THREATS TO THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT Name Course Title

THREATS TO THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT Name: Course Title: Date: Instructor:

INTRODUCTION The four most critical threats to global environment are • Climate change • Civil war • Inappropriate uses of technology • Energy sources Climate change being the biggest challenge to the global environment is interconnected with energy sources, civil war and the inappropriate use of technology.

CLIMATE CHANGE History & Assessment • • • Climate change- Longstanding alteration in weather patterns & climatic conditions in the earth Since the period of ancient Greeks, scientists proposed that human activity alters earth’s climate - scientists concluded in 1800 s 1859 - John Tyndall- Greenhouse effect (Darby, 2016) 1965 -US President’s Advisory committee panel provided warnings (Droughts, extreme heat waves, hurricanes & increase in sea level) & that Greenhouse effect is a real concern 1988 - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established under the UN to furnish economic and political impacts and scientific views on climate change 2009 -China overtakes US as world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter 2011 - Greenhouse gases rising faster Climate change assessments play a role in policy process (Holmes, 2015) Serious and the most caused threat to the global environment & to the survival of the civilization. Caused by greenhouse gas emissions Green house gases- CO 2, CH 4, N 2 O, CFC, CCl 4 Assessed through the implementation of various environmental policies

Countries Most Affected • Countries vary in their exposure to climate change impacts based on their geographic location, weather conditions and climate sensitive economic sectors • Based on extreme weather impacts & socio-economic losses, the most affected countries were identified using the 2020 global Climate Risk Index (CRI). • Based on 2018 facts, top most countries affected are Japan, Philippines, Germany, Madagascar, India, Srilanka, Kenya, Ruanda, Canada, Fiji (US -EPA, 2017)

Effects on World Population IMPACTS HUMAN HEALTH, ECOSYSTEM, INCREASE IN SEA LEVELS, SOCIO-ECONOMIC INTEGRITY ASSOCIATED WITH ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES, GLOBAL WARMING (WADE & JENNINGS, 2015). FUTURE TIME SCALE- EMISSIONS OF TODAY ARE KNOWN TO BE THE GLOBAL THREAT ISSUES OF FUTURE DAYS ACTS AS A SERIOUS GLOBAL THREAT TO SUSTAINABILITY AND AN IMMENSE CHALLENGE TO THE SOCIETY WHICH DEMANDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION FOR A BETTER WORLD.

Top 10 Countries Affected By Climate Change Based on the records from 2018 the climatic adverse events were documented using the Climate Risk Index (CRI) values and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is also calculated (Iberdrola Corporativa, 2020). Country Adverse Climate Events S. No Japan 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Philippines Germany Madagascar India Sri Lanka Kenya Ruanda Canada Fiji Extreme rain, heat waves, Osaka earthquake, Jebi Typhoon Hainan Typhoon Extreme heat waves Heat, Floods, sandstorms Climate migrations Drought, Famine, Armed conflict Cyclone Climate Risk Index (CRI) Total No Gross Domestic of Death Product (GDP) (%) 5. 5 1282 0. 64 11. 17 13. 83 15. 83 18. 17 19 19. 67 21. 17 21. 83 22. 5 455 1246 72 2000 38 113 88 103 8 0. 48 0. 12 1. 32 0. 36 1. 24 0. 34 0. 12 1. 14

CIVIL WAR History & Assessment WAS FIRST CONSIDERED AS A GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT THREAT BY JACK TEMPLE KIRBY (2001). ‘CIVIL WAR HISTORY’ JOURNAL PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE ON NATURE OF WAR IN (2012) WHICH FOCUSED ON THE ROLE OF CIVIL WAR IN AFFECTING THE ENVIRONMENT (STITH, 2016). CURRENTLY 30 ONGOING CIVIL WARS WITH HIGH PROFILE CASES IN SYRIA, AFGHANISTAN & IRAQ (EIKENBERRY & KRASNER, 2017). CIVIL CONFLICT LEADS TO GLOBAL POLITICAL AND SECURITY CHALLENGES & ELEVATE THE RISK FOR THE OUTBREAK OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT DIRECTLY CARVED COURSE & OUTCOME OF CIVIL WAR THROUGH DISEASE, WEATHER, TERRAIN, FOOD AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. CIVIL WAR- A CRIPPLING & ON-GOING PHENOMENON IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS & IS CONSIDERED AS AN ORGANIC CONFLICT.

Countries Most Affected Japan, Kuwait, Iraq, Yemen, DR Congo, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Syria, Sudan, Northern Nigeria, Rwanda, Haiti (BBC, 2020). These countries are affected due to biodiversity loss, famine, genocide, fishing, sanitation issues in refugee camps and borders. The outbreak of various epidemic and pandemic diseases across the globe has resulted in several conflicts that has led to new forms of war by affecting the peace & security of the country (Wise & Barry, 2017).

