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Chris Morrissette
Debate 9: Stop Climate Chaos Now
Global climate change is an ever-increasing threat in today’s society, and one that
will not just go away. Drastic changes must be taken and they must be taken now in order
to curb its immanent threat. Climate chaos is the biggest danger facing humanity and we
need to not only invest in new technologies that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
but we also need to drastically change our lifestyles. For example we need to travel less,
own less, eat differently and so on, in order to curtail the horrific and ultimate changes in
humanity and the environment that will occur.
Many people have heard of climate change and global warming, and know that it
could potentially affect their lifestyles, but most do not truly understand the danger it
poses or how it works. The greenhouse effect is a natural biological process that keeps
the earth warm and more inhabitable. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, such
as methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons, allow heat from the sun to penetrate
the atmosphere and then trap it close to the earth’s surface, creating a warming affect
around the earth. This is a natural process that has made it so life on earth can develop
and prosper, however in the last 200 years, rapid industrialization has caused an
exponential growth in the amount of green house gases and carbon dioxide levels emitted
into the atmosphere. Coal, oil, and natural gas are all major contributing energy sources
to the majority of industrialized nations, and the burning of these releases copious
amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. It is difficult to decrease exposure to
these gases, because it would result in a “major restructuring to the way the industrial
world operates.” However, eventually that will be our only solution, especially since
industrialization has severely limited the earth’s ability to absorb these green house gases
in a natural way. Drastic land use changes and deforestation make the land less apt to
absorbing and processing these gases. Deforestation alone accounts for 20-25% of global
greenhouse gas emission, and every day, more and more acres of forests are cut down to
make room for fields and pastures for agriculture farming. Farming then makes matters
worse due to the significant increase in methane it brings due to livestock, which unit for
unit is 21 times more damaging than carbon dioxide over a one hundred year lifespan to
the environment. The more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere the hotter the earth will
become, and this will increase mean global temperatures and result in climate change.
Scientists do not know how long this process will take to occur, but ultimately there will
be a tipping point and the environment can experience potentially irreversible changes.
Only time will tell when climate change will happen, and how much of it we can expect
to receive, however few seem to disagree that the “anthropogenic emissions of carbon
dioxide is leading to global warming” (Preventing Climate Change, 2010).
The climate change that is going to occur is going to have drastic impacts on every
area of human life. The affect that it will have on the weather patterns, human health,
wildlife, loss of glaciers and rising sea levels are just the beginning and justify the need
for immediate action to invest in technologies to try and stop climate chaos before it is
too late.
Climate change will undoubtedly affect the world’s weather by bringing about more
extreme weather events. This is because climate change puts more heat energy into the
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atmosphere, impacting weather systems, which in turn speeds up the process and
increases the intensity of storms. Hurricanes, floods, droughts, and heat waves will be
more prevalent and have higher intensities. With greater intensity storms, there will be a
larger economic loss when they occur. There will also be more damage and more
potential for human devastation.
Hurricane formation and warm water have been known to have a complex connection
that is driven by water temperature and energy. Hurricanes are created when seawater
temperatures above 27 degrees Celsius allow massive evaporation of seawater that
condenses and forms a storm vortex. With climate change ocean temperatures are rising,
making the water warmer, thus pumping more energy into tropical storms and hurricanes,
giving them the potential to be more destructive (Impacts, 2010). Over the past thirty-five
years, the number of category four and five storms has greatly increased, as the ocean
temperatures have as well, causing massive destruction and loss of life when they strike.
With climate change, more devastating hurricanes, like Hurricane Katrina in August 2005
that was the costliest and one of the deadliest hurricanes in the United States history, will
be expected to occur (Consequences, 2010).
The increase in atmospheric and water temperatures will also have an impact on
rainfall and flooding. When atmospheric temperatures are higher, they can hold more
amounts of water vapor. That means that when storms do occur, they will have an
increased amount of precipitation and “cause more volatile weather systems in general”
(Impacts 2010). The increased precipitation can cause flash flooding, landslides, erosion,
crop damage, strain on dames, and property damage (Impacts 2010). The
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has reported that intense rainstorms
significantly increased in frequency over the last fifty years, and annual precipitation has
increased by 5-10% since the early 20th century (Consequences 2010).
