Climate Change

1- (CC) Image by Distantbody 2- (CC) Image by Annielogue  3- Image by USDA employee 4- Image by Alex Rio Brazil 
5- (CC) Image by Florence Devouard 6- (CC) Image by Markus Koljonen 7- Image by GreatHan 8- (CC) Image by Harvey McDaniel 9- Image by NASA/Troy Cryder 10- Image by Urban

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges mankind is facing. All of our planet’s inhabitants whether human, birds, fish or insect are starting to see the consequences of human induced climate change. While climate change is, by definition, a natural process that has been occurring over millions of years, industrialisation and exploitation of our planet’s resources is leading to a rise in global temperatures and sea levels. The 19th Century saw a rise in globalisation sparked by the industrial revolution whereby humans began to exploit the land and it’s resources at a never before seen rate. Cities and towns were greatly expanded in size, encouraging thousands to flock to the new industrialised regions. In the 20th century, industries continued to expand at rapid rates with non-renewable resources becoming severely depleted. Now in the 21st Century, our world is on the verge of disaster, we are approaching the point of no return. Resources are dwindling, rainforests are disappearing and our atmosphere is changing. We must all stand together and do all we can to help ensure a bright future for our children and our planet.

Greenhouse Gases

The earth is encompassed by a natural layer of gases that trap heat and allow rays from the sun’s energy to enter the earth’s atmosphere. Greenhouse gases keep the planet warm enough to sustain life and allow some of the planet’s heat to escape the atmosphere. However, as a direct result of human activity some of the heat is now becoming trapped in the earth’s atmosphere, allowing the global temperatures to rise. In the last several hundred years the emission of Carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere has increased by 38%, higher than any other period in the last 800,000 years. In the last century, this has led to a global temperature increase of 0.5 degrees Celsius. While this temperature rise may not appear significant, it is in fact of great concern. Any alternation in temperature effects all aspects of the earth including the North and South Pole and the world’s oceans. This temperature increase has led to the melting of the polar ice caps as well as desertification in sub-Saharan Africa.

Pollution

The two major forms of pollution are air and water pollution, both of which are caused by human activities. Air pollution involves the introduction of chemicals like carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, methane and nitrogen monoxide into the earth’s atmosphere. The emission of these chemicals causes direct harm to humans, animals, plants and the environment. Fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal are non-renewable resources utilised to provide much of the world’s energy. The burning of fossil fuels creates around 21.3 billion tonnes of CO2 per year. Only half the amount of CO2 is absorbed by our atmosphere, oceans, plants and forests every year. This means that 10.65 billion tonnes of Co2 per year is left trapped in the earth’s atmosphere resulting in human death, world temperature rise, increased ocean acidity, smog and desertification. Studies, conducted by Abt Associates, have shown that burning fossil fuels and emitting harmful gases into the atmosphere contributes to around 30,000 deaths a year in the United States alone. Scientists have also found that allergies and asthma can be worsened as a result of exposure to pollutants.

Water pollution occurs when chemicals and waste are discharged into waterways without correct removal of harmful chemicals. Once an area of water becomes contaminated, the entire biodiversity of the water and the waters circumference is threatened. Oceans and waterways are only capable of absorbing one third of the CO2 produced from industry and the burning of fossil fuels, so the CO2 not absorbed, will cause a rise in acidity levels.

Pollution is estimated to affect at least 1 billion people worldwide, with the majority of these people located in third-world regions. The World health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 25% all deaths in third-world countries are attributed to environmental pollution.

Renewable Energy

As a result of globalisation and industrialisation, our world is full of environmental destruction and over exploitation of non-renewable resources. The earth’s population is set to reach 9 billion by 2050 and our planet cannot physically sustain itself for much longer. Governments and people around the world are taking action now to help decrease carbon emissions and to help decrease deforestation rates. More and more countries are seeking renewable forms of energy as opposed to the unsustainable oil, gas and coal power sources. There are many forms of renewable energy sources readily available; Hydro-electric power, solar power, wind turbines and biomass to name but a few. These renewable energy sources require little maintenance in comparison with unsustainable power sources. Although renewable energy is more costly in the short-term, it proves cost efficient in the long-term and these energy sources will not have to rely on fuels.

The European Union has ambitions to set up huge solar panels in Africa to supply 15-20% of Europe's energy within the next few decades. The automobile industry is making some investments into alternative fuels such as biodiesel, electric and hybrid. However, hybrid's may seem a green alternative but in fact they cause more pollution than a normal vehicle. The production of these cars takes greater time and energy and causes more carbon dioxide emissions

Action

We can all save energy by cutting down on our car use and taking the bus or walking and we can all efficiently manage our electricity use. Turning vegetarian or vegan is considered one of the best ways to decrease your impact on the environment. A single cow produces more methane than an SUV vehicle and each cow contributes massively towards greenhouse gases. A 2006 United Nations report found the meat industry creates more pollution than all the cars, trains, planes and boats in the entire world. Taking simple steps like cutting down on electricity use, using public transportation and changing your diet are all important steps in reducing your impact on the world and the earth’s atmosphere.