Effects on World Population • Use of weapons, destruction of oilfields & structures, creating fires, chemical spraying- Examples of impact of wars on the environment. • Air, water, soil-polluted • Loss of human & animal lives • Global health gets affected because of emergence of various diseases (Enzler, 2006).

Natural resources are affected due to war. Forests are destroyed & the land contaminated due to civil war which has made the UN to call for nations to protect and preserve the environmental resources being destroyed from war (Mathiesen, 2014). Source: Effect of war in Kuwait(1991) after the gulf war ended (Mathiesen, 2014)

Inappropriate Uses of Technology History & Assessment Impacts environment directly & indirectly. The negative impact through the misuse of devices & technological applications. Overuse of technology enforces threats to the global environment through various inclusion and extraction of several materials. History is now repeating with the use of internet and other such technologies with the emergence of online applications, web chats & ecommerce, science & technological developments. Throughout history, man acquired potentialities to develop technology & in turn affecting environment. Since world war I, standard oil & firestone replaced national rail system. Gas-guzzling motors high quality scrap metal buses replaced the olden rubber tired buses (1946) and it worsened in 1950 s. Pollution, consuming renewable & nonrenewable resources for technological aspects, technotrash- electronic waste accumulation on earth.

Countries Most Affected Technology produced in the highincome countries are mostly affected. Adaptation of technology in poor countries are required but it makes technology inappropriate for local use thereby resulting in poor economy growth of the country (Fernandez & Kumar, 2007).

Effects on World Population Inappropriate use of technology harm environment through the carbon emissions, toxic techno trash, waste from manufacturing technology, disruption of ecology, depletion of natural resources, climate changes, & also causes health hazards & impacts the economy standard of a country.

Destruction of world due to excessive & inappropriate use of technology (ITeveryone. com, 2017) Inappropriate use of technology has reported drastic change in environment by affecting the lives of plants, birds, animals, human & the surrounding atmosphere which opens way for global warming (ITeveryone. com, 2017).

Energy Sources History & Assessment The first energy source was sun & fire that the humans depended for heat & light. Lot of discoveries made from energy source. Thomas Savery (1698) developed Savery steam pump. Thomas Newcommen & James Watt (1700) discovered steam engine using coal as 1 st electronic generator. Electricity was discovered in 1900 and till date from 1945 nuclear, solar, wind, water, geothermal & biomass sources played great role in producing energy (Maly, 2015). Various assessments under theme of convergence & diversification along with efficiency improvement of energy sources were carried out by research and development technology within each sector (Budak et al. , 2019).

Countries Most Affected In order to avoid dangerous environmental threats, energy sources has to be significant & balanced in its usage. Extreme high risk countries-Sierra Leone, Gambia, Guinea. These area are known for corruption, political conflicts, & civil war which has weakened the government to implement policy practices for energy sources. High risk countries- Cambodia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Sao Tome and Principe, Afghanistan, Burundi, Benin, Italy, Japan, UK, France, USA, Germany (Gasser, 2020).

Effects on World Population DEMAND FOR ENERGY SOURCES IS WIDELY RISING DUE TO POPULATION & ECONOMIC GROWTH. INCREASE IN POPULATION MINIMIZES THE AVAILABILITY OF NATURAL RESOURCES WHICH IN TURN AFFECTS THE DEMAND TO MEET THE BASIC HUMAN NEEDS. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS CREATE ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION, DEPLETION OF RENEWABLE & NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES, POLITICAL CONFLICTS & WAR. WORLD POPULATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 52% OF ENERGY DEVELOPMENT FROM VARIOUS RESOURCES. THIS CAUSES INCREASE IN THE COST OF ENERGY SOURCES WHICH MAKES IT UNAVAILABLE FOR THE POOR PEOPLE (AVTAR ET AL. , 2019).

Burning fuel is the major cause of environmental threat with higher political conflicts. Fossil fuel leads to accumulation of greenhouse gases, acidification, and air & water pollution along with soil degradation (Enzler, 2006) Fossil fuel cycle impacting environment (Enzler, 2006)

CONCLUSION Environmental threats such as Climate change, Civil war, Inappropriate use of Technology & Energy sources are the greatest risk that humans face in this century. These major threats are in the higher impact, higher likelihood quadrant which widely affects the economy of the country. Environmental threats are highly associated with the country’s economy, world population & the health, wellbeing & prosperity of human beings. All challenging factors, political conflicts has to be removed for creating a better world with the implementation of various environmental policies by the governmental bodies and the UN authorities in order to safeguard our planet (Santhakumari & Sagar, 2020).

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