Environmental project- final draft

Climate Change

Heather Hale

Rasmussen College

Author Note

This paper is being submitted on March 20, 2016, for James Marinello’s G328/EVR3410 Human Uses of the Environment course.

Climate change is amongst the major environmental controversies there are. Several nations have addressed it, and most of them have failed. Climate change has been brought about by increased over pollution activities of people. However, this being amongst the minor causes, there are other to be taken care of. The United Nations has tried applying stringent measures to curb this, but it has shown no results. However, our population continues to increase day by day thus being a key contributing factor to climate change. From studies conducted before this, climate change can only be decreased by eradicating all the other controversies that exist. Comment by James Marinello: Out of all the major environmental controversies, climate change is one of the most discussed and debated in all forums. Comment by James Marinello: Grammar a little choppy. Comment by James Marinello: You need to clarify this further. I do not understand what you are trying to say.

This controversy has become a threat to many governments since it is more than they can handle. The carrying capacity of a nation is always crucial to the government, and when a certain limit is broken, there are some tougher economic times to be expected. Climate change leads not only to the economic crisis, but it also plays a significant role in environmental degradation and most of all, human’s nature degradation. The reason as to why there is pollution can be all rooted back to overpopulation. So does unemployment, lack of enough resources, deforestation, amongst others. Also, unless there are stricter and faster measures to deal with this, the future is also at risk. Comment by James Marinello: Missing citations?

According to the study conducted, climate change mostly refers to the overall relationship between the human species and the environment or nature (EDF, 2014). There are many reasons as to why climate change has come to be as discussed earlier. Since most of the earth are subdivided into nations, the controversy becomes more complicated. That is because each government has to come up with their means on which to eradicate or even reduce the currents problems they are facing. Some will work while some will not, therefore, making the planet un-even. This is what brings out risks of starvation, droughts of which are often claimed to be acts of nature. Comment by James Marinello: I don’t understand what you are trying to say.

Organizations like NASA are on the forefront to ensure that climate change does not end up destroying the whole world. There are many outcomes that can be achieved by a change in the climate such as droughts therefore starvation. A study conducted by NASA indicates a one degree rise in the temperature since the 20th century. One may seem like a little number but the damages are already clear therefore making this a huge environment controversy. Whenever all this can be linked to our ever increasing population, the United Nations are more involved in this controversy since the world’s climate is changing day by day. Comment by James Marinello: Citations needed?

A study conducted on March 20, 2016, indicates that the current population is at 7.31 billion. That being the most recent survey carried out by the United States Census Bureau shows that we are all lagging behind in controlling overpopulation. An increase in births has been rated to be the leading factor followed by a decrease in the mortality rates. However, we cannot blame people for giving life or even taking care of their lives, but we should be able to ensure that they can live better and more responsibly thus being able to deal with climate changes. Comment by James Marinello: Citations needed?

That is what these organizations are trying to achieve when they are conducting these studies. Ensuring that we can live together in harmony and reduce all the negative aftermath brought about by us. Since climate changes can be hard to reduce, we should embrace it and work towards living together as an integrated human society. This will enable in pollution reduction by ensuring that everyone is comes together to ensure recycling. This will be great for everyone since there will be lesser watses and also the costs of recycling are way lower than manufacturing. This in return brings about growth of the nation’s economy thus also improving the quality of life (Simon, 2010).

Over the next century, scientists are confident that the temperatures are going to rise even higher. A 2.5 to 10 degrees increase has been forecasted by over 1,300 scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change abbreviated as IPCC. However, there are some measures through which we can take to assist in addressing this. Changing our societal and environmental systems would be of great help. That is, since the effects are expected to wear off differently in all regions worldwide, we can come together and help better the climate of a region at a time. It might appear being accomplishable but we need to put in a lot of effort. Over the past years however, the records indicate increases below one degree (N. R., 2010). Comment by James Marinello: Citation needed? Comment by James Marinello: Citations needed?

As stated earlier, the key contributor to climate change is the current level of population which has been growing since 1350. A lot of growth has been experienced over the last 50 years. An increase in agricultural productivity and medical advancements has enabled this to happen since the more the population increases, the more food is needed and also medical attention. Currently, there are no maternity fees in most hospitals, therefore, making it easy to give life. On the other hand, campaigns against abortion have ensures that our young mothers decide to give life rather to taking it. However, some nations around the world have tried and made it in reducing population whereas others are still growing.

One of the main facts about climate change is that overpopulation is the main issue. Whenever most of us hear bout overpopulation, the first thing that crosses our mind is the current rate of birth. It does contribute to overpopulation, but it is amongst the least factors. Mortality rates, however, on the other hand, contribute more to overpopulation. A study conducted by World health Organization indicates the current life expectancy in the United States as 74 years for men and 79 years for women. In 1950 however, the life expectancy was 66 years for men and 71 years for females. If we dated back before that, in 1900, it was 46 years in men and 48 in women.

On the other hand, climate change leads to extinction of species (conservancy, 2016). The average increase in humans means that we need more food, more resources for our basic needs. For shelter, people will turn for deforestation to be able to get land and the necessary materials to build. For clothing, we need more and more materials to provide us with the necessary raw materials, therefore, leading to more need for cotton and leather. On the other hand, food needs to be provided therefore bringing out the need for more agricultural products and also more land to plant these products. Eradication of these plats leads to a major change in the climate. For example no air purification since of deforestation.

