresses inadequate research funding, rejection, and unilateral vs individual action. Bodansky is a professor at Arizona State University Sandra Day O 'Connor College of Law and has written three books and dozens of articles and book chapters on international law, international environmental law and climate change policy. This article will be a useful tool in discovering

    Read More

  • Ocean Acidification: Impact of CO2 on Ocean Water

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    Kump, L.R., Kasting, J. F., & Crane, R.G. (2010). Long-Term Climate Climate Regulation. The earth system (3rd ed., pp. 240-247). San Francisco: Prentice Hall

    Read More

  • Analyzing Climate Change

    817 Words  | 2 Pages

    Half of the United States population traveled out side of the borders in 2012. Ten present of the population traveled to the Carrabin in 2012 (United States). Traveling is a way of life for some and a major influence on the United States culture. Despite the recent recession traveling has increased in popularity among Americans. Some believe the increase in popularity for traveling is a result of global climate change. Global climate change refers to the natural change in global temperatures over time. The term global warming, though common, is a misnomer, for under some scenarios it is possible that part of the earth could cool, even as most of the planet gets warmer (Frodeman). In the media, climate change is often interchanged with the words 'global warming'. This is a mincing of words. The two are different. If you combine the two, you get this: Global warming is human-induced climate change. The fact is that climate change can and does occur all the time, and global warming is just a theory.

    Read More

  • Global Warming Annotated Bibliography Essay

    1697 Words  | 4 Pages

    “An introduction to climate change.” Natural Resource Defense Council. Natural Resources Defense Council 8 November 2015 n. pag. Web. 28 November 2015.

    Read More

  • The European Union Policy on Climate Changes

    1040 Words  | 3 Pages

    The greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, carbon emissions and other climate changes can’t be putted in one country’s border it affects all nations no matter where they are geographically located. This is the main reason why the EU collaborates with ...

    Read More

  • Climate Change and Public Policy

    1507 Words  | 4 Pages

    For these reasons, global warming stands as one of the most daunting policy issues facing our world today. This is compounded by the debate over the very existence of climate change. While countless sources of empirical evidence testify to the very real presence of climate change the world over, considerable denial of the phenomenon still exists. The argument has been made that evidence about climate change is a gross overstatement, or in some cases, a complete fabrication. Despite the evidence to the contrary, many interest groups with considerable political clout have successfully perpetuated the argument that documented changes in the environment are a product of natural cyclical changes in climate, and are not associated with human activities. However, even the acceptance of this particular brand of reality is no grounds for the disregard of environmental consciousness. Even if one accepts the premise that recent climate change is not resultant of human activity, the rationale behind environmental conservation remains ...

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Geology

    864 Words  | 2 Pages

    The work that geoscientists do is important and paramount in the understanding of the Earth, the history, and its resources. Geoscientists focus on preservation, restoration, and mitigation of natural disasters and geo-hazards. Geology helps science and our knowledge of the Earth to advance. By understanding hazards, both natural and man-made, geologists are able to provide mitigation and restoration that will allow future generations to be able to use Earth’s natural resources. For example, instead of depleting natural resources such as coal, we could explore other alternative sources of energy like solar energy. Through geoscience, society is able to better understand and use the resources around us, and are able to understand the proper steps that need to be taken in order to preserve the

    Read More

  • Ecologism

    1879 Words  | 4 Pages

    A human induced global ecological crisis is occurring, threatening the stability of this earth and its inhabitants. The best path to address environmental issues both effectively and morally is a dilemma that raises concerns over which political values are needed to stop the deterioration of the natural environment. Climate change; depletion of resources; overpopulation; rising sea levels; pollution; extinction of species is just to mention a few of the damages that are occurring. The variety of environmental issues and who and how they affect people and other species is varied, however the nature of environmental issues has the potential to cause great devastation. The ecological crisis we face has been caused through anthropocentric behavior that is advantageous to humans, but whether or not anthropocentric attitudes can solve environmental issues effectively is up for debate. Ecologism in theory claims that in order for the ecological crisis to be dealt with absolutely, value and equality has to be placed in the natural world as well as for humans. This is contrasting to many of the dominant principles people in the contemporary world hold, which are more suited to the standards of environmentalism and less radical approaches to conserving the earth. I will argue in this essay that whilst ecologism could most effectively tackle environmental problems, the moral code of ecologism has practical and ethical defects that threaten the values and progress of anthropocentricism and liberal democracy.

