CLIMATE CHANGE AWARENESS: ITS NOT TOO LATE | 2016

Introduction

Among the 12 planets on the solar system, only Earth is capable

of harboring life. It supplies the human the air they breathe, the food
they eat, the shelter they live in, and all the things that mankind has
built to provide their needs. But as the population grows, technologies
advance, environmental issues arose. Pollution, global warming and
climate change are among of those. One of the most significant issue
is the climate change. What is climate? Climate change?

Climate is an occurrence of weather in a region on a period of

time. Climate reacts to whatever forces it to change. The climate is
naturally changing depending on what factors may affect it. Its legal
definition has been stated on the United Nations Framework
Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) Article 1 which states that a
change of climate, which is attributed directly or indirectly to human
activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which
is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable
time periods. Why is climate change always associated by global
warming? What is global warming?

Global warming is an increase in the temperature of the Earths

atmosphere and ocean and an overall change in the temperature
caused by the emissions of greenhouse gases. It alters the composition
in the troposphere, it is a layer in the atmosphere where climate and
weather occurs thus resulting in the change in the former. In short,
global warming causes the climate to change.

Mark Lynas, an author of Six Degrees: Our future on a hotter

planet stated that One of the greatest difficulty in climate change is
that the effects of our emission today are not actually realized in terms
of the temperature for 30 or 40 years so there is this time-lag system.
The humans are programmed to adapt to short-term threats than the

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long-term threats that the effects of the climate change is often

mistaken as a catastrophe not connected to this phenomena that is
happening around the world. The people are focus on the development
and therefore forgets the effects of it. The abuse of resources leads to
the destruction of the environment and so the humanity.
All the actions of mankind has an effect, it is the climate change.
So, this research was conducted on the hope of informing the people
on how it will affect the mankind and the whole living things that are
here on earth. The researchers like to disseminate the information on
this paper to serve as an eye-opener to the people who turns a blind-
eye about this situation. And to help those people who continues to
fight climate change.

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History of the Climate Change

Climate change has been an issue for a long time. The

occurrence of Ice age led the scientists to believe that the climate has
been changing. A study in the glaciers in 18 th century has led the
scientists to wonder what causes this change.
The people who is finding the answer to these phenomena
thought that greenhouse gases is the answer. It is on the 19 th century
that these people led to the idea that the human-induced greenhouse
gases can also alter the climate. On the Industrial Revolution, where
there is a rise on the use of fossil fuels for the industry that the
emission of greenhouse gases by man increases. In 1975, US scientist
Wallace Broecker puts the term "global warming" into the public
domain in the title of a scientific paper. According to Broecker (1975),
the effects of the expected future increase of CO2 is due to humans
burning fossil fuels, combined with a natural climate cycle, and
tweaked to match the observed temperature record at the time.
The lands has been converted to housing lands and factory sites.
The use of natural resources has been increasing up until today. These
activities results to a continuous rise of greenhouse gases. As of today,
the data has been thoroughly increasing thus it continues to alter the
composition of gases in the atmosphere resulting to a climate change.

Causes of Climate Change

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The influences that changes the Earths climate can be

categorized by natural cause and anthropogenic cause (human-
induced). Natural cause are causes that occurs naturally. Continental
drift, volcanic eruptions, Earths tilting and the ocean currents are
among the natural causes that can be a factor to these changes.

Continental drift. The continents were formed million years ago

when the landmass has begun drifting. This phenomena affect the
climate because the separation of landmass changed its physical
features, position and the position of water bodies resulting to the
shifting of the direction of the wind and ocean current.

Volcanic Eruptions. The eruption of volcanoes results to

spreading of Sulfur dioxide (SO2), water vapor, dust and ash into the
atmosphere. These volumes of gases influences the pattern of the
climate for years. Sulfur dioxide combines with water to form tiny
droplets called sulfur acid, this takes time to disappear. Sulfur acid and
other gases blocks the sun rays coming from the sun thus it results to
cooling. Then, the winds in the stratosphere carries this aerosols across
the globe from north to south. The movement of aerosols are slow
coming from that direction, this results to lower temperature.