Specialists have proven that limits would not help in the case of climate change (Haugen,, 2010). For some nations, in order for them to curb population problems, they charge whenever an individual exceeds a certain number of offsprings. However, this is considered as an infringement of the human rights. For example, if the government set a rule of only two children per household, it would not be enough since these children would still grow up and bear their children while their parents are still alive. In most cases nowadays, their children can also bear other children when their grandparents are alive therefore contributing to increases in population. The only means that has proven successful is the education of the women and also the young generation since they prove to be more attentive and keen towards reducing both climate changes and also population.

There are not many arguments climate change since the current increase is only blamed on humans. And if also blamed on nature, climate change still destructs our environment. However, some specialists argue for overpopulation and how it is not amongst the main reasons for climate change. Some of us tend to believe that overpopulation is a bad thing, but however, it might be the opposite. We have been able to accomplish more with our growing numbers. That is, the technological advancements have enabled us to come up with surprising strategies that are transforming the world bit by bit. Take an early example of our predecessors the genus Homo. They had social hunting strategies also known as hunters and gatherers. These were their strategies for survival no matter their growing numbers. For us the Homo sapiens, on the other hand, we are an excellent breed, therefore, making us better and able to come up with greater means of dealing with the current changes in the climate (NRDC, 2008).

Likewise, the more the growth in population the more new opportunities present themselves. Since newer organizations are coming up each and every day, they need human labor. This will ensure that there is unemployment reduction and also the growth of our economies. A population increase will reduce the chances of most organizations turning to a robot which has not been perfected yet. Some might prefer these machines, but when you want the best, human expertise is needed. Take an example of the presumably best and the most expensive cigars; they are said to be man-made whereas their less expensive counterparts are machine made.

Innovation is another plus for the increase of the human species. To come up with groundbreaking strategies, the human species needs to be able to come up together and brainstorm and innovate newer strategies. The increase in population also is an increase in diversity, and when we all come together as a united people, we can accomplish more that whining about overpopulation. Ideas are generated, and newer strategies on how we can coexist with our population are formed. Technology as stated earlier is a source of innovation and our densely populated numbers have enabled its success. The more and more we can use it, the most successful the strategies. The same technologies has enables us know and be able to indicate and record all the climate changes therefore enabling up to come up with the necessary strategies in advance.

However, most experts argue against the climate change and all its causes (Morton, 2007). For population increase, there is a lack of food. No matter the human’s ability to produce all the right agricultural products. Most of them are either for local sales or overseas sales. This in return will leave their people starving. According to a survey was done recently, almost a billion of our population go to bed hungry. That is a 1/7th of the entire population that starves daily. On the other hand, 25,000 of the population reduces daily due to either malnutrition or other hunger-related diseases. And the major percentage of these people is children, almost 18,000.

Other than population factors, humans also contribute in other ways. That is participation in human activities like burning of fuels therefore increasing and bringing about severe climate changes like global warming. This will in return bring about a rise in the overall atmospheric greenhouse gases, loss of the sea ice, rise of the sea levels thus flooding or the most common cases of hurricanes, stronger storms and droughts like experienced in larger parts of the Sahara. On the other hand, the fluctuations of the sun has been attributed to the nature of God. That is, natural processes bring about these fluctuations thus an increase and change in the sun’s heat and ocean currents (EDF, 2014).

In conclusion, all the climatic changes can be largely attributed to human activities like increase in population which makes people more and more reckless as they increase, on the other hand, the same people continue to pollute the environment thus creating these controversies. However, there are many means to deal with people and ensure that they can become more and more responsible for their actions. Legal laws and regulations are past the solution but education can achieve a great deal. On the other hand, as stated earlier in the study, creation of the necessary strategies to ensure recycling will aid more in reducing pollution. Finally, when extracting the nature gases, the organizations should ensure that they follow all the set procedures to avoid pollution of the environment or emission of these harmful gases thus protecting ourselves and the ozone layer. Comment by James Marinello: Overall Comments – Heather, the content in your paper is great. However, you have a lot of APA citing issues and grammar issues that need to be addressed. I suggest using the tools provided to you to properly cite in APA and help with grammar issues (see the course wall and announcements). As long as you straighten these issues out, you have a great paper here. Introduction – Good content. However, like stated earlier, you need to clean up the grammar and citations. Body/Information/Sides – Great content. I enjoyed a lot of the factual information your brought to the table. However, you need to work on citing correctly and fixing the grammar issues. Conclusion - Excellent. However, same issues as above. Sources – Great use of the sources you chose but they need to be cited properly.

References conservancy, T. n. (2016). Climate change. Retrieved from Threats and impacts: http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/urgentissues/global-warming-climate-change/threats-impacts EDF. (2014). Climate. Retrieved from Climate change impacts: https://www.edf.org/climate/climate-change-impacts Haugen, D. M. (2010). Global warming. Detroit : Greenhaven Press. Morton, J. F. (2007, March). PNAS. The impact of climate change on smallholder and subsistence agriculture. National Research Council (U.S.)., N. R. (2010). Adapting to the impacts of climate change. Washington, D.C: National Academies Press. NRDC. (2008). Global warming. Retrieved from The consequences of global warming: http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/fcons.asp Simon, S. (2010). Global warming. New York: New York: Collins.