DOÑA REMEDIOS TRINIDAD ROMUALDEZ MEDICAL FOUNDATION

COLLEGE OF BIOMEDICAL STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE
Calanipawan Road, Tacloban City
Leyte, Philippines, 6500

CLIMATE CHANGE AND

GLOBAL WARMING
A Comprehensive Paper Submitted

MS. BEVERLY JANE A. VALIDA

INSTRUCTOR

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in

Science, Technology and Society

Second Semester

S.Y. 2018-2019

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Submitted by:

Angelo Jude C. Cobacha

Danica Zsairra Lozada

Alyssa Jane Tarayao

Kate Jezzel Mella

Joyce Dollete

Dale Kyle Sy
 In 2010 and 2011, multiple disastrous events have brought havoc around the world.
Massive floods in Pakistan, Australia and China; excruciating heat waves and forest fires in Russia
and in the USA; drought in the Amazon, and record-breaking temperatures around the world
illustrated that the climate is already dangerous. And many of these record-breaking events were
accompanied by vast human tragedies (Dow and Downing, 2011).

According to Dow and Downing (2011), the current climate change is greatly affecting all
continents and oceans around the globe. Changes in the physical environment as well as the
biological systems are rapidly being surfaced in our time. Dow and Downing (2011) stated that
the extreme weather event or change in our external environment does not prove that humans
are changing the climate. They claimed that the physical evidences that climate change is
happening is due to the greenhouse gasses by human activities.

Even though some people are uncertain and not convinced about the presence of climate
change, there are extensive evidences from many independent sources suggesting that the earth
is getting warmer. Temperatures over land and ocean are rising. Temperature records are being
exceeded in many regions of the world; extreme events are becoming more frequent. Some of
the inter-annual climate variations, which are sometimes attributed to climate change, are
undoubtedly due to events such as El Nino. However, it has recently been hypothesized that the
frequency of El Nino events, which has almost doubled since 1980, might be due to the increase
in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (Lee and McPhaden, 2010).

The temperature of the Earth depends on the energy budget at the Earth's surface. The
main source of energy is the incoming short wave radiation from the sun. Approximately 30% of
this radiation is reflected back into space by clouds and the Earth's surface (Janzen, et al. 2008).
Part of the long wave radiation emitted by the Earth is absorbed by heat trapping gases in the
Earth’s atmosphere such as water vapour (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous
oxide (N2O), ozone (O3) and re-emitted in all directions, including back towards the Earth's
surface. It is interesting to note that without these greenhouse gases the temperature at the
earth surface would be about 33 degrees Celsius cooler (Delsole, T., Yan, X., & Dirmeyer, P.,
2013).

Industrialized nations are responsible for most of the past emissions, and remain the
major sources today. Focusing on energy needs for economic development, rather than for
sustainability, industrialized countries invested heavily in carbon-intensive technologies, such as
coal-fired power plants, massive road systems, and electrical grids. Globalization has made
extensive transportation of goods and services the norm, and access to foreign markets crucial
for economic growth (Dow and Downing, 2011).

However, by 2005 China had passed the USA as the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse
gases. And the top seven emitters – China, USA, the European Union, Brazil, Indonesia, Russia,
and India – account for nearly 60 percent of emissions. Of course, industrialized countries still
head the league tables on a per capita basis (Dow and Downing, 2011).

Due to the overwhelming modernity, most greenhouse gases have been, and continue to
be, emitted to meet the needs of modern industrial societies. Once in the atmosphere, most
greenhouse gases remain for dozens of years. Carbon dioxide, the major contributor, remains for
about 100 years.

Over half of all current greenhouse gas emissions are from the energy used in heating
and lighting, transportation and manufacturing. Countries with a long history of industrialization
have contributed the majority of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These, and emissions
made from this point forward, will influence the future of the climate for many years to come.

In the future, countries currently undergoing industrialization will account for a higher
percentage of annual greenhouse gas emissions than previously but it will be many years before
their accumulated emissions match those of today’s most industrialized nations. This difference
in past and future contributions to the overall levels of greenhouse gases raises important equity
issues that are at the heart of international negotiations over how best to mitigate and adapt to
climate change (Dow and Downing, 2011).