Earths tilt. The tilting of the Earth results to different seasons.

When the season is summer, the northern hemisphere of the Earth is
tilted towards the sun and when the season is winter, the Earth is tilted
away from the Sun. The changes of the tilt cause the severity of the
seasons. The orbit of the Earth is elliptical, so the distance between the
planet and the sun varies on the course of the year. The climate is not
fixed as it also depends on the tilting of the Earth.

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Ocean current. The oceans cover about of the Earths surface.

The ocean currents moves an enormous amount of heat as the
temperature does. The oceans are surrounded by land masses so the
heat is transported through channels. The temperature of the places
where there is a high ocean current has a higher temperature and vice
versa.

The scientists has been observing the factors that affects the
climate. They observed that the change of climate that has been
happening now cannot be attributed as natural influences in the past.
Climate change has been occurring faster than ever. Land use change,
aerosols in the atmosphere and emissions of greenhouse gases are
considered to be the causes on the change in the climate.

Land use change. Due to the deforestation, the sunlight that is

reflected from the ground back into space has lessen. This landmasses
has been converted into industrial lands where greenhouse gases are
emitted.

Aerosols in the Atmosphere. Aerosols scatter and absorb the

solar and infrared radiation that comes from the sun. It also can
change the microphysical and chemical properties of clouds. The
scattering of solar radiation acts to cool the planet while absorbing it,
warms the planet directly without having the sunlight to heat the
surface. Human activities contributes to the amount of aerosols in the
atmosphere

Greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases trapped heat energy

without ventilation. It covers the heat energy coming from the sun. Its
name was based on the greenhouse itself, wherein the heat inside are
trapped. These gases are good to maintain temperature that is good

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for habitation, but as the emissions increase, it alters the condition in

the troposphere thus causing global warming in which it results to a
change in the climate. There are 5 main greenhouse gases namely
water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O),
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and fluorinated gas.

Water vapor. It is the most abundant GHG. This water vapor

creates a positive feedback in relation with the temperature. As it
exists in the atmosphere, it is in direct relation to the temperature. If
there is an increase in the temperature, there is a higher amount of
water that evaporates and becomes a vapor and vice versa. If there is
a factor that increases the temperature, more water will evaporate and
it will help to increase even further the temperature.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2). The most important GHG. This gas is

released thorough volcanic eruptions and animal respiration. It is also
released by man through deforestation and burning of fossil fuels.
Carbon dioxide takes about a century to leave the atmosphere. Despite
having a less warming potency, it is easy to be released in the
atmosphere than the other gases.

Methane (CH4). It is the second most important GHG. It can be

released naturally and by human-induced activities. It came from the
decomposition of organic matter in landfills and in agriculture. It is 200
times more potent than carbon dioxide but despite having a higher
potency, the supply of CO2 is higher than that of methane. It takes a
decade for it to leave the atmosphere

Nitrous Oxide (N2O). Having a 300 times potency than carbon

dioxide, this gas is produced by agriculture wherein the nitrogen is
added to the soil as a fertilizer, it can also be produced in the

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breakdown of nitrogen in livestock manure and urine. Nitrous oxide

comes from transportation, when the transportation fuels are burned it
emits this gas. And lastly, by the industry, it is a byproduct during the
production of nitric acid, an ingredient used in making synthetic
fertilizer.

Chlorofluorocarbon. This gas is a man-made chemical that

contains chlorine, fluorine and carbon. It has a lifespan of 60 to 110
years before it disappears from the atmosphere.

Fluorinated gases. This gases are also known as F-gases. It is

produced through industrial processes, refrigeration, and the
consuming of variety of products which include hydrofluorocarbon
(HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SFCs).

Global Greenhouse Gases Emissions

In the Preamble of the UNFCCC Parties recognize that the

largest share of historical and current global emissions of greenhouse
gases has originated in developed countries, that per capita emissions
in developing countries are still relatively low and that the share of
global emissions in developing counties will grow to meet their social
and development needs. The developed countries has been
accounted for around three-fourths of greenhouse gases emissions
since Industrialization Period around 1700s.

