Environmental Issues: The Problem of Climate Change

Over the years, the influx of globalization has led to environmental and social problems. People from third world countries are suffering due to the ideology behind globalization and the actions of capitalist business corporations in the name of creating unification. Their main objective lies in the chase of profit and their strategy in achieving such a goal should be questioned. The ecological footprint of these so-called corporations has caused repercussions that might affect future generations to adapt to the environment we live in. Such repercussions have led to what we know as climate change and global warming. These environmental issues are now the talk of media corporations and political agenda, and its effects are becoming more prevalent in society. Issues of deforestation, danger to wildlife, famine, and drought are now leading causes of climate change and global warming, therefore, immediate action should be taken into consideration by higher authorities and non-governmental organizations. Climate change is the cause of the most humanitarian and ecological crisis in the world and its relevance will continue to foster more damage to its inhabitants of the environment if not taken seriously.

Climate change occurs due to an increase in the radiative forcing of the atmosphere determined by air pollutants that accumulate over long periods of time at a global level (Bran et al, 2014). Human consumption and activities over time have led to climatic changes like land degradation, ocean acidification, and disruptions of the stratospheric ozone concentration. For example, In the news article involving the northern roads of Canada, they have been degradation due to the increase in warming temperatures. Occurrences of landslides have been rampant throughout the northern roads of Inuvik thereby causing concerns around the locals who leave there. Scientist says that if greenhouse emissions are not properly regulated in the surrounding regions, temperatures in that area will increase by 6 degrees, therefore, this will lead to more damaged roads and means of transportation will be difficult.

The issue related to climate change is so severe that wild and marine life could be threatened due to human activities and carbon emission into the atmosphere. The global die-off of species now occurring, unprecedented in its rapidity is, of course, the result of climate change. According to the CNN news article, the bramble cay melomys which lived off northern Australia is the world's first mammal known to have become extinct due to 'human-induced climate change'. Human activity like mining, logging and overfishing have caused rising sea levels over the past decade, which had led to dramatic habitat loss of this species. Due to these drastic events could also lead to unwanted organisms that might affect human health, either vector of diseases. For example, the Asian tiger mosquito, a vector of dengue and yellow fevers, St. Louis and Lacrosse encephalitis viruses and West Nile virus, was most likely introduced in used truck tires imported from Asia to Texas in the 1980s.

The idea of biodiversity and climate change are interconnected. It is crucial due to the interdependence of species and ecosystems and how their complex relationships affect the environment. As human-induced climate change continues to set into motion unpredictable chain of events, our planet's biodiversity and the environment is threatened. Wildlife, agriculture, pharmaceuticals start to go on a decline, ecosystem functions such as carbon exchange, local climates, the protection and fertility of soils start to depreciate. Globalization is a leading factor of these issues, the combination of heavy fertilizer use along with excessive irrigation has resulted in toxic accumulations of salt, nitrates, and pesticides ruining soils all over the world, along with dangerous drawdown and contamination of underground reserves of fresh water. Human innovations which are meant to help the environment are the same tools which are destroying it. As these species accumulate crops with harmful substances, they are more likely to die or be wiped out permanently. These results in a species being endangered or extinct.

The drastic effects of globalization and the causes of climate change are numerous and highly significant to our well-being. The principal environmental side-effects of climate change, biodiversity, and ecological crisis are sufficient to make this economic system unstable and short-lived (Ehrenfeld, 2005). Therefore, we as humans should be held to high regard to manage and regulate our overconsumption and activities on the planet we inhabit. Government officials should put their differences aside and collaborate with more countries to come to a consensus or agreement in reducing carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse gases to diminish the effects of climate change and global warming in order to preserve better wildlife conservation in our society.

References

• Bran, F., Ioan, I., & Iovitu, M. (2014). Globalization, Climate Change, and Carbon Markets. Bucharest: Faculty of Agro-Food and Environmental Economics - Bucharest University of Economic Studies. Retrieved from https://search-proquest- com.proxy.bib.uottawa.ca/docview/1707516432?accountid=14701
• Ehrenfeld, D. (2005). The Environmental Limits to Globalization. Conservation Biology, 19(2), 318-326.
• Hillel, D. (1991). Out of the Earth: Civilization and the life of the soil. The Free Press, New York.
• Kaiser, J. (2004). Wounding Earth’s fragile Skin. Science 304:1616-1618
• Payne, R. J. (2016). Global issues: politics, economics, and culture (5th ed.). Harlow, Essex: Pearson Education Limited.
• Stambaugh, A. (2019, February 20). Australian mammal becomes first to go extinct due to climate change. Retrieved from https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/20/australia/mammal- climate-change-extinction-intl-trnd/index.html
• Weber, B. (2019, January 17). Climate change to cause more damage to Canada's northern roads than previously feared: Study. Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/4856978/climate-change-canada-north-roads-damage/