Causes and Issues of Climate Change and Global Warming

Essay , 2016 , 7 Pages , Grade: 97

Politics - Environmental Policy

As a consultant in energy and sustainable development for the UN, your role is to provide a guideline and information on issues connected to the oil and gas production and applications as one of the major causes for climate change and global warming. For this reason, sustainable development of oil and gas industries is an important factor, for example in how oil and gas companies are able to divert into cleaner sources of sustainable energy and the consequent impacts on the environment, in general and the climate, in particular.

Currently, the greatest worry among the environmentalists and the UN is the huge concern regarding the present rising levels of the earth’s temperatures. Among their top concern is the continued effects of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere that continually contribute to the global warming of the earth. More so, the increased and exploitative usage of the fossil fuels in the modern industries contributes to the increase in the global temperatures. The reason of the worries is the fact that the over-accumulation of the carbon IV oxide in the atmosphere continually deteriorates the climatic balance of the earth. Additionally, the top reasons causing the worries of the global warming effects on the Earth arise from the provision that the factors leading to the global warming and causing the upsetting climatic changes are synthetic and human beings contribute a huge role to the destruction of the atmosphere.

The following write-up aims to focus on the various contributing factors of the climate change and those causing global warming. More so, the paper will address the challenges and benefits that would arise if the conventional energy producers would consider seeking greener or renewable sources for their energy, with a particular focus on oil and petroleum companies. In addition, the paper will have specific instructions for adaptable processes that various governments, institutions, and corporations to adopt and help in the overall campaign for environmental protection to reduce the detrimental effects of the climate change and global warming.

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Causes of Climate Change and Global Warming and Issues Connected to the Global

Warming and Climate Change

The leading cause of the climate changes and the global warming is the increased and

uncontrolled presence of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (Klein, 2015). The greenhouse

gases end up in the atmosphere through some ways. The leading contributor of the

greenhouse gases to the atmosphere is the burning of the fossil fuels, by deforestation, and

through increased environmental warmth (Klein, 2015). Combustion of fossil fuels- oil and

petroleum and other carbon-related fuels are the most common source of energy for various

applications in the 21st Century. The burning of the fossil fuels for energy releases carbon,

which then combines with the atmospheric oxygen to create carbon IV oxide. The high levels

of carbon IV oxide in the environment keep on increasing on a daily basis since a huge

population of the earth uses the carbon fuels to produce energy to power their cars, for

domestic purposes, for the various industrial uses. Apart from the carbon IV oxide being the

lead contributor of the greenhouse gases, other gases such as methane released from

agricultural practices and landfills, nitrous oxide from the various farming fertilizers, the

gases from refrigeration and the different industrial applications also contribute to the

formation of the greenhouse effect to the higher atmosphere (MATHEZ, 2009).

The greenhouse gases play a huge role in the climate change and contribute heavily to the

global warming. When the greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere, they absorb the

radiation, preventing and slowing the loss of heat to space. Hence, the greenhouse gases act

as a blanket to the earth, resulting to the earth to being warmer than it would otherwise be,

hence the remarkable greenhouse effect (MATHEZ, 2009). The continuous release of the

greenhouse gases increase the greenhouse effect of the earth and causes temperatures of the

land to rise gradually; hence the term global warming. The scientists worry that the increase

in the carbon IV oxide and other leading greenhouse gases in the past decade has been

rampant following the growing usage of the fossil fuel across the globe. The increased effects

of the greenhouse gases have shifted the known climatic patterns of the past, to create the

new extreme climatic conditions of the earth. The new climatic conditions place the lives on

the planet at risk since the climate extremities create harsh weather patterns that make it hard

for living organisms to survive naturally within their habitats. The changing climatic

conditions tend to create extremities such as the continuous melting of ice from various

regions, long and unpredictable periods of drought, heavy and destructive rainfalls,

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catastrophic sandstorms, all attributed to the effects of the changes in climate change.

Additionally, naturally occurring creatures face extinction since the changing climate makes

it harsh for their survival.

There is the global awareness campaign that aims to address the activities of man to help

reduce the detrimental effects of climate change and the levels of global warming. The UN

and the leading nations that fight for environmental protection for the benefit of survival of

the living organisms on earth should place a top priority on certain factors that would help

mitigate the devastating effects of the global warming and the adverse changes in the climate.

Their goals should be to lower and control the global warming through curtailing the release

of the carbon IV oxide in the atmosphere and reduce the trapping effect of the other

contributing greenhouse gases that find their way to the atmosphere. The processes upon

which the UN and the other environmental bodies can help us to mitigate the global warming

and climate change include campaigning and advocating for efficient manipulation of

available energy sources to have as low emissions as possible (GOLDMAN, 2013).

Additionally, advocating for alternative energy sources apart from the conventional sources

should be among the methods to mitigate the effects of the global warming and climate

change.

