Hurumanu 1: Sustainability: Resources

 After several weeks of learning we come into one of the bigger tasks. The task being to create an essay to state a part of sustainability that you are passionate about. In this I choose combining the suatainability specifically Climate Change as well as Politics. How they connect and the problem that comes along with it. The focus of my essay it to more or less debunk the statements that have been said by arront politicians who choose to believe that Climate Change is a hoax. It covers the mainly American politicians and what tehy have said over the years and providing evidences disproving of their beliefs. 

Climate Change and Politics

Climate change and politics have come hand to hand within the several decades. Media has also been a part of the persisting debate over climate change and global warming. Which brawls over the validity of climate change if it is a fact or a myth? Long ago the idea of climate change was introduced. In the years of the 19th century, several scientists have recognised that with the gases that are produced and stays in the atmosphere causes an effect. The effect was dubbed as a ‘greenhouse effect’, it is an action that affects the planet’s temperature. However, even of its age significant changes have been only made within the current years.

The beginning of industrialisation was also the beginning of the substantial changes within our atmosphere. Going in detail, a French physicist named Joseph Fourier discovered and described the Earth’s natural ‘greenhouse effect’. Writing,  "The temperature [of the Earth] can be augmented by the interposition of the atmosphere, because heat in the state of light finds less resistance in penetrating the air, than in re-passing into the air when converted into non-luminous heat." Furthermore, around 4 decades after, an Irish physicist by the name of John Tyndall theorised and explained how certain gases create the same effect as well. As quoted "This aqueous vapour is a blanket more necessary to the vegetable life of England than clothing is to man."

Within the following years and decades after such research, additional information and proof that ‘Global Warming’ has been happening. After 5 decades of thorough research that involves the involvement of humans to such effect, in the year of 2013 an assessment report states of scientists having 95% certainty that humans are the major cause of global warming since the 1950s. 

Still, with all the abundance of evidence that shows this, there are still many that persist against this. Though the numbers alone are not something that is worrisome but their power over the society is what puts the world in danger. Beliefs are acceptable as long as they do not affect civilisation negatively. Especially those who hold power in society, politicians. 

Often such individuals are addressed as having a high knowledge within many topics that involves the safety of the nation. Yet still, it cannot be said that there aren’t those who are vacuous. Politicians-who leads our government- with some being fully eccentric without a sense of common. Rationally, with all the evidence that points into the authenticity of Global Warming, we believe that it is so. We don’t even have to believe it as it is a fact, not something that is trivial. Natheless, many have the audacity to state that it is entirely false, as quoted "The greatest hoax I think that has been around for many, many years if not hundreds of years has been this hoax on the environment and global warming"” - Ron Paul (Former U.S representative, presidential candidate on 1988, 2008 and 2012.)

This is in fact fictitious and faulty, let us look at why this is so. Many have pointed out that Climate Change is not real for the reasoning that it is not warm or hot on given times. With even the current president of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump said "Record low temperatures and massive amounts of snow. Where the hell is GLOBAL WARMING?". 

Though the term Global warming is truthful and is used, Climate Change is a much more common term as it covers that “problem”. The effects that Global warming or Climate change has on our planet is not a singular effect. It is not something that when given action will have an opposite reaction. It is much more and numerously further complex than that.

The rise of temperature does not only affect the temperature itself but also other factors that build onto it. The knock-back effects. It is important that before we discuss the difference between weather and climate. Most often this is what confuses many about this global problem. Climate is the average weather pattern that occurs through the weeks, months and years. Within such weather, which are the climate regions, it is the day to day temperature, precipitation, air pressure, and so on, the daily variations.

When mentioning Global Warming it is not only the immediate variation that we should take note of but as well as how on average patterns throughout the weeks and months.

In regards to the cooling that Donald J. Trump has mentioned. North America in which he had resided may have experienced the coldness of the Arctic air; the rest of the world did not, but instead experienced abnormally hot weather. What needs to be mentioned as well that cold air produced by the Arctic does not mean that it is not warming. But instead, the abnormal cool is caused by the ever unstabling of the polar vortex that brings such air.

