Introductions:
Every bare minimum we can perform for the current stage of our environment will play an immense role in reducing global warming. Limiting your flight to once in a span of three years and purchasing three new pieces of apparel every year can help reduce the effects of global warming. The fact that human activity is the primary cause of climate change puts to rest any debate about whether citizens can contribute to protecting our planet. Tom bailey, the co-founder of the Jump campaign, says, “The research is detailed that governments and the private sector have the largest role to play, but it is also equally clear from our analysis that individuals and communities can make a huge difference” (Taylor, 2022).
Research Aim:
I chose this topic and designed this question because of the recent flood disasters in the South Eastern province of Sindh and neighbouring Baluchistan catastrophically. Pakistan’s climate change minister Shireen Rehman described it as One-third of the country is underwater, and it was not going to recede anytime soon (Kawoosa, 2022). Causing over 1500 deaths and displacing 32 million was enough to convince me that climate change is happening. It is about time we start taking serious actions to reduce its effects in almost any way we can.
ISSUE 1: The Rising Temperature of Earth
Even a slight increase in average temperature can cause dramatic changes to our planet. Even a change of five and a half degrees Fahrenheit will have grave consequences, and these impacts are already taking place as I write this for every ecosystem, living thing, and us. The primary cause of global warming is the impact of human activities, particularly the release of carbon emissions resulting from the burning of fossil fuels, as well as deforestation that leads to the loss of pollution-absorbing vegetation. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and other pollutants that we emit function as a blanket, retaining the sun’s heat and causing the planet to warm up. Hence, creating a greenhouse effect (Denchak, 2022). The Earth’s climate is being further impacted by this warming, causing catastrophes such as the Australian Bushfires during the summer of 2019-20, described as the most catastrophic bushfire season in Australia’s history. The WWF estimated that around 1.25 billion animals had been killed, and the bushfires had impacted 3 billion (Life, n.d.). These fires significantly impacted the environment, including the destruction of millions of acres of land and human fatalities. Hundreds of millions of animals were displaced or killed, increasing their chances of extinction.
Furthermore, in another similar case, glaciers in the northern regions of Gilgit Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan are melting rapidly due to rising temperatures. Currently, there are 33 which are considered at risk of bursting, which puts about 7.1 million people at the chance of facing glacial lake outburst floods. Moreover, this sudden catastrophe could lead to millions of cubic meters of water and the loss of even more lives, houses and livestock. The melting of glaciers, one of the reasons the floods took place, had severe consequences (Web, 2022). Over 1500 people have died, 33 million have been displaced, and more than 300,000 homes have been destroyed. Officials warn that catastrophic floods could spread waterborne diseases. Tens of millions are now forced to drink unsafe water. An increase in diarrhoea, malaria and typhoid cases can also be seen as a result.
The Course of Action for Issue: 1
Whilst global warming cannot be stopped overnight, its increasing rate can be slowed down, and we can also limit its amount by diminishing human emissions of heat-trapping gases. Several effective strategies can be employed to reduce carbon dioxide levels and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These include improving the energy efficiency and fuel economy of vehicles, promoting wind and solar power use, valuing carbon, and safeguarding forests. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that transportation is the leading sector accountable for greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Automobiles account for 82%, followed by electricity production, with a difference of 1%. To counter this, according to a study conducted by the US Department of Energy, we can reduce fuel consumption by 40% by avoiding sudden accelerations and harsh braking. Similarly, by properly maintaining your car and ensuring its tires are adequately inflated, you can reduce fuel consumption by almost 50% while driving (Lemonade, n.d.)
