English Open Hood Essay Draft
Zamil Ahmed
ENG 2150 – Hoodology
Professor Singleton
Humankind is a resilient species. Looking at our history there isn’t much that we haven’t accomplished. We’ve completely dominated the entire earth for the time span we’ve inhabited. Despite our prosperity as a species there are upcoming problems that we must face. One of these problems is climate change or global warming. This is an issue that is steadily increasing in pace however world leaders continue to ignore it as a serious issue. Studies to prove the effects of climate change are extensive. Governments would rather disperse their funds towards other aspects of their country rather than focus on an issue that affects the whole world and threatens the entirety of humanity. There are a series of key events occurring around the world that indicate to us that the time for action is now. The more we wait, the more our world dissipates. It will take time for everyone to take on the same campaign and mindset but is definitely possible. The world can unite when faced with a great adversity. Summing it up, global warming is a serious issue that is currently taxing the world we inhabit and we must take action now despite the naysayers who believe it to be a hoax or myth.
The definition of climate change according to Google is “: a change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels.” Climate change affects many aspects of our infrastructure that we are not aware of. The stability of our environment isn’t the only facet effected. Our economy takes a lot of hits as well from climate that is not regulated. Asset destruction, forced relocations, droughts, extinctions, and many more factors all add to global economic costs. Natural Resources Defense Council estimates that the U.S. Climate Disruption Budget, stuff related to drought, storm, and growing climate disruptions, was nearly $100 billion. And that’s just the start. By 2030, climate change costs are projected to cost the global economy $700 billion annually, according to the Climate Vulnerability Monitor. 50 billion tons of methane released from melting Arctic ice will advance global warming by 15-35 years and in turn cost the global economy$60 trillion. Putting a halt to all the damage will come at a very expensive cost. Paving a new path towards sustainable energy can cost $53 trillion. (International Energy Agency’s World Energy Investment Outlook). These numbers are tremendous and will only increase if these issues are ignored. Political figures now have an initiative for wanting to tackle climate change. The investment will save funds further down the line. It is best to view things in the long run so we can establish a better future for the generations to come.
The lack of resources is something that can be critical to the existence of human life. Ever since humans have walked this earth we have been using resources nonstop without thinking twice about the consequences. This has brought us very far throughout our history and we at advancing at the fastest pace ever seen with no signs of slowing down. Technological, medical, and other advancements have made life as we know it very convenient. Yet with climate change on the horizon, a very large portion of the human population will suffer from scarcity of crucial resources needed to survive. One of these is water. Water is a essential element for any living beings. It’s importance is arguably ranked as one of the most important factors for sustaining life. In 2013, about 1.3 billion people lived in water scarce regions, according to one study. 8% of the population will enter a state of “new or aggravated water scarcity,” solely due to climate change with a temperature increase of 3.6 degrees F by 2100. Depleted water resources due to heat and drought will account for more than $10 billion in direct losses to agriculture alone. These numbers are too big to ignore. The lack of water will place the world in a cycle of disarray and cause a great threat towards human life. Without water life as we know it will spiral towards chaos.
Similar to water, shelter is something all living creatures need in order to live their life. The comfort of our homes is one of the greatest feelings and many of us have never conceived ever losing something so convenient. In our world today, homelessness is common even in major cities. In countries that are less developed, the amount of people who lack a home is drastically greater. Those people who are fortunate often take for granted how satisfying it is to arrive back to the warmth of your home from a long day. In 2008, 36 million people were displaced by natural disasters. At least 20 million of those people were driven from their homes by disasters related to climate change like drought and rising sea level. Even more alarming, a 2014 study published in Environmental Research Letters predicted that sea level rise created by a temperature increase of 3 degrees C would force more than 600 million people to find new homes. The Internal Organization for Migration estimates that 200 million people by 2050 could be forced to leave due to environmental changes. We see numbers so often that we get desensitized towards large numbers. These numbers are so substantial that the human brain can’t possibly grasp the thought of so many people sufficiently. We can’t seem to wrap our heads around it or envision something of such a large scale. We can only read the number and interpret it to the best of our abilities. The truth is we will never be able to. However we can definitely relate to one person. We ourselves know the importance of life through our own. We see how complex it is, how many different qualities of life there are to experience and feel. All these millions of lives are just like ours and just as important. That is why we should place a great deal of emphasis on taking action immediately to save as many lives as possible because we can empathize with these people as human beings.