Essay on Why It Is Difficult To Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change in the World

Climate change is a global phenomenon characterized by changes in climate patterns such as temperature, precipitation and wind brought about by various practices of human nature and geological factors within the earth. Some of the causes of climate change include; emission of Greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, human activities such as deforestation, combustion of fossil fuels, and continuous increase of the sun’s brightness. Global warming has over the years led to drastic changes in weather patterns that have put human life and the global economy at great risk. It is however difficult to mitigate effects of climate change due to insufficient funds, the nature of carbon dioxide gas, lack of information among the public, unhealthy living standards and rapid increase in human population.

In the attempt of mitigating the effects of climate change, lack of funds has been a hindrance in curbing these effects. A recent study in Pakistan states that developing countries lack sufficient funds to invest in needs that relate to climate change (Sherazi 10). He further states that government bodies tend to project the funds to matters of priority as opposed to climate change. Even though funding agencies have been involved, the study reveals that they are not in a position to independently channel their funding without government authority. Government bodies in these countries are mainly interested in the output of their products but not the side effects of the said activities. Most are not willing to invest to save the impending climatic effects.

Additionally, carbon dioxide is a global pollutant and not a local pollutant thus makes it hard to mitigate these effects. This means countries must work together to reduce economic dependence on greenhouse gas emissions (Ponte et al. 1444). Unlike other gases, carbon dioxide spreads widely in the atmosphere thus its effects spread over a wide region. Global efforts are therefore a key factor for this to come to a success.

Lack of information among the public also posts a very big hindrance in mitigating the effects of climate change. Most researches state that a certain percentage of the general public is unaware of climate change and its impacts. This has led to most people undertaking activities that continue to pose threats to the environment and eventually the climate. For the mitigation process to be successful, the government has to take part in disseminating information about climate change and its impacts so that people are aware of the consequences of their decisions and work towards coming up with better solutions.

Additionally, the modern ways of living are also a threat. In a world driven by the industrial revolution, the emission of carbon gases becomes very common and difficult to contain. Humanity all over the world also engages in practices that lead to the proliferation of these gases in the atmosphere making climate change more prominent. These practices include deforestation, the burning of fossil fuels, and air conditioning.

Finally, there is a rapid increase in the human population. Over the years there has been unprecedented growth in human numbers that continually lead to adverse effects in climate. An increase in population implies different approaches to adapting to the global economy and living standards. Many forested areas have therefore been cleared for human settlement thus increasing carbon dioxide in the air. Different transportation means have also been adopted by human beings contributing to the emission of dangerous gases into the atmosphere. Additionally, the proliferation of industries to sustain the large numbers not only as a source of production for humans but also capital have also emitted these gases in large amounts. The outcome, therefore, has been the exacerbation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which are causing a threat to the economy and climate at large.

It is therefore evident that mitigating the effects of climate change is difficult because of the unequal distribution of costs and benefits incurred. For climate not to be a threat to the economy and humanity, it means serious measures have to be put in place both financially and politically. However, humanity engages in business-as-usual to an extent of not worrying about the repercussions of the said activities but more interested in the immediate benefits. Taking into consideration factors such as responsible consumption and recycling will ease the burden of dealing with the impacts of climate change. Creating awareness of the same, its causes and effects should also be a priority among policymakers so that the general public is aware of the effects of its decisions and actions.

Works Cited

Alessandro Del Ponte, Reuben Kline, Andrew W. Delton, Nicholas A. Seltzer. “Passing It Along: Experiments on Creating the Negative Externalities of Climate Change.” The Journal of Politics, Volume 79, Number 4 (2017): 1444-1448. Journal.

Sherazi, Anusha Batool. Political Dimensions of Climate Change Adaptations. Stockholm: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 2020. Thesis.