Just this May, 2019, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere has
climbed to a level last seen more than 3 million years ago. On May 11, sensors at the Mauna Loa
Observatory in Hawaii indicated that concentrations of the greenhouse gas — a byproduct of the
burning of fossil fuels — had reached 415 parts per million (ppm), meaning that for every 1 million
molecules of gas in the atmosphere, 415 were of carbon dioxide (Chow, 2019).

Carbon dioxide traps heat from the sun, and higher levels are associated with higher global
temperatures and other effects of climate change, such as rising seas and unusual weather
patterns. In an article of Reis Thebault (2019), Bill Nye stated that by the end of this century, if
emissions keep rising, the average temperature on Earth could go up another four to eight
degrees

The challenge for all countries is to satisfy the rapidly increasing demand for energy and
food without negatively affecting the Earth's climatic system. In 2002, the World Summit on
Sustainable Development sent a call to all countries to make progress in the formulation and
elaboration of national strategies for sustainable development and also to begin their
implementation by 2005 Desjardins (2010).

Impacts of climate change are now reported all over the world. The Intergovernmental
Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) reports that during the past 100 years the world surface
temperature increased by about 0.6 (Climate Change, 2007). The National Oceanic Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) recently reported that the 2000-2009 decade was the warmest on record
and about 0.5 above the 20th century average. The adverse impacts of climate change have been
felt in many regions around the world in 2010.

The international community has begun to mobilize resources to obtain an international

agreement on greenhouse gas emission reduction. These efforts have resulted in the formation
of the IPCC and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), and
many other programs. It is important for all national governments to appreciate the role of each
of these programs in responding to climate change.

National strategies for sustainable development are being implemented by many countries
as well as programs to monitor and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Winning the battle to
slow down and cope with climate change will be a long term challenge which will likely require
substantial changes in the behavioral patterns of society. Increasing demand for energy, as
populations expand and standards of living rise, poses a significant challenge to the successful
implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement (Salawitch et al, 2017).

Wealth, however, will not provide shelter from all impacts. In recent years, residents of
rich and poor countries alike have been displaced by catastrophic flooding. Wildfires have taken
homes in wealthy as well as poorer neighborhoods. Even those spared from disasters are likely
to feel the pressure through the global connectedness of markets (Dow and Downing, 2011).

The challenges of responding to climate change are unprecedented, but not

insurmountable. Key technologies, finance, institutions, and leadership are coming forward and
provide greater hope for more effective solutions than in the past. Equally, there is much to be
done, and delay will result in higher future costs.

According to Dow and Downing (2011), there are two goals in terms of avoiding
dangerous levels of climate change: to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and to ameliorate the
impacts of changes in climatic resources and disasters. These goals – mitigation and adaptation
– are not substitutes. Both are urgent, and both are required in order to provide an effective
response to climate change.

Technical options for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions are available, and many more
are under development. Economic growth is not inevitably tied to increases in emissions. The
greater diversity of renewable energy technologies in more recent years opens more opportunities
for low-carbon development. For developing countries, investing early in a less carbon-dependent
infrastructure offers the potential for long-term savings, and for immediate benefits from reduced
air pollution and less dependency on energy imports.

The world’s deep dependency on oil is manifest in the increasing prices and extreme
efforts to obtain it. A range of new technologies are extracting oil, whether with greater risks
from deep-sea drilling or significant environmental costs from hydraulic fracturing of oil shale.
Decades of investment in road transportation and private vehicles has created a path of
dependence that will be expensive to alter. Stabilizing climate change will require strong policies
to set limits to emissions and promote vastly increased investments in low carbon technology.
Not all technological adjustments will be easy (Aizebeokhai, 2009).

The impacts of variations in our climate have serious consequences for people’s lives and
livelihoods. As climate change becomes more marked, the need for adaptation will be ever
greater, and more difficult (Delsole et al, 2013). The most vulnerable people are those beset by
poverty who rely on agriculture, water, and natural resources for their livelihoods. Community
Based Adaptation supports sound development while simultaneously reducing the impact of
climate change. For instance, given sufficient warning of a coming dry season, farmers have the
opportunity to plant drought-resistant crops (Dow and Downing, 2011).

As individuals and institutions grapple with the challenge of adapting to climate change,
they need the capacity to develop effective strategies and actions. Plans are being implemented
at all levels, from local, to national and regional, and the wide range of people and institutions
involved require targeted support.

