The Global Effect of Climate Change & Cultural Diversity

The Global Effect of Climate Change & Cultural Diversity Walter Jones Excelsior College April 1, 2019 Abstract Global climate change and conflicts arising from cultural differences are the main issues affecting humanity today. Global climate change has become a global concern today. Climate change has prompted many individuals, institutions, organizations and governments to come together to find sustainable measures to stop and reverse this global trend that threatens the survival of our species and the planet at large. Climate change should be an issue of concern to everyone because it affects nearly every aspect of our lives. Some of these impacts can be direct or indirect; direct impacts are like stronger heat waves and stronger storms while indirect effects such as food insecurity. There is a need for intervention measures to be taken to address the foreseeable effects of climate change though there are uncertainties of how things might turn out. The primary aspect that seems to have escalated the climate change is ballooning human population and our advancement of our civilization. This paper highlights the issues that are rooted in human population and our overexploitation of the environment. Activities like deforestation, industrialization, emission of greenhouse gases that cause depletion of the ozone layer cause global warming and are all directly attributable to human activities. This paper will focus on the causes and impacts of climate change as well as why there is a need to address these changes within the shortest time possible. This goal is anchored in bringing in the people together from all cultures and fight the issue from a unified front. Keywords: Climate change, Global Warming, Human Activities, Greenhouse Gases. CO2 Emissions, crop production, Sea Levels Introduction Global climate change has a lot of adverse effects on the economy like crop production which if it dwindles, there is inflation in the food sectors which ripples through the economy. Climate change has also been causing other threats such as rising sea levels. The emission of CO2 and other greenhouse gases has been causing depletion of the ozone layer. Depleted ozone layer causes the planet to be warmer as less sun rays are deflected to the space. Global warming has led to an increase in the average temperatures and the precipitation on most parts of the planet. Additionally, global warming has had an immediate impact on agriculture where most farmers especially who use traditional farming methods are recording less produce that ever before. Acid rain caused by CO2 in the atmosphere is also affecting plant life, infrastructure and buildings etc. Today, these factors have undermined the capability of the biosphere to produce enough food for the humans and animals. One of the sectors heavily affected by climate change is Agriculture. Ironically, it is also one of the main contributors of environmental degradation and adverse climate change. Some agricultural activities release greenhouse gases like nitrous oxide, methane, and carbon dioxide. Some other agricultural activities lead to desertification and deforestations. The impacts of agriculture in climate is recounted to all the variabilities of the local environment instead of the global climate pattern. If some of these sectors such as agriculture are not well aligned with sustainable production methods, then the world will continue facing harsher climatic effects. The average temperatures of the earth have intensified from 1880, and there is evidence that temperatures are continuing to warm due to the increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This calls for action across nearly all industries to stop and reverse climate change before it is too late. The adverse effects of climate change are already here with us. According to (Daniel, 2011), continued emission of greenhouse gases has globally increased the planets normal temperatures and it is now melting ice caps which have been there for millions of years. As a result, there is a change on the sea levels, and this poses much danger on people living along the low-lying coastal regions. People are also exposed to other natural hazards like floods for example flash floods, river floods and urban floods, massive storms, drainage congestions, river bank erosions, etc. Some of these effects of climate change have hindered crop production. Extreme changes in climate hurt soil fertility and have also increased soil erosion. Unsustainable agricultural practices have also compounded the issue of food security. The use of organic components on crops to maintain productivity has adverse effects on the soil and hence its productivity. Methods This subject is explored by use of secondary sources. Most of the sources which have been used in this subject have been authored by researchers who have conducted primary research into individual aspects of climate change and published the results. Some of the sources that supported the subject matter on these papers were reports in different published journals and articles and reports on the global effects of climate change. This paper is a review paper, and there are no specific primary research methods that were used in preparing the document. The materials used were sourced the internet, BRRI & BSMRAU libraries and they were mainly journals, books, websites from reputable organizations and periodicals on climate change. Results According to the research, several papers have illustrated how climate change has increased over the past few years especially since 1991 to 2010 (Chakrabarty, Roy, & Chand, 2012). There has been a rapid increase in the number of publications on climate change since 1991 which show that the scientific community has been actively studying the phenomenon. The reports also recommend further research on some specific issues of interest to understand how best the issue can be addressed. Other publications focus on specific effects of climatic change and show some connections such as increase in skin cancers in areas and cities with high pollution rates such as Beijing. Generally, the publications seem to agree on one premise; climate change and global warming has intensified over the past few years. Other publications have gravitated to how climatic change is affecting and will continue to affect global food security. Global climate change has a lot of effects on agriculture due to changes in rainfall, temperatures, climate and this has become an overbearing field of investigation with the research of climate change. This issue is affecting food production, and this has increased the chances of food insecurity. This graph, based on the comparison of atmospheric samples contained in ice cores and more recent direct measurements, provides evidence that atmospheric CO2 has increased since the Industrial Revolution. These papers have also attributed some health risks to climate change such as skin cancers and cholera outbreaks in areas affected by stronger cyclones and do not have the capacity to adequately mitigate the effects of floods. Unpredictable weather patterns and have affected agriculture and it has been linked to cases of malnutrition as a result of food scarcity and nutrition scarcity in some parts of the world. Alternatively, some of the economies like Midwest and mid-Atlantic are likely to suffer from a decrease in the gross domestic product as a result of greenhouse gas emissions impacting on-field production (O’Leary, Van Slyke, & Kim, 2010). There are also time lags in the climate system whereby it takes more extended periods for some aspects of the climatic system to the response due to the changes in the concentration of the atmospheric