Not only does it cause abnormal high and low temperatures, it also affects the intensity of natural disasters like storms, heatwaves and droughts. Typhoons and hurricanes have also started to move slower,  vigorous and take more time to die down.

Within our knowledge and acquired data a study has shown that in a span of 39 years, we have found evidence that proves this. It has been entirely validated that in all of the 39 years of research significant changes by means of higher temperatures have been recorded. And in those years it included 8 out of the 10 most warmest ever recorded.

"... The science is not settled, and the science is actually going the other way." -Joe Barton (Former U.S houses). When talking about such science let us view statements that have been stated by renowned great scientists of our era. “We are close to the tipping point where global warming becomes irreversible” - Stephen Hawking. By this simple cautionary statement, we can suggest that not only the great scientist Stephen Hawking not only believes in Climate change but also its effects. Another such individual is the world-renowned scientist Neil De Grass Tyson. Which he also regarded that it is not the planet that we are to save, it is life. As pointed out, he states that Earth has survived billions of years in which conditions were much harsher. Surviving more in the future does not pose much of a problem. However, what is to be said by this is that life may not survive this, at least the majority, the ever-rising temperatures could be the downfall of the living things. Though, over thousands and millions of years after, it surely will be able to form a new environment. Time will pass on and nothing but a trace will be left.

Further evidence may be needed [to believe that scientist agrees on this idea] to “prove” the point. Hence it shall be given so, on a study conducted, 97% of publishing scientists have agreed that human’s extreme activities have been very highly likely to be the main cause of it.  Sceptics might wonder “What the 3%? doesn’t that prove something?”. 

Let us think of this in another light, if say there was a murder that occurred and 100 people have witnessed. 97 of the witnesses state that the killer was so and so; but the other 3 disagrees, which would you believe more? In the judiciary system, this would prove significant evidence in an innocence of a person. Additionally, many graphs and studies by groups from several different countries have come up with very similar findings. Proving the effects that humans had and the effects that Climate change will have.

Many solutions come with this global issue. From the types of sources of energy that we take from such as changing nuclear power, wind, solar, etc. The reduction of pollution, from recycling, reducing and reusing. From environmental, social and economical sustainability and the many undertakings that we can do to fix Climate Change. Nonetheless, what I believe are the main solutions into this critical problem is mindset and unity. The states of the matter has been affirmed, accepting the fact that the change is indeed verified is the movement that we need to advance. More so, the bigger authority coming to a truthful and accurate decision is essential for this matter. As has been discussed there are many with the power of government who had believed in a false statement in regards to global warming. Going as far as to even disprove very highly of this important matter. The actions that they take to do so influence others therefore increasing the amount of inaccurate and fictitious depictions.

After this has been done so, only then can we truly unite. Having the formation of unity makes the foundation for a major and lasting change that will benefit humans but also life on Earth as well.

Life as we know it may not survive further effects of the ever-increasing temperatures; the paramount changes in weather that affects the environment and those that reside within. Believing in your own beliefs and values is important and acting upon those is even more so. In spite of that limits should be implemented. Knowing the restrictions and limitations should be realised personally. Boundaries should be executed. Acknowledging that personal opinions and the right morality may always match. Having knowledge of what can hurt society and well being of people and other living beings is fundamental in keeping a just and right union. We are to critically think, and understand what is truthful and not. Myths are what some may call it, yet still if this continues life might just become a legend.

References: 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/sep/18/perhaps-we-need-to-explain-climate-change-to-politicians-as-we-would-to-very-small-children

https://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/08/politics/trump-global-warming/index.html

https://skepticalscience.com/skepticquotes.php/debunking-climate-myths-from-politicians.html

https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/\

https://www.wwf.org.uk/updates/10-myths-about-climate-change

https://www.thedenizen.co.nz/culture/the-climate-change-debate/

https://climatechange.procon.org/

https://issues.org/macdonald/

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/sep/18/perhaps-we-need-to-explain-climate-change-to-politicians-as-we-would-to-very-small-children

https://www.livescience.com/climate-change-hurricanes-stronger.html

https://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/global-warming-and-hurricanes/

https://carbonliteracy.com/stephen-hawkings-outlook-on-climate-change/