essay on climate and economic solutions
Answers
Climate
Climate change refers to the regional and global change in climatic patterns. It can be caused by various human activities. When climate change occurs it leads to a rise in temperature and other major changes. Moreover, it may result in intense rain, flood, and drought. Nowadays due to climate change, the glaciers and oceans have undergone severe changes. The oceans are becoming more toxic and due to the melting of glaciers there is a rise in sea level.
Due to the human activities which produce a large amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, climate change occurs. In order to produce energy fossil fuels are burned which produces most of the harmful gases. To prevent the earth from warming, greenhouse gases act as a blanket to the earth. In the last century, global warming has taken up its effect in great amount.
Nowadays climate change is the biggest problem of the human being. It is already happening and represents one of the greatest environmental, social and economic threats facing the planet.
The warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global mean sea level. The Earth’s average surface temperature has risen by 0.76° C since 1850. Most of the warming that has occurred over the last 50 years is very likely to have been caused by human activities. In its Fourth Assessment Report projects that, without further action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the global average surface temperature is likely to rise by a further 1.8-4.0°C this century, and by up to 6.4°C in the worst case scenario. Even the lower end of this range would take the temperature increase since pre-industrial times above 2°C – the threshold beyond which irreversible and possibly catastrophic changes become far more likely.
The climate can affect every person and our health directly through increases in temperature. Such increases may lead to more extreme heat waves during the summer while producing less extreme cold spells during the winter. Particular segments of the population such as those with heart problems, asthma, the elderly, and the very young can be especially vulnerable to extreme heat. There can be extreme floods and droughts, hurricanes.
Nowadays there are so many factories that exhale really destructive substances and pollute the air. We all know very well that air is something we can’t live without. When we breathe the polluted air, we can get seriously ill. Ground-level ozone can damage lung tissue, and is especially harmful for those with asthma and other chronic lung diseases. Sunlight and high temperatures, combined with other pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, can cause the ground-level ozone to increase.We cannot escape from the polluted air-it’s everywhere, even in our homes and we are breathing it non-stop. This can cause cancer and other serious diseases.
Another huge problem is that the sea levels are rising worldwide. Also the expansion of ocean water is caused by warmer ocean temperatures.. Mountain glaciers and small ice caps are melting as well as Greenland’s Ice Sheet and the Antarctic Ice Sheet. The temperature is rising which means that ice is melting faster and faster.
Economic solutions
Economic Growth is often seen as the 'holy grail' of economic policy. This simplistic emphasis on economic growth is often criticised because of the limitations of economic growth in improving living standards. Some suggest rather than economic growth, we should measure economic development through measures such as Human Development Index (HDI) which looks at GDP but also statistics such as literacy and health care standards. Some also argue we should not be using GDP but, a happiness index. (does economic growth increase happiness?
Economic Growth can definitely have limitations in improving living standards.
Depends on the distribution of higher incomes. Economic growth could bypass the poorest in society.
Economic growth may cause negative externalities such as pollution, higher crime rates and congestion which actually reduce living standards.