Alternative strategies, such as “climate engineering” or “geoengineering,” have been suggested to combat global warming. In order to reflect sunlight to space, geoengineering entails cooling the Earth’s surface and adding reflecting particles to the upper atmosphere. Other ideas include scattering iron seeds over the oceans to encourage the massive bloom of phytoplankton, which absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. In theory, these techniques might be effective. However, many climatologists will only use geoengineering techniques once we better understand any potential negative impacts. Unresolved legal and ethical problems also surround geoengineering. Thus, it is essential to approach geoengineering with attention (Herring, 2022)
ISSUE 2: Deforestation
Deforestation significantly impacts global climate change because trees play a critical role in absorbing and storing carbon dioxide. When cleared or disturbed, forests release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. Deforestation and forest degradation are responsible for about 10% of the global temperature increase; without addressing this issue, it will be impossible to solve the climate crisis. Additionally, about 20% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions originate from the clearing of forests. Since 2000, tree cover loss has added 98.7GT (gigatons) to global CO2 emissions. Similarly, in 2017, deforestation added approximately 7.5 billion tons of CO2 to the atmosphere (Anon., 2022).
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) claims that only four commodities – cattle, soy, palm oil, and timber – are responsible for most of tropical deforestation. UCS claims that each year, deforestation leads to the loss of an area equivalent to Switzerland. The land is often cleared for farming by means of deliberate fires set by people. Workers extract valuable timber before burning the rest of the forest to create space for soy or cattle grazing. The number of fires caused by individuals in Brazil increased by over 80% in August 2019 compared to the previous year. Over 80,000 fires were recorded in the Amazon region during that month alone (Derouin, 2022).
The UNFAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization) states that around 80% of deforestation is caused by agriculture. These trees are being cut down because industries that rely on wood, such as those producing paper, matchsticks, and furniture, require a significant amount of wood as raw material. Some of these industries flourish by engaging in the illegal activity of cutting down trees and harvesting wood (Anon., 2022).
In Pakistan, the critical factor of deforestation is illegal logging. Illegally harvested timber is documented to be four times more than legally harvested timber. The forests in Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are vulnerable due to the illegal harvesting of timber. Timber Mafia, the term used for people who illegally cut trees and sell them for their benefit without a warrant, is a deeply rooted problem surrounding Peshawar and Kashmir. Similarly, because of the presence of Margalla Hills National Park, Islamabad is one of the lush green capitals facing deforestation. With the use of Remote sensing techniques, it is estimated that most areas of the KPK will be deforested entirely within 30 years due to declining forest cover. The locals are mainly blamed for lack of awareness, poverty, overgrazing, rapid urbanization, large-scale deforestation for construction, and lastly, using wood for fuel and daily needs are some of the causes of deforestation in NWFP (Khalid, 2020).
The Course of Action for issue: 2
It is high time that we as humans focus on developing alternative methods to deforestation to minimize the necessity of cutting down trees. Deforestation is a global issue, and halting deforestation will require tremendous efforts by leaders and will not be overcome just by individual actions. Our daily consumption of paper in the form of notebooks, printing paper, toilet paper, napkins, et cetera can be reduced by recycling paper products. Such as using double-sided printing and writing to reduce paper usage, minimizing toilet paper usage, and using online or cloud storage for your files can further diminish paper usage. Additionally, purchasing from companies committed to reducing deforestation is a positive action.
In Pakistan and even globally, to mitigate tree cover loss due to urban settlements, it is essential to encourage tree planting in the surrounding areas and ensure that trees cut down are replaced with young ones. This will help replenish the tree cover and promote a healthy environment. Similarly, The Billion Tree Tsunami project aims to improve protection and develop KPK forests to increase forest cover. This project’s advantages for Pakistan are that it will reduce soil erosion, improve water availability, and increase flexibility against floods due to climate changes. Moreover, this also has global benefits as it will contribute towards climate mitigation and sequester carbon (Khalid, 2020).
Reflection
Can a change in our lifestyle contribute to reducing the effects of global warming? – Yes, my investigation shows that the increasing rate of global warming can be slowed down by making significant lifestyle changes. We can limit its amount by diminishing human emissions of heat-trapping gases. For instance, improving energy efficiency and fuel economy of vehicles, promoting the use of wind and solar power, valuing carbon, and safeguarding forests are all highly effective ways to diminish the amount of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases on the planet. With no other human intervention, natural processes would gradually eliminate the surplus carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, causing a gradual decrease in global temperatures.