The Shift from Fossil Fuels to Renewable Energy; the Benefits and Challenges of the Oil and

Petroleum Companies

In a directive to reduce the levels of emissions from the fossil fuels, there is great advocacy

for the fossil fuel companies to consider venturing to other processes that provide green

energy. The solution to such venture is the introduction of renewable energies as the

mainstream sources of energy for the daily uses in the modern world. The renewable sources

of energy provide clean energy and almost zero emissions in their utilization (POSNER,

2010). More so, the renewable energy sources are by themselves sustainable by the fact that

the sources are infinite. The renewable energy can help the fossil fuel firms to reduce their

dependency on the oil and gas deposits that near depletion in the current future. More so, the

renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, moving water, and heat within Earth have

economic benefits when utilized. The cost of using solar energy is much cheaper when

compared to the cost of utilization of the fossil fuels. It translates to that the fossil fuels

especially oil will have stable prices; hence, lowering the instability of the oil prices in the

current world markets. The cost effectiveness of the utilization of the renewable energy

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sources will push big business to allocate some energy operations to the renewable sources, a

move that eventually lowers the emissions. However, the fossil fuels will face challenges

while seeking ways to substitute the fossil fuels with the renewable energy. The principal

problem is the fact that the renewable energy cannot generate the massive levels of energy

previously produced by the fossil fuels. Consequently, the energy provision would have to be

a balance between the renewable energy sources and the fossil fuels energy sources.

Additionally, the reliability of the renewable energy sources is poor since most of the sources

are dependent on the prevailing weather conditions. With the unavailability of direct

sunshine, or strong water currents, or high winds, it might be impossible to generate the

energy for the various applications. Additionally, the fossil fuel companies in their efforts to

launch to renewable energy might spend massive funds to acquire and install the necessary

technology needed to extract energy from nature.

The sustainable development for the oil and gas companies aim to meet the energy

requirements of the world population of oil and gas at a reasonable cost, maintaining high

safety standards and offering minimal impact to the environment (ROSENDAHL, 2013). The

process of sustainable development for the fossil fuels tends to get cumbersome as most of

the oil reserves are depleted annually (Kang, 2015). More so, the urge to protect the

environment is neglected by the huge oil companies. Hence, there is a need for the companies

to come up with clear solutions that will help protect the environment and provide enough

energy until they find alternative sources of providing energy to the world populace.

Therefore, the current developments to find alternate energy sources that will sustain the

energy needs are not futile. The efforts address the UN Conference on Human Development

held in Stockholm in 1972 that aimed to address the global environment, and the

development needs (TORDO, 2011).

Practical Actions the UN Should Take to Mitigate the Effects on the Environment

The UN should place emphasis among home settings to help them emit tiny greenhouse

gases in the daily home applications that require energy. More so, the processes would lower

the strain placed on the fossil fuels to provide the energy needed to run the various activities

at home. Among them is the emphasis to switch to energy-efficient lighting. Switching to

energy-saving lighting systems at homes lowers the energy bills to nearly 7000 pounds of

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carbon IV oxide in the air over the lifetime of the bulbs (HOFFMAN, 2015). More so, UN

needs to urge companies to manufacture home appliances that are energy-efficient. The

companies need to come up with equipment with energy ratings that will help customers

choose and buy the devices with the highest energy rating when acquiring the new appliances

for their homes (HOFFMAN, 2015). Furthermore, the reduction of the energy spent on the

heating and the cooling systems would significantly help to lower the emissions from such

systems. Passive technologies provide energy-efficient cooling systems, hence unloading the

overall amount of carbon fuel needed to run the conventional cooling systems.

The United Nations in its war to mitigate the effects of the global warming and climate

change needs to improve and control on the vehicle fuel efficiencies. Fuel-efficient cars are

among the best cars to enforce in the market to lower some carbon gases that petroleum-

driven vehicles emit on normal occasions (METZ, 2009). The new hybrid cars that use gas-

electric engines cut down the amount of carbon fuels used to power the engines; hence, their

adoption would help substantially lower the accumulation of the greenhouse gases in the

atmosphere. The UN should move resources to ensure the petroleum companies sell fuel with

low-risk emissions to the environment. Such efforts are present by the elimination of leaded

fuel in the market, but to protect the earth from the detrimental global warming and climate

change, the petroleum and oil producers should focus on selling fuels with low carbon fuels.

The driving of the machinery using carbon fuels should be fuel-efficient driving. The UN

should introduce mechanisms in the motoring industry to occasionally aid in the easy

maintenance of the machinery. Regular maintenance lowers the inefficiencies of the engines;

hence, saving on the fuel used (METZ, 2009). Nations that encourage less driving and

motivate more walking and cycling are among the leading countries in controlling the

greenhouse gases emanating from the vehicles.

Phasing out the fossil fuel electricity is a significant move to tackle the climate change

(KIRTON, 2015). The reduction of the fossil fuel electricity should be a move by the UN to

eliminate the power systems that manipulate coal. Key processes the UN should undertake

include not allowing any construction of coal-burning power factories, starting an organized

shutdown of the coal powered companies and capturing the emissions from the left existing

coal plants (KIRTON, 2015). Management of agricultural processes and conservation of

forests can fight global warming. The reduction of the emissions accumulated from the

deforestation processes and controlling the farming and other agricultural chemicals lowers

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the levels of accumulation of the carbon and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that

create the greenhouse effect (KIRTON, 2015). Additionally, the UN has the mandate and

power to launch nations into nuclear power exploration and usage. The nuclear energy has

few greenhouse gas emissions. However, despite the go-ahead on the efficiency of the

nuclear power, the UN should put into consideration the risks associated with the nuclear

energy.