greenhouse gases. There is a high dependency on fossil fuels despite the global agreements for example Australia. Global warming in Australia is caused by human activities like farming and burning of fossils. Australia has the highest per capita global warming emissions rate because it is the largest exporter of coal in the world. When fossils like coal and gas are burned to generate electricity, Carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere and this cause pollution. Additionally, some articles illustrated that in some countries like Australia, generation of electricity is the primary cause of carbon pollution because 73% of it is produced as a result of burning fossil fuels and 13% from the energy harvested in burning natural gas while the rest of 14% comes from renewable energy sources which do not produce carbon dioxide (Chakrabarty, Roy, & Chand, 2012). Farming also causes global warming; In Australia, agricultural produces 14% of the greenhouse gases that are released to the atmosphere. Some of these activities have adverse effects on the environment as well as the people living in those areas (Daniel, 2011) Discussion Climate change can lead to environmental degradation and sustainable utility of the earth’s resources. In some ecosystems, climate change has caused nearly irreversible changes. Sustainable energy production and consumption and environmental protection have emerged as one of the main issues on the global agenda. This is because these sectors pose a potential risk in the long-term economic development and especially the sustainability of the planet (Rodrik, 2011). The world is still highly dependent on fossil fuels despite global agreements to wean ourselves out of the same. It has also been affected by other issues such as poverty as many poor communities rely on unsustainable energy sources such as firewood for survival. The fight against global poverty has become a fight for global sustainability of available resources and the same poverty can inadvertently cause climate disruptions (Riccucci, 2010). Concisely, climate change is affecting and will continue to affect many aspects of our lives. It is likely that in the near future the planet will lose its regenerative abilities and then climate change will be irreversible. At that time, the effects we are currently reeling with about climatic change will be more pronounced. It is the best time to address this issue and find sustainable ways of exploiting our planet. It is also important that humanity comes together to address this issue for ourselves, future generation and other species. Conclusion It is undeniable that the combustion of fossil fuel like coal and natural gases has resulted in global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer in the Earth's stratosphere. Our population growth and our overexploitation of the environment is the reason for the emission of increased greenhouse gases emissions. Our exploitation of the environment has also led to more unsustainable practices such as deforestation, soil erosion, and over-cultivation. Global warming has significant effects on our survival and that of other species and the planets ability to heal itself. Unless global institutions take immediate actions to reduce the impact of global warming, some of these effects will continue to intensify, and grow costly. Since human population growth is the key reason for overexploitation of the environment, controlling human populations can assist in reducing global warming. Human population numbers can be controlled through ethical processes such as use of contraceptives. The world community needs to come together and solve the issues associated with climate change to protect and restore stability to our civilization. This can be achieved through education and a strong commitment from our global administrator partners. The public should be made aware, and the government needs to enact policies that protect the environment. Transition To completely eradicate climate change, all the people must fight the issue from a unified front because it affects all communities irrespective of its geographical location. The world ought to encourage cultural diffusion to share common values, norms and goals that can unify humanity to address all the issues that affect the sustainability of our species, other species and the planet at large. Our success as a species will be largely dependent on our unity. Wasting resources on developing weapons of mass destruction and causing animosity between nations, communities or countries will continue to stifle efforts to realize a better world for the future generations. If those resources are directed towards solving the problems that have plagued humans and the planet such as global warming or diseases such as cancer, the world would surely be a better place. The next section of this essay covers culture and diversity and how it is instrumental for humans to embrace cultural diversity and standardize the progressive norms and values that are in the best interest of global development, environmental sustainability and peace. Consequently, the section would cover the ethical implications relative to cultural issues and proposes a solution of the same. DIVERSITY AND ETHICS Abstract The success of any organization is significant; that’s why people must learn to value the diversity of other people especially those from different cultures. Cultural diversity can be defined as the quality of diverse cultures. The term can be used to refer to various cultures while respecting everyone else’s differences. Cultural diversity can also be used to mean different cultures and societies in one region. However, today’s globalization has brought a lot of adverse effects on the cultural diversity of the world. One of the primary goals of any organization should be creating an inclusive environment where the differences of the employees are valued and respected. Having an understanding of cultural diversity and ethics ensures that there are better working and living conditions and better relations among the people especially in their workplaces. Miscommunications as a result of cultural differences are also avoided. McEwan, (2015) states that human minds will always gravitate towards similar minds and not work as they would like others not to think of them. People need to branch out and work with other people from distinct backgrounds with different working styles and thinking styles. For example, various organizations should also learn to create equal employment opportunities among applicants and other employees regardless of their sex, race, nationality, color, medical condition and origin. Often applicants face discrimination during employment, and this has been one of the defeatist mindsets in different communities and cultures in the world today. Borrowing from the above statement, this essay thus seeks to focus on diversity in the workplace, how discrimination often creeps up in the workplaces, as well as the ethical impact of discrimination in the workplace. Keywords: ethnocentrism and out-group bias, diversity and ethics, cultural differences, cultural diversity, American, United States, Dominant group, theories, cultural perspectives. Introduction One of the most critical challenges facing today’s organizations is global and cultural diversity. Diversity in an organization means that the management is more heterogeneous in terms of gender, ethnic groups, nationality, and age. One of the universal policies that is used by organizations to shun homogeneity is showing their commitment by increasing their efforts to enhance gender equality within the staff members and also hiring people from other ethnic groups. For instance, the recruitment policy of an organizat...