BEM 3501 Air Quality

Introduction:

The debate on change in climate is not new to many. The need to bring countries together with the aim of involving them in the process of monitoring and knowing the way forward as far as the issue of climate change is concerned is essential. Such facilitated to the establishment of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The body plays host to at least one hundred and ninety-five nations. However, it is important to note that the IPCC is not a research body; it mainly depends on the research done and presented by the scientists. Its main responsibility is to assess the research; draft reports on the findings presented by the scientists and monitor the situation.

The position of IPCC on Global Warming

According to IPCC, the world is not headed in the right direction as far as the issue of climate change is concerned. There have been fears that if nothing is done, the change in climate might have many effects on the life of all living things on the planet. Such has led to the establishment of laws that are supposed to be enforced at a national level. One of the most popular laws is the regulation of products that are manufactured which emit carbon. According to IPCC report in 2007, 95% of the main cause of global warming has been associated with the human beings (IPCC, 2014).

The report states that "Most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely [90 percent confidence] due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations” (Guardian, 2013). The Greenhouse gasses have been termed as the leading cause of global warming and not nature as some may assume. Contrary to other reports that have made an assumption on the natural factors that lead to global warming, IPCC report states that natural internal factors like ocean cycles and natural external factors like solar activity do not have an immense effect on global warming (Guardian, 2013). The reports can be shocking because people have been assuming that nature has an effect on the global warming the same as the human activities. How the IPCC report cannot be trashed (Change, 2014). The report has presented facts that should make each and every member of the global community concerned about the well-being of the planet. The report also stated the possible consequences if nothing will be done by the end of the twenty-first century. The risk might be irreversible, and that might hurt the life of the planet since the temperatures will be so high (Sussman, 2010).

Climate Change Skeptics’ position

Skeptics have been on the front line in refuting the claims of the scientists on the matters of climate change. Despite the involvement of many scientists throughout the world, there are still people who do not believe that the issue of climate change is real. However, there have been complaints that the skeptics are funded by coal and oil companies which are in the front line as far as the issue of contributing to the global warming is concerned. For many years the skeptics have argued that climate change is not taking place, the climate is getting colder, the climate is getting warmer, but that has nothing to do with the activities of the human beings, the climate is getting partly warmer, but that is to the benefits of the human beings, and there is no cost involved, and the climate is getting warmer but policies are not sufficient to deal with the issue (Suzuki, 2013).

Over the years, the skeptics have been proven wrong by climate changes taking place. Such has led to the change of their stories. They now argue that the climate is getting warmer, however, the cost of trying to save the climate is not justifiable. The scientists all over the world have challenged that arguments of the skeptics and have called them unfounded and irrelevant. The reason for stating so is because the arguments have been shifting and at the same time they are not supported by any fact (Shogren, 2014). Looking at the arguments of the skeptics, it is easy to notice a change of mind which leaves one questioning the motive behind that.

My position on Anthropogenic on Greenhouse Emissions

As far as I am concerned, the release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere has a lot to do with the way the climate is changing. It is a supported fact that the emission of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has its fair share of effects as far as global warming is concerned. Let us take an example from an African region; the East Africa (Change, 2014). Cutting trees and burning charcoals is practiced in many African nations. However, some countries that do not plant trees after cutting them down are currently suffering due to late rains and drought. Another good example can be fetched from an industrious nation; china. The emission of carbon dioxide from most of the factories in the nation has led to serious climate issues that if not solved might be an effect that will haunt the coming generations.

I firmly believe that most of the climate change effects would have been put to an end many years ago. This is because the human beings have contributed to the deterioration of the situation by not observing all possible factors that might lead to global warming. Sensitization of the matter should be a priority in the whole world. People should be stopped from carrying out activities that are a risk to the survival of the world (Henig, 2009). The IPCC produced a report that I strongly agree with. However, that is not enough; all nations must take the responsibility and purpose to put in place policies that are aimed at looking after the well-being of the planet earth. The move to limit the carbon that is emitted in the atmosphere is the best as far as the issue of global warming is concerned. Seeing that a company like Volkswagen came into conflict with the law for manufacturing a car that did not consider set global rules on carbon emission is an indication that the issue of global warming is taken seriously (Houghton, 2009). However, education is also primal in this case. People should be taught on how to avoid and stop activities that are a risk to the survival of the planet earth. With that in place, the earth will be soon a place where all people are happy to be.

Bibliography:

Change, I. (2014). Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Fifth Assesment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. New York & Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Goldstein, N. (2009). Global Warming. New York: Infobase Publishing.

Guardian, T. (2013). Global warming: why is IPCC report so certain about the influence of humans? Retrieved May 16, 2017, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2013/sep/27/global-warming-ipcc-report-humans

Henig, J. (2009). Climategate. Retrieved May 16, 2017, from https://www.factcheck.org/2009/12/climategate/

Houghton, J. (2009). Global Warming: The Complete Briefing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

IPCC. (2013). The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

IPCC. (2014). Climate Change 2014- Impacts Adaptation and Vulnerability: Regional Aspects. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Shogren, E. (2014). 5 Key Takeaways From the Latest Climate Change Report. Retrieved May 16, 2017, from https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/11/141102-ipcc-synthesis-report-climate-change-science-environment/

Sussman, B. (2010). Climategate: A Veteran Meteorologist Exposes the Global Warming Scam. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

Suzuki, D. (2013). Climate Change Deniers. Retrieved May 16, 2017, from https://davidsuzuki.org/issues/climate-change/science/climate-change-basics/climate-change-deniers/