On the other hand, drought and forest fires will also drastically increase due to
warmer temperatures. Drier areas will become drier and regions already prone to drought
will experience huge food and water shortages. For examples poverty stricken countries
like Sahel, in Africa, have already been affected by climate change. On average there has
been a 25 % decrease in annual rainfall over the past 30 years and that percentage isn’t
expected to improve any time soon with current climate change models (Impacts 2010).
In fact, since the 1970’s, “areas of the earth experiencing ‘very dry’ conditions have more
than doubled” according to the National Center for Atmospheric Research in (Impacts
2010). The increase of drought will also exacerbate the risk of wildfire, particularly
during the summer and fall months (Consequences 2010). In 2006, wildland fire seasons
set new records in both the number of reported fires, as well as the number of acres burnt.
These numbers were 125% above the ten-year averages (Consequences 2010).
Heat waves that not only affect people but harm crops, livestock, fish populations and
wildlife will become more common with global climate change (Impacts 2010). Deaths
due to heat waves will also be augmented steadily. “The European heat wave of 2003
killed 14,800 people in France alone and more than 30,000 across the continent.
According to the French National Institute of Health the death rate was sixty percent
higher than normal for that time of year” (Impacts).
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A rise in global temperature will cause widespread global melting. This loss of snow
and ice will be detrimental for people and ecosystems, causing a rise in sea levels, due to
the sudden influx of water. Since 70 percent of the world’s population lives on coastal
plans, and “11 of the world’s 15 largest cities are on the coastal estuaries,” nearly
everyone will be dramatically affected. In the last century, sea level has risen 4-8 inches
and the pace of this rise appears to be accelerating (Consequences 2010). It is projected
that sea level will rise 9-88 cm during the 21st century. However if major glaciers such as
the Greenland ice sheet and the Western Antarctic ice sheet melt, the world could be
facing a “ 13 meter rise in sea level.” This means that we drastically need to make
changes to prevent this melting from progressing further, because the melting is already
occurring. In 2005, the British Antarctic Survey fund that 87% of the glaciers on the
Antarctic Peninsula have retreated over the past fifty years, and in the last five years, they
have lost an average of fifty meters a year. And in recent years the Greenland ice mass,
which was stable in the 1990s. has begun to increasingly decline at an estimated 1/100th
inch per year. Since this ice shelf holds nearly ten percent of the total global ice mass,
provided that it completely melts, sea level could rise to an upwards of twenty-one feet.
Even if sea level rises a few inches there could be drastic consequences, let alone if it
rose a whole meter, cities like New York, London, and Bangkok will be submerged, and
countries such a Bangladesh could be 17% underwater, and have nearly half of its
farmland destroyed. If sea level rose in a poor country like Bangladesh tens of millions of
people will be displaced and others will be prone to die of starvation due to their
dramatically reduced farmland for their staple crop, rice (Impacts 2010). However, even
in more conservative projections, in ones where sea level will rise 9-88cm in the next
century, coastal flooding and storm damage, eroding shorelines, salt water contamination
of fresh water supplies, flooding of coastal wetlands and barrier islands, and an increase
in the salinity of estuaries are very real consequences. All of these would have severe
affects on wildlife and the dwindling availability of freshwater to humans and animals.
Fish and marine animals could have their habitats destroyed, as would organisms that live
wetlands and barrier islands. Underground water conifers in Thailand, Israel, China and
Vietnam, which are already experiencing salt-water contamination will undergo even
further devastation. This will hurt the millions of inhabitants who get water form these
sources (Impacts 2010).
The rise of sea level would then have a huge impact on ocean currents. Dilution of the
ocean salinity from the copious amounts of newly added fresh water from melting arctic
ice, could turn off or divert ocean current patterns. Thus having massive impact on
agriculture and climates. Ocean currents work when “warm salty water from the Gulf
Stream is cooled when it reaches the North Atlantic. It becomes denser and sinks to
deeper layers of the ocean, ‘pumping’ cold water south in the deep ocean, past Africa into
the South Atlantic. Salt rejected as sea ice forms also increasing the density of these
waters and contributes to the process” (Impacts 2010). The process of the mixing of cold
and warmer waters creates currents that heat and cool certain areas on earth. It also
provides temperature mediation and stabilization for coastal areas.