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In the figure, it shows that the developed countries emits around

of the greenhouse gases than the rest of the world combined.

Cumulative GHG Emission from 1990 2011 (% of World Total)

(Source: World Resource Institute)

Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Economic Sector

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Source: IPCC 2014

According to United States Environmental Protection Agency or

US EPA, Global greenhouse gas comes from various economic sector.
As of 2010, electricity and heat production has the largest emission of
greenhouse gases as it involves burning of coal, natural gas, and oil for
electricity for the daily use of every households. Also greenhouse gas
emissions comes mostly from agricultural sector wherein it involves
cultivation of crops and livestock and deforestation due to conversion
of non-agricultural land into agricultural land. In the industry sector,
greenhouse gas or GHG was emitted primarily from burning of fossil
fuels on-site at facilities for energy. This division also includes
emissions from chemical, metallurgical, and mineral transformation
processes not associated with energy consumption and emissions from
waste management activities. Burning of fossil fuel is the number one
source of greenhouse gases from the different sectors. Transportation
also contributes to greenhouse gases as it burns fossil fuels for
Global
construction of Greenhouse Gas
roads, rail, air and Emissions
marine by Gas
transportation. It also uses
petroleum-based fuel for the vehicles to work.

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Source: IPCC 2014

This data shows the emissions of greenhouse gases by gas on

the year 2010. Carbon dioxide from fossil fuels and industrial processes
has the highest number of emissions by 65% followed by methane with
16%, next is carbon dioxide by forestry and other land use is 11%,
nitrous oxide is 6% and lastly F-gases by 2%. There are no emissions of
chlorofluorocarbon as it is now banned to be used by the industry but it
still exists in the atmosphere.

Present times Condition

The impacts of climate change is a long term process until it can

be felt. But as the time goes by, these effects are now being felt across
the globe. Different calamities arose that the government and the
people has not been prepared for. Strong typhoons, melting of polar
caps, rising of sea levels, longer dry season and such.

Strong typhoons are connected to climate change because of

these typhoons receive their energy from the ocean. The warming of
ocean results to higher energy that is released through the atmosphere
therefore resulting to severe typhoons.

On 2012 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Doha,

Qatar, a Filipino delegate, Naderev Sao, cries as they share the

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impact of the climate change in the Philippines, as the country

encounter Typhoon Bopha (Pablo) which devastated thousands of
families, appealed to the developed country to do something, to stop
climate change as possible. According to Sao (2012), Philippines
never had a typhoon like Bopha (Pablo) before, which has wreaked
havoc in a part of the country that has never seen a storm like this in
half a century. He plead to all nation, as he represent the Philippines,
to open their eyes to the glaring reality that we face.

One year after Typhoon Bopha struck the Philippines, the nation
was shock as the strongest Typhoon ever recorded in history
approached, the Typhoon Haiyan. It covers almost 75% of the entire
Island of the Philippines. It is the greatest impact of climate change
that happens on the Philippines killing 6,340 people and 1,061 missing
according National Disaster Risk Reduction Council (NDRRMC).

Melting of polar ice is due to the warming climate of the Earth.

The largest ice cap in the tropic, Perus Quelccaya is melting at a rate
of 600 feet per year. If it continues to melt, the cap is expected to be
gone by 2100. The melting of polar caps and glaciers may result to the
rising of sea level.

In 2015, different nations across South East Asia are choking

from a crisis due to massive air pollution that comes from the forest
fire in Indonesia, particularly in Sumatra region, the haze. According to
Center for International Forest Research, the fires are caused by
corporations as well as small-scale farmers who use the slash-and-burn
method to clear vegetation for palm oil, pulp and paper plantations.
President Joko Widodo then instructed government agencies to revoke
the permits of any palm oil companies involved in the burning of
forests and urged the arrest of those responsible. Haze deteriorates
the air quality that caused harm and serious long-term damage

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particularly on respiratory leading to death. According to the World

Resources Institute, Indonesia now surpassed the carbon emission of
US due to this crisis.

