Climate Change and Global Warming

 

Climate Change a Global Problem

 

Introduction:

Ø  This paper seeks to establish:

·          What is climate change and its effects on weather patterns,

·          The causes of global warming

·          and possible solutions to it

·         Hurricane Katrina 

Ø  The paper also looks into:

v   key environmental changes brought by climatic changes such as;

v  An increase in flooding,

v   Increased precipitation,

v   Extreme temperatures in summer and winter,

v   Loss of biodiversity

v  water pollution,

v  Air pollution,

v   Rising sea levels

v  , Rise in crime,

v  Migration and displacement

Ø  It will conclude by establishing what measures are taken to respond to these environmental changes.

What Is Climate Change?

Climate change refers to significant changes to the climate with respect to the average temperature, land use patterns, river flows, and snow melt (Parrish & Nelms 2009). A variety of reasons have been advanced as being responsible for climatic changes with human activities contributing significantly to them. These include anthropogenic emissions (CO2, CO3), greenhouse gases (GHG) from industries and automobiles (Kozak 2010), volcanic activities, solar radiations and natural processes such as volcanism (El-Khatib et al., 2011). Some of the impacts of climatic changes are direct such as flooding that is caused by storms or droughts, floods have decreased crop yields due to the lack of irrigation and reduced production (El-Khatib et al., 2011). However, other consequences include shifts in food production due to different changes in season length due to climatic conditions. Other indirect consequences include water scarcity and high demand leading to pressure on scarce water resources. In addition, increased rainfall has led to the erosion of water bodies which in turn causes serious damage to infrastructures such as roads, dams, airports, and railways with many areas becoming uninhabitable due to a lack or shortage of clean drinking water. Finally, the frequency of hurricanes has also increased and there have been numerous casualties occasioned by the intensity of these hurricanes. This paper is organized into two sections with the first discussing how one of the most prominent examples in the US was affected by this adverse impact, while an analysis is made on how climate change influences this disaster.

 

Impact of Global Warming:

1.   Hurricane Katrina:

Hurricane Katrina was probably one of the worst disasters occasioned by the climactic change in US history. The hurricane occurred when a strong storm hit the Gulf Coast of Louisiana on August 28, 2005. Its effects were devastating with more than 31000 residents losing their lives in less than 24 hours (McNeese 2006). Due to its magnitude, catastrophic nature, and destructive nature, the catastrophe was named the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded in United States history (McNeese 2006). On August 29 August 2005 meteorologists forecasted an intense category 5 hurricanes with expected winds ranging between 150 miles per hour to 250 as well as 500 knots (McNeese 2006). In the meantime, the center of this cyclone had already passed over the southern coast of Florida making landfall at Biloxi Bay, approximately 40 minutes after 10 p.m. EDT. Two days ago, the hurricane passed directly into New Orleans, and on the morning of September 1st, Katrina dumped more than 30 inches of rain on the city and flooded several neighborhoods. Within a few hours, Katrina reached an estimated surface speed of approximately 145 mph (McNeese 2006). As a result, this became the third consecutive day that witnessed heavy rains exceeding 15.0 inches within four days. According to McNeese [2006], the effect of this hurricane was enormous with one death occurring every minute within five hours after the fact hitting the coastline of Texas. Such a tragedy can only be associated with climate change as discussed later in this paper.

 

 

2.    Heat Waves in America:

It was a warm sunny day as most Americans prepared for another long vacation day. By this time, the nation was experiencing its longest period without the infamous heat waves. Most people were relaxing on beach beaches all along the eastern coasts of the country since it had never experienced such scorching temperatures before (McNeese 2006). With no signs of any imminent thunderstorms to cause more havoc, people began rushing to get home with their pets and belongings. When they arrived home they found their houses were destroyed with large holes in them. Despite having experienced little rain for months this year, this was the heaviest amount ever recorded. One woman who suffered injuries to her head and neck was reported missing (McNeese 2006). Another victim was killed with severe burns on his body and his close friend was caught in an accident with fire (McNeese 2006).

 All these were attributed to the effects of climatic change that had resulted in the destruction of homes and other properties and the deaths of many persons.

