Exploratory Essay

Environmental Pollution & Climate

Change

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Have you ever thought about how todays prevailing deadly diseases evolve and how lethal they

can grow over the period of time? While thinking about the past, the diseases and the infections

were not of that serious nature as they have become today. In ancient times, these diseases could

be cured from various herbs and simple medications but in todays world even the advanced

scientific medications sometimes are not able to spare the man with a life. This is because of the

evolution of the more deadly viruses from time to time. The main reason behind it is the

atmospheric change and the impact of human and industrial activities on the environment. The

environment constitutes of the surroundings including both living and non living things. So each

and every activity has a direct effect on the environment and the resulting climate change. Noise

pollution, water, air and land are the various types of environmental pollution. No doubts that the

industrialization and other scientific advancement has revolutionized the human life and bring

out many facilities that could not be thought of in the past, but on the side these developments

has made the environment deadly leading to the evolution of the virus like AIDS, HIV and other

chronic diseases. This problem of environmental degradation and the resulting climate change

has gained the global attention and many organizations are working to restore the organic nature

of environment but still the global warming and other environmental pollution is increasing in an

uncontrollable fashion. So it is considered as our moral duty as an individual to construct the

environment healthy enough to make the survival of our coming generation possible. Otherwise

if the environmental destruction carries out in the same manner, then this planet wouldnt be able

to witness the life in the longer run.

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According to James (personal interview), the environmental restoration is not possible until each

individual feels responsible towards the outcomes of his or his activities and their effect on the

atmosphere.To prove his point, James highlighted three key points in this regard, the

organizational level attention towards sustainability, key legal requirement of doing any sort of

business and trend towards organic food. He also highlighted various benefits like less fetal

diseases, clean breathing air and restoration of the natural climate that can be achieved. In

addition, he stressed on damaging the natural forests and greenhouse gas emission resulting from

various industrial and domestic activities as the most pertinent reasons for climate change

resulting into global warming.Further, some people also reveal that the organic and healthy

environment and the industrialization and scientific advancement cannot go hand in hand. We

have to sacrifice on one thing in order to exile in other field.

Although James presents an excellent summary of the situation at hand, my take away from it

was that he did not present any new information. I agreed with the points he made regarding the

destructions and benefits however, there was nothing in his interview that I have not already

heard, or that I could not have found out on my own. Further, the environmental issue and its

consequences are wide in nature so I decided to specifically strict to its effects on the health

issues in my research paper.

Now moving towards the secondary sources, World Health Organization claims over 150,000

human lives per annum due to the anthropogenic climate change over the past years. Further the

article also highlight that many diseases are the result of climate fluctuations ranging from

cardiovascular mortality and respiratory illnesses due to heat waves, to altered transmission of

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infectious diseases and malnutrition from crop failures. Further the study also pinpoints the

increasing health risks being associated with the climate change and warming trend.(Jonathan A.

Patz)

In another article, Richard J. Bord and Ann Fisher worked on the determinants of behavioral

intentions to address the global warming issue in order to find out the exact causes of the global

warming. They found that complete education, learning and awareness towards what actions lead

to climate change is a powerful predictor of stated intentions to take voluntary actions resulting

in consequences that contribute to the environmental degradation. Further the awareness about

the actions leading to climate change also contributes to the public vote on hypothetical

referenda to enact new government policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition,

general beliefs and perceptions regarding the serious threats posed to society as a result of the

global warming also plays significant role to translate behavioral actions. The research article

found that the general concern for environmental safety do not contribute much or motivate

people various programs designed to control global warming but this public concern must be

translated into effective actions based on the knowledge and awareness regarding the global

warming.(Fisher)

Moving towards the next reference article named Climate Change and Human Healthalso

agrees that the enormous scientific actions over the course of decades contribute to the earths

global warming and greenhouse gas emission is considered to be among the cause of the

pertinent problem. The authors argue that the social, demographic and economic disruptions of

climate change has many adverse effects on human health and particularly focuses on the

thermal stress, extreme weather events and infectious diseases in the current research, with some

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attention to estimates of future regional food yields and hunger prevalence.(Anthony J

McMichael)

Tol examined the economic effect of climate change on society over the decades and reached the

conclusion that total damage cost created by climate change is enormous but we cannot ignore

the fact that greenhouse gas emissions are fundamental to various processes like the worlds

energy system and food production.The causes and consequences of climate change are very

diverse, and those in low-income countries who contribute least to climate change are most

vulnerable to its effects.(Richard S. J. Tol) Further the consideration of the environment

sustainability and green products is considered to be the essential part of strategy in todays

business environment. So the businesses must invest in the R&D continuously to look for the

ways to reduce their adverse effects on environment and focuses their efforts on the whole

towards finding alternative ways that include less environmental damage and promote

sustainability.

As far as my stance on environmental safety and climate change goes, I still needed to learn

much more realities and awareness before reaching out any solid conclusion. But based on what I

found out from the existing research and knowledge, I consider that though the environmental

issue is a big dilemma that needs immediate attention and solution, still it is a two way street and

focusing all efforts to preserving natural climate will hinder the economic and scientific

advancement. So considering this, we have to find a balance between the two variables. Further I

also consider that much investment should be made in research and development at the world

level in order to find out more sustainable ways of doing business and other scientific

advancements. Further considering the health risks associated with environmental issues, taking

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considerable precautions and forming community level associations to help individuals cater

with the environmental epidemics like viral diseases, developmental disabilities and other

chronic illness is a big step forward.Also the low income groups and countries are considered to

be more adversely affected by the climate. In the end, recognizing the environmental and climate

sustainability as an individual level responsibility is among the key step to be taken as a

responsible person. The personal awareness and learning about the actions and their

consequences on the environment will lead to develop the habit of activities that preserve

environment rather than harm it.

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Bibliography

Anthony J McMichael, Rosalie E Woodruff and Simon Hales. "Climate change and

human health: present and future risks." The Lancet 367.9513 (2006): 859

869.

Fisher, Richard J. Bord Robert E. O'Connor Ann. "In what sense does the public need

to understand global climate change?" Public Understanding of Science 9.3

(2000).

Jonathan A. Patz, Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Tracey Holloway & Jonathan A. Foley.

"Impact of regional climate change on human health." Nature-International

weekly Journal of Science 438 (2005): 310-317.

Richard S. J. Tol. "The Economic Effects of Climate Change." The Journal of Economic

Perspectives 23.2 (2009): 29-51.