The Amazon rainforest has been drying since 1979, the dry
season of the forest has been increasing a week every decade. If the
rainforests will continue to dry up, it may result to forest fires. Some
trees may not survive as they cant adapt to this change in the climate.
If rainforest will be lost, the emissions of greenhouse gases specifically
carbon dioxide will continue to grow as they lock up carbon emissions.

Future Impacts of Climate Change

The future impacts of climate change depends on the action of

the people today. If the current actions are being continued in the
future with no signs of stopping, the situation will be more severe and
will have no means of being prevented. The emissions of greenhouse
gases are going higher than before.

Based on the research of National Climate Assessment (2014) of

United States, climate change will continue throughout the century and
beyond due to the amount of heat-trapping gases emitted globally as it
stuck on the atmosphere. Temperatures will continue to rise and will
not be smooth and uniform across every nation over a long period of
time. There will be more droughts and heat waves as temperature
continuously intense. Typhoons, storms and hurricanes will become
more powerful than before, as the climate continues to warm. The
North and South Pole region of the earth will be more likely to be ice-
free. As this melting of ice happens, more Islands will be deleted to
every map and more likely to be a lost city.

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Wildlife will be more at risk due to their shifting environment, as

they cannot adapt to it. And so, the extinction of humanity. According
to World Health Organization or WHO (2015) between 2030 and 2050,
climate change is expected to cause approximately 250 000 additional
deaths per year, from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress.
Humankind is the most affected of climate change.

Even though certain actions are being done as of today against

climate change, these impacts are still expected to be felt in the near
future. As these greenhouse gases takes century to leave the
atmosphere. The goal is to stabilize these emissions so that in the long
run, people can still save the planet.

Awareness Campaigns and Preventive Measures

The world governing body, United Nations, is one of the key

intergovernmental organization on preventing climate change. Many
conference has been held through the years since 1995 through
Conference of Parties (COP) to discuss the altering world due to climate
change. This convention serves as an opportunity to put the world on
course to meet the climate change challenge. One of the major
development of UN was the Kyoto Protocol. An international agreement
between the participating countries to control the global greenhouse
gas emission especially by the well economic country. It was approved
in Kyoto, Japan in 1997 during the 3rd UN Climate Change Convention or
the COP3 but the other countries ratified the project in year 2005 after
years of negotiation. According to As of June 6, 2011, there are 193
Parties (192 States and the European Union) to the Kyoto Protocol to
the UNFCCC. The United States was a signatory to the Protocol, but has
indicated its intention not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. According to

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UNFCC, there are 192 Parties (191 States and 1 regional economic
integration organization) to the Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC.

The latest convention on climate change was held last year in

Paris, the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference. The Paris
convention, with the 195 states, concluded on the treaty reaffirming
the goal of limiting global temperature increase well below 2 degrees
Celsius, while urging efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees. The
organizations President Ban Ki-moon praised the truly universal
agreement on climate change as a historic moment, a language that
would be echoed around the world.

United States also took their part through their Clean Power Plan
that sets achievable standards to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by
32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. President Barack Obama (2015)
stated As the leader of the worlds largest economy and the second-
largest emitter, to say that the United States of America not only
recognizes our role in creating this problem, we embrace our
responsibility to do something about it. Obama committed to partake
their action through renewable energy as one of their source of
electricity.

China, one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters, emerged a

leading role by taking up new commitments on climate change;
pledging to have emissions peaks by 2030; and committed $3.1 billion
to help developing countries deal with climate change.

Philippines, one of the developing countries yet one of the most

affected area of climate change, is also bringing an action to all nations
presenting the real impact of the climate change to small countries
around the globe. The country has launched a campaign called NOW
PH (Not on Our Watch Philippines), which led by Filipino National Youth
commissioner Dingdong Dantes, that aims to enlighten the youth to

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the importance of the Climate Change Conference in Paris. Their

crusade aims not only to find solutions on the climate change but also
to recognize the voices of the youth on a global level whom may have
a great influence as they take a big role in the future generation.
According to Dantes (2015), they are all in the conference with one aim
representing the young ones specially their sons and daughters as this
young ones will take a big character for the future society.