Alteration of ocean currents and dilution of the oceans along with temperature
increase will lead to habitat loss and the loss of many plant and animal species. Unless
we drastically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and completely change our lifestyles
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and policies, we can expect several factors to combine that will make the coming climate
chaos and loss of biodiversity and species richness astonishingly severe. The climate is
changing faster than at almost any time in our planet's history, and many ecosystems are
already stressed by human activities. For example, destructive logging, excessive grazing,
over fishing, and toxic pollution are all ecosystem stressors that will contribute to habitat
loss and loss of biodiversity, and these stressors will intensify the effects of climate
change. Also, human development and habitat destruction impedes many species from
migrating, like superhighways effectively block land animals from migrating. A recent
major study indicates that if global temperatures increase 3.2-3.6°F, then 1 million
species would be threatened with extinction over the next fifty years. The only way to
avoid this is by extreme lifestyle changes and strong climate policies. There is still time
to save many species, but it is fast running out. Of course, if temperatures go even
higher, more species will be lost. Like animals and insects, plant species require specific
climates. Changes in precipitation and temperature will mean that some species can no
longer survive where they are now growing. Also, plants are vulnerable to competition
just like animals. As warming occurs, species that have adapted to living in cooler
climates can be pushed out of existence by newcomers better suited to the new
temperatures. Many animals and insects need specific plants, or types of plants, as part of
their habitat. So the loss of plant species will have a ripple effect leading to more animal
and plant extinctions (Impacts 2010). More species will lose their natural habitats being
put at risk for extinction, and climate change could lead to more than 1 million species
being obliterated by 2050 due to loss of habitat. Therefore, we need to drastically change
our lifestyles and implement many policies to reduce our emissions or else habitats will
be destroyed leading to many plant and animal extinctions.
Climate change will not only affect habitats and plants and animals, but also humans.
Climate chaos will have severe economic impacts. It will threaten the basic elements of
life for people around the world, which are access to water, food, health, and the use of
land and the environment. Estimates of the annual costs of achieving stabilization of
carbon in the atmosphere are 2 % of the global GDP and that is if we start to take action
now. The longer we wait to reduce the impacts of climate change the higher the economic
and environmental cost, and of course, poorer countries will be impacted the most. Poorer
countries are less able to protect themselves from disease, rising sea levels,
environmental destruction and agricultural production. There are many factors that go
into determining whether or not a country is wealthier. Those factors are as followed:

Economic resources: Wealthier nations are better able to bear the costs of
adaptation to climate change than poorer ones.

Technology: Lack of technology can impede adaptation.

Information and skills: Information and trained personnel are required to assess
and implement successful adaptation options.

Social infrastructure

Institutions: Nations with well-developed social institutions are believed to have
greater adaptive capacity than those with less effective institutions, typically
developing nations and economies in transition.
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
Equity: Some believe that adaptive capacity is greater where there are
government institutions and arrangements in place that allow equitable access to
resources.
Countries that excel in all of these wealthy factors will be better able to adapt to climate
changes and countries that possess few or none of these factors will not be able to adapt
to climate change and will be highly vulnerable to climate change and will suffer greatly
(Economics of Global Warming 2010).
The health effects caused by climate change are a huge concern associated with
climate change. There has been a drastic increase in the number of heat related deaths.
An increase in bad air and allergy and asthma problems are an increasing health problem
due to climate changes. Increases in carbon dioxide will promote the growth of weeds
and other harmful allergens that triggers asthma and other allergies. Air pollution and
smog will also make asthma and respiratory related health issues worse. Warming
temperatures have contributed to more widespread outbreaks of infectious diseases like
malaria, dengue fever, tick-borne encephalitis, and diarrheal illnesses. Heavy rainfall can
wash pathogens from contaminated soils, farms, and streets into drinking water, which
will lead to more disease. Higher outdoor temperatures also can cause increased
outbreaks of food borne illnesses. Many people will suffer due to climate change, and we
need to act now to change our lifestyles to reduce the effects of climate change (Climate
Change and Public Health 2009).