Sources Evaluation
I did plenty of research and spent substantial time gathering factual information from all over the internet to ensure that all the sources were authentic and reliable. I also avoided using websites like Wikipedia that could be edited and ensured I was only quoting information from reliable sources. Furthermore, there was no use of outdated reports, and all researches are up-to-date and from recent years, such as (Kawoosa, 2022). I used articles from well-known newspapers such as the guardian (Taylor, 2022), rated the most trustworthy online UK newspaper. I used reliable websites such as Relief Web (Web, 2022), a humanitarian information portal providing timely information from trusted sources. Moreover, its service is provided by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). To provide a local perspective, I used an article by the Pakistan Academy of Sciences (Khalid, 2020), which uses the highest scientific talent available in the country.
Conclusion
The most significant causes of global warming are human activities such as burning fossil fuels, which results in carbon pollution, and deforestation, which also causes pollution. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and other pollutants that we emit function as a blanket, retaining the sun’s heat and causing the planet to warm up. While researching for this report, I concluded three significant ways individuals can contribute to reducing global warming and mitigating its effects.
Firstly, we must work towards reducing our carbon footprint, which can be done by incorporating energy-efficient appliances, utilizing public transportation or operating a fuel-efficient vehicle and reducing paper usage. Contributing to our home and workplace using sustainable energy sources like solar and wind power is also proven incredibly beneficial. Planting trees and supporting reforestation is another excellent initiative to prevent climate change. Planting trees and supporting reforestation efforts can effectively mitigate global warming since trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. We should also support climate-friendly policies, such as the transition to renewable energy, and advocate for action on climate change. Taking the time to educate ourselves and others about global warming and its causes is the need of the hour. The more people understand the severity of the issue, the more willing they will be to take action.
Anon., 2022. Causes, Effects and Solutions To Clearing of Forests. [Online]
Available at: https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-of-deforestation.php
[Accessed 9 November 2022].
Anon., 2022. Why is deforestation a problem. [Online]
Available at: https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/forests-and-deserts/global-land-degradation
[Accessed 8 November 2022].
Denchak, M., 2022. Are the Effects of Global Warming Really that Bad?. [Online]
Available at: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/are-effects-global-warming-really-bad
[Accessed 15 October 2022].
Derouin, S., 2022. Why do people destroy forests. [Online]
Available at: https://www.livescience.com/27692-deforestation.html#section-why-do-people-destroy-forests
[Accessed 8 November 2022].
Herring, D., 2022. Can we slow or even reverse global warming?. [Online]
Available at: https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-qa/can-we-slow-or-even-reverse-global-warming
[Accessed 6 November 2022].
Kawoosa, V. M., 2022. Floods in Pakistan.. Reuters, 1, Thursday September.
Khalid, F., 2020. Deforestation Dynamics in Pakistan: A Critical Review. Pakistan Academy of Sciences, September.p. 8.
Lemonade, T., n.d. 8 Ways You Can Actually Fight Climate Change. [Online]
Available at: https://www.lemonade.com/blog/climate-change-solutions/
[Accessed 6 November 2022].
Life, W. W., n.d. Emergency response to the Australian bushfires. [Online]
Available at: https://www.wwf.org.au/what-we-do/bushfires
[Accessed 26 October 2022].
Taylor, M., 2022. Six key lifestyle changes can help advert the climate crisis, study finds. The guardian, 7, Monday March.
Taylor, M., 2022. Six key lifestyle changes can help avert the climate crisis, study finds. The guardian, 7, Monday March.
Web, R., 2022. Melting glaciers, growing lakes and the threat of outburst floods. [Online]
Available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/pakistan/melting-glaciers-growing-lakes-and-threat-outburst-floods
[Accessed 5 November 2022].