Through social media networking sites, climate change

awareness was being shared globally. Popular Filmmaker and Youtuber
Jack Harries of Jacksgap, 22 years old, also stated that this generation
must save the planet before its too late for the future generation.
Harries (2015) stated today, as the most connected generation in
history, we have the unique ability to create a future that embraces
renewable technology. Discovery is not impossible to this generation
creating a new source of energy.

Other developing countries also post a huge role in partaking the

awareness campaign and preventive measures on climate change
helping other least developed states. Todd Stern (2015), the US special
envoy for climate change, said: There are developing countries
moving to being donors. This recognizes that there are more advanced
developing countries. Even the small country are helping other states
to deal with the global warming.

Even the church has its own apprehension on the shifting world
due to climate change. A prominent Catholic leader, Pope Francis,
made his second encyclical entitled Laudato Si (Praise Be to You, June
2015). This circular text discuss about the destruction of environment
and our common home, the planet Earth. According to Pope Francis
(2015), he wished to address every person living on this planet, to
enter into a dialogue with all the people about our common home. His

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message on his encyclical was not addressed only to the member of

the Catholic Church, but to all the people, united with the same
concern on climate change, living in this planet and who shares a
common home. It is a worldwide wake-up call to help humanity to
understand the destruction that man is rendering to the environment
and his fellow man. His encyclical conclude on a prayer for the Earth
and a Christian prayer in union with creation. The head of the Tibetan
Buddhist, the 14th Dalai Lama (2015), release a message concerning on
climate change through social networking site Twitter stating: Since
climate change and the global economy now affect us all, we have to
develop a sense of the oneness of humanity. The church is also urging
people to help and to have a cause on preventing climate change.

Non-governmental organization also pledge their action to help

the changing domain of humanity due to climate change. In 2007,
World Wide Fund for Nature started their international campaign
throughout the world by conserving energy, the Earth Hour. Earth
Hour engage a massive conventional community on a broad range of
environmental issues through turning off all the lights and not using
electricity for at least an hour. The purposes of the campaign are to
encourage a unified global community to share the chances and
challenges of creating a sustainable world for the future generation.
According to WWF (2015), Earth Hour is not just an annual event but a
movement that culminates in an hour of inspiration across the world.
They are also campaigning for renewable energy that will lessen the
cost of using fossil fuel, which is one of the cause of climate change, as
a source of energy.

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Conclusion

Climate change is a long-term problem that the world is facing.

Before, this change has only been occurring due to the natural changes
that affects the climate but as the world advanced through technology,
this alteration in the natural climate has been faster and more severe
than before. Development of machines, converting landmasses to
factory, crop lands and housing sites has led to the human-induced
climate change. This activities produced greenhouse gas emissions.

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The developed countries has been accounted for around of the

emissions around the world.
This greenhouse gases are a major contributor to the human-
induced climate change. The gases alters the condition in the
troposphere, they are warming agents that causes global warming, this
phenomena results to climate change.
Many calamities are now being linked to climate change, like
strong typhoons, melting of polar ice, haze, etc.
Humanity is the most affected specie on planet earth, yet they
are also the instrument as to what causes this. Its is a serious
phenomenon humankind is facing but there are some individuals that
are not taking preventive actions. Mankind is not the only affected
being on this phenomena, the wildlife is also facing dangers.
Even though certain actions are acted to fight against climate
change, its effects will still continue to affect the world. Its goal is to
stabilize these actions, so that climate change can be sustained.

References:

United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2015, Global

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data from
http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/global.html

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EduGreen, Causes of Climate Change from

http://edugreen.teri.res.in/explore/climate/causes.htm

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 2014 The

consequences of climate change from
http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/science/future.html

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 2011,

Kyoto Protocol from
http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php

The Guardian, 2016, Is climate change to blame for Typhoon Haiyan?

from
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/12/typhoonhaiyancli
matechangeblamephilippines

Pope Francis Second Encyclical, 2015, Laudato Si from

http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents
/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.htm

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