3.   Smog:

At about 11 p.m. ET, on the evening of the 26th, residents of Southfield saw a black cloud of smoke rising from downtown Manhattan as if they were witnessing the end of the world (McNeese 2006). Shortly after midnight similar clouds also rose up above East Boston as the town’s population rushed to escape a potential threat from this terrible phenomenon in their community. In total, over twenty-eight square miles of New York City were covered by thick grey smog that could not be seen in any other place except Times Square. Even though the sky above the ground had become clear the skies below had been filled with a strange smell.

 

The Aftermath of Hurricane Michael Disaster:

The aftermath of hurricane Michael that hit Houston, Texas in 1999 resulted in massive destruction to homes, businesses, farms, and buildings. Since more than 7500 properties in Texas have been damaged costing millions of dollars of property to repair or rebuild (McNeese 2006). Over 800 homes were completely destroyed and over ten thousand inhabitants were displaced (McNeese 2006). Among them were six out of twelve children under the age of 18 years old. About 400 miles away in Oklahoma, a similar situation was observed but with a much lesser economic toll as compared to California where approximately fifteen million dollars in damages were incurred and forty-five acres of farmland were lost to complete destruction (McNeese 2006). Due to the intensity of this cyclone, its location in the middle of the continent meant that most of the damages took longer to happen than those in the coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest; an area that had received much less damage before Hurricane Andrew ravaged in 1998 (McNeese 2006). Many households lost both agricultural and commercial crops because they had grown very fast. Farmers lost crops worth billions of dollars, and many individuals who had managed to salvage some of the lost property ended up selling them at exorbitant prices because of the low price of their products in comparison to what local markets would fetch. For instance, the produce tomatoes sold for $300 as opposed to normal prices of $100 and $150 respectively. Similarly, other items like ice cream, milk, flour, sugar, and bread lost their value due to poor marketing strategies as they went beyond reach for many consumers.

4.   Flooding:

Climate Change affects weather patterns considerably. Increased rainfall causes flooding as well as a reduction of soil moisture. Both these lead to a higher risk of flash floods during storms. If these trends continue then more people will suffer even more than they did before. First, more heavy rainfall causes drainage problems, especially in low-lying areas such as densely wooded mountains and valleys. This leads to soil drying up hence creating fertile grounds for infiltration. Drip-fed rivers also form channels that drain into lakes and oceans causing loss of aquatic life. Secondly, an increasing number of evapotranspiration increases due to a drop in seasonal mean and minimum temperatures. This means that rainwater cannot soak into soils or runoff flows through the ground resulting in loss of organic material in the atmosphere that traps carbon dioxide, which eventually results in the formation of clouds. Thirdly, there is evidence showing that warming temperatures can be detrimental to plants which are sensitive to changes in climatic patterns and affect their growth in case of prolonged drought. Fourthly, increased moisture in rainwater leads to the expansion of vegetation in wetlands where most plant species prefer water rather than air. This is worsened by rapid urbanization that does not allow proper management of this kind of vegetation which has become almost extinct due to urbanization. Lastly, an accumulation of water in lakes and reservoirs leads to the degradation of water quality as impurities such as phosphorous and nitrogen find their way into the waters and end up contaminating them. Moreover, excess amounts of water stored in reservoirs are gradually drained leading to a decrease in water levels in lakes and reservoirs leading to the further spread of desertification.

 

Effects of Temperature Rise & Population Increase:

Increased temperatures have the tendency of reducing grass cover with drylands and forests becoming exposed to the sun with subsequent drought. The cycle also continues throughout summer. In addition, warmer temperatures tend to make winters unbearable as they bring about shorter seasons. Consequently, more people end up facing hunger when they go to work and school because they are unable to afford food due to low productivity. In such situations, farmers suffer greatly because they do not have enough to sell or even feed their animals since they fear going hungry and being forced to sell their livestock due to their inability to meet the market demand for the same. Similarly, schools have now shifted from using classrooms for students who need additional education to just keeping rooms for physically challenged students (Miller 2007).

 The problem of malnutrition and diseases affecting farm workers that crop farming is the major concern of the government (Miller 2007).

 More so, the number of refugees that flood cities in search of jobs remain high despite efforts to reduce this by bringing foreigners into the job market (Miller 2007). Urban slums also act as breeding grounds for homeless animals and humans. Overall, this trend reduces the ability of countries to manage their populations effectively because they constantly face the challenge of feeding a growing population. On the same note, increased temperatures increase the chances of flooding in cities which further aggravates the challenge of managing populations.