In conclusion, I firmly believe that the human activities have increased the burden of the

provision of clean energy for utilization. More so, the apparent lack of clear structures in the

past that would regulate the amount of emissions that companies emitted to the atmosphere

facilitated to the current destruction of the global climate. The massive emissions during the

Industrial Revolution were hugely uncontrolled, and consequently, the structures to control

the environment were absent. The current levels of global temperatures will keep on rising

since the world is highly dependent on the fossil fuels for the daily energy provisions. The

factories and cars still run on petroleum products; hence, the emission will continue.

However if active bodies such as the UN and other environmental conservations groups

combine efforts and fight to protect the environment, the future generation can have lowered

levels of emissions. That would protect the environment, and it would provide the earth with

cleaner sources of energy that are sustainable even for the various generations to come.

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References

GOLDMAN, C. R., KUMAGAI, M., & ROBARTS, R. D. (2013). Climatic Change and

Global Warming of Inland Waters: Impacts and Mitigation for Ecosystems and

Societies. http://catalogimages.wiley.com/images/db/jimages/9781119968665.jpg.

HOFFMAN, A. J. (2015). How culture shapes the climate change debate.

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk

&AN=946073.

Kang, S.J. and Park, Y.C. eds., 2015. The international monetary system, energy and

sustainable development (Vol. 138). Routledge.

KIRTON, J. J., & KOKOTSIS, E. (2015). The global governance of climate change: G7,

G20, and UN leadership.

Klein, N., 2015. This changes everything: Capitalism vs. the climate. Simon and Schuster.

MATHEZ, E. A., & SMERDON, J. E. (2009). Climate change: the science of global

warming and our energy future. New York, Columbia University Press.

METZ, B. (2009). Controlling climate change. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

POSNER, E. A., & WEISBACH, D. A. (2010). Climate change justice. Princeton, N.J.,

Princeton University Press.

ROSENDAHL, T., & HEPSØ, V. (2013). Integrated operations in the oil and gas industry:

sustainability and capability development. Hershey, PA, Business Science Reference.

TORDO, S., TRACY, B. S., & ARFAA, N. (2011). National oil companies and value

creation. Washington, D.C., World Bank.

Frequently asked questions

What are the primary causes of climate change and global warming, as discussed in the text?

The leading cause of climate change and global warming is the increased presence of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These gases are primarily a result of burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and increased environmental warmth.

What role do greenhouse gases play in climate change?

Greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere and absorb radiation, preventing heat from escaping into space. This creates a "blanket" effect, warming the earth.

What is the impact of global warming on the planet?

Global warming causes temperatures to rise, shifting climate patterns, and creating extreme weather conditions such as melting ice, droughts, and heavy rainfalls. It also threatens species extinction.

What actions should be taken to reduce climate change and global warming?

Actions include lowering carbon emissions, efficiently manipulating energy sources, advocating for alternative energy sources, and reducing the trapping effect of greenhouse gases.

Why is there a push for fossil fuel companies to shift to renewable energy?

Renewable energy sources offer clean energy with almost zero emissions. They are also sustainable and can help reduce dependence on depleting oil and gas deposits.

What are the benefits and challenges of shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy?

Benefits include economic advantages, lower oil price instability, and reduced emissions. Challenges involve the renewable energy's inability to generate the same massive energy levels as fossil fuels, their reliability being dependent on weather conditions, and the high initial costs of implementing the required technology.

What is sustainable development for oil and gas companies?

It aims to meet the world's energy requirements at a reasonable cost, while maintaining high safety standards and minimizing environmental impact.

What practical actions should the UN take to mitigate the effects on the environment?

Emphasis should be placed on home settings to help emit tiny greenhouse gases in the daily home applications that require energy. Promoting energy-efficient lighting and appliances, reducing energy consumption in heating and cooling systems, improving vehicle fuel efficiencies, phasing out fossil fuel electricity, and managing agricultural processes and forest conservation can also fight global warming.

How can the UN improve vehicle fuel efficiencies?

Promote fuel-efficient cars, including hybrid vehicles. Encourage petroleum companies to sell fuel with low-risk emissions. Implement mechanisms for regular maintenance of vehicles. Encourage less driving and more walking or cycling.

What is the significance of phasing out fossil fuel electricity?

Reducing fossil fuel electricity, especially from coal-burning power plants, is a crucial step in tackling climate change. The UN should prevent the construction of new coal plants, shut down existing ones, and capture emissions from remaining plants.

• Grade: 97
• Author: Selina Kolls (Author)
• Publication Year: 2016
• Pages: 7
• Catalog Number: V338713
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668285125
• ISBN (Book): 9783668285132
• Language: English
• Tags: causes, issues, climate, change, global, warming