Global networks on adaptation are expanding and building capacity, taking many forms.
The United Nations leads several efforts, related to the Nairobi Work Programme on Impacts,
Vulnerability and Adaptation, organized by the secretariat to the UN Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC). The UN Development Programme and UN Environment Programme
cooperate in developing countries through the Global Adaptation Network, Adaptation Learning
Mechanism, and in-country projects. The Global Environment Facility at the World Bank has
established a Pilot Programme on Climate Resilience to scale up adaptation efforts. Many
development agencies have global and regional networks to support research, build capacity, and
coordinate lessons learned. For example, the Global Initiative on Community Based Adaptation
brings together NGOs to share experience and inform policy relating to development, poverty
reduction, and equity issues.

In the past few years, an international consensus has been achieved to limit climate
change to 2°C, as signaled in the Copenhagen Accord. However, some believe 2°C still exposes
the world to major impacts and unacceptable risk and are pushing for a global target of no more
than 1.5°C. In contrast, voluntary commitments as of mid-2011 would result in global warming
in the range of 2.5°C to 4°C. The gap is worrying. While the Kyoto Protocol failed to deliver a
lasting solution, there has been considerable progress in building the infrastructure for responding
to climate change: the administrative procedures for financing action, monitoring outcomes,
reporting progress, and governing carbon markets. These elements and processes are necessary
to support cooperation. Awareness of the need for action continues to build.

Most nations have signed international agreements, but they are also faced with forging
agreements at home. Meeting reduction targets requires the involvement of local government,
small businesses, corporations, and civil organizations; even religious organizations are taking a
strong stand to reduce emissions. In many countries, municipalities and companies have
organized to reduce emissions and are challenging their national leaders (Dow and Downing,
2011).

Nobody can predict with precision how the global climate will evolve in the future and how
it will affect humans. However, it is very likely to give rise to more losers than winners. Because
of the potentially serious consequences of climate change, this uncertainty should be enough to
justify action. As difficult as this challenge is, such action would be easier to implement now than
after the global population has increased by another two billion people.

The main reason that very little has been done to minimize climate change is that the
general public and politicians are not convinced that climate change needs to be taken seriously.
In the public sphere, people act as if all problems can and will be solved by technology. However,
this problem is very likely to be much more difficult to solve than previous problems that society
has faced. For this reason, it is important to assess and monitor the carbon footprint associated
with each sector and commodity so that the best opportunities for mitigating GHG emissions can
be identified.

No matter what actions are taken we will definitely need to adapt to greater climate
variability and most importantly we must all learn to live with less so that others can continue
living.
References:

BOOKS

Dow, K., & Downing, T. (2011). The Atlas of Climate Change: Mapping the World’s Greatest
Challenge (3rd ed.) University of California Press.
Salawitch, R. J., et al. (2017). Paris Climate Agreement: Beacon of Hope. Springer Open.

JOURNALS

Desjardins, R.L. (2013). Climate Change—A Long-term Global Environmental Challenge. Procedia
- Social and Behavioral Sciences 77, 247-252.
Aizebeokhai, A.P. (2009). Global warming and climate change: Realities, uncertainties and
measures. International Journal of Physical Sciences 4(13), 868-879
Delsole, T., Yan, X., & Dirmeyer, P. (2013). Changes in Seasonal Predictability due to Global
Warming. Journal of Climate 27, 300-311.
RESEARCH ARTICLES

Chow, D. (2019, May 14). Carbon dioxide hits a level not seen for 3 million years. Here's what
that means for climate change — and humanity. Retrieved from Mach,
https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/carbon-dioxide-hits-level-not-seen-3-million-years-
here-ncna1005231
Climate Impacts on Human Health. (n.d.). Retrieved May 16, 2019, from United States
Environmental Protection Agency website, https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/climate-
impacts/climate-impacts-human-health_.html
Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (n.d.). Retrieved May 16, 2019, from United States
Environmental Protection Agency website, https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-
greenhouse-gas-emissions
Thebault, R. (2019, May 13). ‘You idiots’: Bill Nye’s fiery message to leaders stalling on climate
change. Retrieved from The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/scienceyou-
idiots-bill-nyes-fiery-message-leaders-stalling-climate change/
Whitacre, R. (2014, November 15). Economic Impacts of Climate Change. Retrieved from UC
Berkeley Social Science, https://matrix.berkeley.edu/research/economic-impacts-climate-
change