Our world is facing so many problems; economic collapse, global water crisis, species extinction, for example. Above all, I think the most serious problem is a global warming. I just curious how people in this world take action on this problem. During exploring BBC News articles today, I found a title “Climate change 'threatens peace', UN official warns”, which attracted me. It is about the move on the climate change problem by UN. Minimally, for me, it is a good sign that this problem is brought into world stage.
According to the article, one of the UN official, Achim Steiner, claims that climate change can cause an exponential increase of natural disasters, which can affect “global food market, regional food security issues, displacing people, and refugees across borders” (¶ 8). This issue has become a Security Council statement. However, there was an opposition to the statement by Russia and German. However, after intense negotiations, the two countries finally agreed. Finally, the final statement became as “concern that possible adverse effects of climate change may, in the long run, aggravate certain existing threats to international peace and security”(¶ 16).
I very appreciate with the UN's action. I totally agree that the change of global climate can bring many disasters to our world. As we can see, they are now happening, such as, indian ocean tsunami (2004), a big earthquake in Heiti (2010), and a giant tsunami in Japan (2011). Moreover, there are also many predictions about the future disasters from many sources; both reliable and non-reliable. For me, I believe they are going to happen.
All the disasters are affected by climate change, which is mainly caused by human. People are destroying the world. I think all their concerns are about money. In other words, people now become greedy. Because they care too much about money, they can do everything to earn it, even destroy the world. They can convert the forestland to farms, ranches, or urban uses, for instance. Having less forestland definitely increases global climate. Not only the big action like deforestation can affect global climate but also our daily routine as well. For a simply example, as we can see in Thailand, people keep using plastic bags. I think that if the scale of a daily use of plastic bags is not decreased, the climate will keep increasing.
Although, recently, there are a lot of news, issues, or campaigns aiming to solve the climate change problem, from my experience, I don't see people take it seriously enough. They still live the same way they did; the way that cause the problem. We should change, at least, to delay the coming the calamities.
Pear,
ReplyDeleteWhilst I definitely agree with you that climate change is a serious problem, do you think that climate change is, or could be, a cause of earthquakes and tsunamis? That seems unlikely to me. These events are caused by forces within the earth's structure, not the weather above it.
Despite teh odd disaster, I think things are still getting better for most people, certainly much better for people living today than for their parents. Violence is decreasing, food availability is increasing, educational and work choices are better, and even respect for basic human rights is generally improving for more people.
Even Bangkok has become a cleaner, more pleasant city in the years I've lived here.
I agree with you that there are real and serious problems to be addressed, but I think that human science and technology can continue to provide ever better solutions.
What do you think could be done to solve the problem of excessive plastic bad use?
I agree with you that education is obviously a failure - as you note, they know that it's a problem, but we "don't see people take it seriously enough". So if education is not a solution, what might work?
I agree with you that today disasters caused by human; although, they know the fact but there's nothing changed effectively.
ReplyDeleteI think there is somehow misleading of the solution... Many experts reveal the fact of this problem, but many authorities bring this topic into their investment and increase more money instead of quickly solving it. Many organic products, safe the world campaign or whatever green occurred for making money, so no one see it as a big problem.. If authorities seriously showed their concern of the climate change, maybe people would realize and take part in ameliorating the world...
I didn't blame governments or any companies only about climate change, but I think everyone taken part in this! T^T
Peter,
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you that the earthquakes and tsunamis are caused by the earth's structure, but, anyway, I do feel that climate change is one stimulative factor. It's a kind of catalyst of such disasters.
For the plastic bags' problem, as you said, educating people itself might not work. I think if there is a law relating to the excessive usage of plastic bags, for example, prohibiting/limiting their usage in a convenient store, it might work.
Tang,
I feel the same as you. It would be better if we see sincerity to help our world from everyone.