    Read More

  • Global Warming Analysis

    1468 Words  | 3 Pages

    People say you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. Truth is, you know what you had, you just never thought you would lose it. The theme for the documentary “The Inconvenient Truth” by Al Gore and the article “Warm, Warmer, Warmest” by Kristof, revolves around trying to bring awareness on global warming and how it is human responsibility to act in attempt to stop global warming as much as they are provoking it. The purpose for both is to attempt to wake up the people about global issues. Both of their audiences involve everyone considering that humans are responsible for the on-going issue. For “The Inconvenient Truth” the tone tends to be serious but not as aggressive as it was for “Warm, Warmer, Warmest”. Al Gore in his presentation

    Read More

  • Global Warming: A Global Crisis

    1668 Words  | 4 Pages

    Our planet has managed to survive and thrive for about 4.54 billion years. In the last 2 million years we have caused enough damage and destruction to make our world “broken” beyond repair. We will not be able to get back the world we once had. The reason behind this is global warming, specifically, the increase of the global temperature due to the burning of fossil fuels and the release of greenhouse gas emissions into our atmosphere. If we do not make the issue of global warming a priority in today`s society, our entire way of life will be at risk. There are many reasons why so many people believe global warming should be a concern. Thoroughly examined points include: scientific predictions, rising temperatures, human causes, drastic climate changes and animal adaptations. Though there are several points arguing how global warming should not be a concern, the reality of the matter is that it needs to be taken into consideration on a global scale before it is too late, as to do nothing would have devastating implications on humankind.

    Read More

  • An Essay On Climate Change

    568 Words  | 2 Pages

    The earth is a complex system, which continues to evolve and change. Climate change and global warming are currently popular in the political agenda. But what does “climate” really mean? The difference between weather and climate can be conveyed in a single sentence: “Climate is what you expect; weather is what you get.” Based on research of the geologic record, we know that climate change has happened throughout Earth's history and at present, ever-increasing evidence points to the roles that humans play in altering Earth systems. The Earth and its atmosphere receive heat energy from the sun; the atmospheric heat budget of the Earth depends on the balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing radiation from the planet; which has been constant over the last few thousand years. However present evidence seems to suggest that the recent increase in temperature has been brought about by pollution of the atmosphere, in particular the release of huge amounts of carbon dioxide, mostly through Anthropogenic Forcing (human activity) and other various internal and external factors. I...

    Read More

  • The Links Between Environmental Ethics and Sciences

    4378 Words  | 9 Pages

    Ecologists formulate their scientific theories influenced by ethical values, and in turn, environmental ethicists value nature based on scientific theories. Darwinian evolutionary theory provides clear examples of these complex links, illustrating how these reciprocal relationships do not constitute a closed system, but are undetermined and open to the influences of two broader worlds: the sociocultural and the natural environment. On the one hand, the Darwinian conception of a common evolutionary origin and ecological connectedness has promoted a respect for all forms of life. On the other hand, the metaphors of struggle for existence and natural selection appear as problematic because they foist onto nature the Hobbesian model of a liberal state, a Malthusian model of the economy, and the productive practice of artificial selection, all of which reaffirm modern individualism and the profit motive that are at the roots of our current environmental crisis. These metaphors were included in the original definitions of ecology and environmental ethics by Haeckel and Leopold respectively, and are still pervasive among both ecologists and ethicists. To suppose that these Darwinian notions, derived from a modern-liberal worldview, are a fact of nature constitutes a misleading interpretation. Such supposition represents a serious impediment to our aim of transforming our relationship with the natural world in order to overcome the environmental crisis. To achieve a radical transformation in environmental ethics, we need a new vision of nature.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Environmental Philosophy

    1229 Words  | 3 Pages

    Environmental philosophy tries to make sense of the unexamined values, assumptions and ideologies behind humanities treatment of the environment and, in doing so, aims at helping to elicit an effective human response to related issues (Curry, 2011). Environmental philosophy, has gone beyond being merely an academic pursuit, now requiring the world’s population take moral responsibility for the damages caused by their industrial advances on natural systems.

    Read More

  • The Problem Of Climate Change Essay

    1423 Words  | 3 Pages

    The change in climate has been a topic of controversy across the world throughout the past years. Scientists have done research on how climate changes has changed throughout the years around the world. In the past few years, research shows that climate has changed dramatically in the world. Although climate change is something that occurs normally in nature, there has been substantial evidence that mankind is a contributor to the dramatic increase. Most countries around the world have got together to discuss how to reduce mankind’s contribution to climate change, but there is other countries that still do not consider this as a problem. Research conducted by scientists have supported the idea that climate

    Read More

More about An Analysis of Climate Change and the Possible Solutions

Open Document