One solution to reduce or stop climate change is to pay more tuition at Virginia
Tech or pay more fees in general to fund carbon neutral fuel and food and to improve
energy efficiency of buildings and other infrastructure. We must build green buildings
with cleaner less consumptive materials that use renewable energy to heat and power
them instead of harmful coal or oil powered electricity. Another solution to reduce
climate change effects is to consume and travel less. Parking should not be allowed on
campus when we can walk, ride bikes, or use mass transit like the BT. We need to stop
eating so much meat and/or processed foods. In order to stop climate change we need to
eat local or grow/harvest our own food, and when shopping use reusable bags instead of
being wasteful and using countless paper and plastic bags. Also, everyone needs to live in
smaller houses that are in more densely populated cities. Small families’ living in large
homes is unnecessary and wasteful and we need to educate people so everyone can
understand our situation and what must be done to reduce or stop its effects. We will
need informational instruments to increase public awareness of climate change. When we
restructure our societies to smaller homes in densely populated areas, those homes will
need to be powered by carbon neutral energy, which can be renewable or nuclear energy.
Also, once we are relocated we need to undergo reforestation or replant our forests. In
order to accomplish these solutions, technology will need to be developed in the areas of
renewable energy, power transmission/control systems, alternative fuels and carbon
capture and storage so we can maximize our efficiency and ultimately become carbon
neutral and end human caused climate change. To reach a solution for climate change we
will need a mix of policy and innovation, leadership and cooperation, mass action and
conservation solutions.
There are a few common misperceptions associated with climate change. One
misperception is that a planet warmer by 2 degrees does not sound that bad, but the fact is
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that scientists’ say a 2-degree prediction is a minimum and an average encompassing
higher extremes in certain regions, seasons and times of day. The damage associated with
this would be great and come indirectly from rising seas, drying out of some areas,
heavier rains in others and similar disruptions. Another misperception about climate
change is that a melting arctic ice cap will not raise seas. The fact is that oceans are rising
because of melt runoff from glaciers, the Greenland ice sheet and other ice on land, not in
the sea, therefore, sea levels will rise (Misconceptions about Climate Change 2005).
Climate change is a complicated issue that needs resolving now. It means we will
have to make drastic lifestyle changes and it will not be easy. Technology alone will not
save us from climate change we need a combination of lifestyle changes, policy and
innovation or technology, leadership and cooperation, mass action and conservation
solutions. Some people argue that climate change is a natural occurrence and can be
solved through alternative energy sources; however that is not really a plausible solution.
Climate change affects every aspect of human life, and we need to take a stand in
preventing it before it is too late. Once the signs start appearing then it will be too late to
really make a difference. Climate change has been shown to be irreversible therefore
moderate prevention is not an option. People need to be aware of the drastic affects
climate change can cause before it is too late. It is not reasonable to just deal with the
effects of it, such as relocating people in instances of floods. People like living in coastal
regions and it is not within any countries resources to move such a vast majority of
people. Climate chaos is upon us and we must make drastic lifestyle and other changes to
reduce or prevent its effects.
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References
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Impacts. Greenpeace International. 10 Nov 2010.
www.Greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/impacts/
Climate change and Public Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
2009. 10 Nov 2010. www.cdc.gov/climatechange/revention
Sturm, Matthew. Arctic Plants Feel the Heat. Scientific American. Vol. 302,
Issue 5. May 2010.
Climate Change, Environmental Degradation, and Conflict Prevention: A
Roundtable Discussion to Identify Policy and Programming Options. The
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. 10 Nov. 2010.
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?topic_id=1413&fuseaction=topics.event_
summary&event_id=337866.
Consequences of Global Warming. Natural Resource Defense Council. 10 Nov.
2010. http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/fcons.asp
Preventing Climate Change. Climate Leaders. 10 Nov. 2010. www.climateleaders.org/climate-change-resources/climate-change/preventing-climate-change
Economics of Global Warming.10 Nov. 2010.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economics_of_global_warming
Misconceptions about climate change. Environment on msnbc.com. 10 Nov.
2010. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6994470/ns/us_news-environment. 18 Feb.
2005.