MURAT MERT SOLAKOGLU (901-733-561)

CLASS: FYS 100-501

INSTRUCTOR: HAROLD BLANCO

DATE: JUNE 19, 2014

TOPIC: SUMMARY REGARDING CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change is one of the most important matters that needs to be solved to save the world

from life danger outcomes. Since decades global warming has become an issue. Can this threat be

solved in order to save the billions of lives? How the United Nations and governments around the

world react to this matter and what they have been doing in order to help to solve this situation.

Due to latest scientific researches show that increasing global weather temperatures are blazing

unusual events such as hurricanes, droughts, wildfires and floods. However it is believed that

reducing heat-trapping green house gases would hinter the economical development at both

developed and developing countries. But in December 2012, almost two hundred countries agreed

to negotiate new climate change treat that planning to be completed in 2015 which will require

every country to reduce their emissions. That is a great step forward to conclude this issue globally

and reducing the increasing warming. Despite that some climate experts state the world has

missed its opportunity to do so, it is believed that failing to level emissions will lead to dense

warming. Scientists agree that climate is changing rapidly, due to weather related disasters in the

last couple of years. GHG’s are increasing the world’s temperature and as it is mentioned above

that leads to extraordinary events such as wildfires and droughts. Since the beginning of the last

decade of twentieth century, globalized countries have been discussing with each other in order to

decrease their emissions. Most of them reached an agreement with the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.

During the financial crisis between 2008 and 2012, developed countries did not reduce their

emissions at the planned timetable which was agreed on at Kyoto Protocol.

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Because of that those nations have been working on a treaty that which will set to complete in

2015. This will add the developing countries to the mix as well, however in developing countries

point of view to solve the climate change is totally different. In Turkey, current government has

been warning the citizens since the last financial crises which began in 2008 by posting billboards

or ads on TV. Those warnings are such as; reduce washing the dishes with hand, instead use the

dishing machine to save the waters at dams and etc. Because the water percentage there is

decreasing and not at the desired percentage. Turkey used to experience the all four seasons but

since the early parts of this century, it started to change. However, despite those warnings current

government has done most the damage in there by destroying more than half of the trees and parks

in order to build malls, residences and etc. This is a great example of how the perspective of how

to slow the runaway climate change differs between in developed and developing countries.

Scientific researches point that temperatures are rapidly increasing in the world. In 2012, United

States has seen the hottest weather ever in its history. Temperatures reached as high as 102 degrees

Fahrenheit eight times in 2013. Environmental experts states that; ‘’the world already has missed

an opportunity to keep CO2 emissions below that level, and that much more intense warming

likely will occur, with catastrophic repercussions. British scientist Sir Robert Watson, former

chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) — a global organization of

climate scientists that advises national governments — predicted earlier this year that the world

will warm 3-5 degrees Celsius (5-9 degrees Fahrenheit). Warming by 5 degrees C would mean

severe crop losses in most regions, which could double global grain prices.’’

Environmental lawyers put great faith on US President Obama would take action on slowing

down the issue of runaway climate change but he was unsuccessful to meet with the expectations

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in his first term at presidency. But in his second term in January 2013, President Obama

surprised the many by taking a strong action on this matter. He stated: ‘’would betray our

children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but

none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires and crippling drought, and more powerful

storms.’’ Nature lawyers want Obama to deny the permit for Keystone XL pipeline which will

enable oil transportations from Alberta, Canada to US. Gulf Coast. Many experts believed that

Obama’s decision on this pipeline will reveal how serious and willing Obama is on reducing the

climate change.

As it is mentioned earlier, in December 2012, 194 nations agreed to begin discussing a new treaty

that which include not only the developed states but the developing ones as well. This treaty is

planned to be concluded in 2015 and set to take an affect in 2020. The previous agreement which

was Kyoto Protocol never actually solved this ongoing issue. This negotiations can be tough,

because GHG’s emissions are rising rapidly in the fast-growing economies such as Brazil, Russia,

China and India. But developing countries are resisting to do otherwise because they believe that

reducing this GHG’s emissions will greatly hinder their rapidly growing economies. But China is

trying to address the issue by slowing down the sharply increasing economy’s emission until 2020.

On the other hand other developing countries in Africa and Caribbean seek help from rich and

developed countries to adapt to the worldwide effects of climate change. On April 3, 2013 UN

Secretary-General addressed the issue by stating: ‘’We are approaching environmental tipping

points,” he said on April 3. “Runaway climate change is a real risk — and a threat to the global

environment, to sustainable development and to the security of nations and economies.’’

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Failing to slow this runaway climate change issue will lead to great danger in human lives,

all nature in future.

Citing:

Climate change. (2013, June 15). CQ Researcher. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/

Braasch, G. (2013). Climate change: Is seeing believing?. Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists, 69(6), 33-41. doi:10.1177/0096340213508628

Imbers, J., Lopez, A., Huntingford, C., & Allen, M. (2014). Sensitivity of Climate Change Detection and Attribution to the Characterization of Internal Climate Variability. Journal Of Climate, 27(10), 3477-3491. doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-12-00622.1

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