Environmental Issues

Climate change is arrived at by studying weather variations on many different time scales ranging from millions of years to decades of years of a constant geographical area. The meteorological statistics such as temperatures, winds, rains and precipitation are collected over a period of time on a marked area and calculated and then variations recorded.  The change is the variance of the these weather conditions from their normal occurrence and this would be as a result of specific factors on the environment which is known to be controlling and determining and regulate the weather conditions of a certain area.

There have been many definitions from various scholars and other geographical and environmental science professionals regarding climate and its change. Well, whatever their definition, the term weather has not escaped most or all of their definitions. So, it would be sensible to understand the term weather and its fundamental position as far as climate definition is concerned. The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York (2004-2005), defines the term weather as the sate of atmosphere at a specific time in a specific place. True this is in the sense that temperatures, winds, rains or humidity, clouds and their distribution are elements which define and determine the weather of a particular place at a given time.

The relationship between the weather and climate is that climate is longer in period while the former is short in statistics. The weather pattern of a given place is collected daily, weekly and monthly. This though does not yet amount defining the climate of a certain place or a place in question, this weather patterns however have to be collected daily, weekly, monthly and recorded for decades or millions of years to have a permanent like weather pattern. This permanent like weather pattern collected for such long period is now what is regarded as a climatic condition of that place or region in subject.

The climate change starts being noticed when these elements that make up the weather start showing a variance in some large noticeable scales from the previous recording done. The change has been known to be carrying devastating and worrying effects to the environment and its ecosystem. There have been many theories regarding climate change and the recorded effects that come with the change. This change that has of late been witnessed is a negative change which has had various effects to the social-economical well being of human live on earth planet.

The environment is dependant on the weather conditions or rather the live which is determined by the kind of environment present in a certain region is determined by the prevailing climate condition of that region. A reverse of the climate means the entire livelihood which is designed by that particular environment of which is designed or relies on a certain climatic condition means that entire life and the environment together will suffer dare consequences. This is so because the reliance factor would have been altered and so the live that was benefiting from such environment would not be relied upon any more and the sorry state is that such change will lead to a permanent shift or no live altogether.

The climate too relies on certain prevailing environment. The environmental factors such as forests and clean air and water are that which determines the elements of weather in a particular region. This implies that the destruction of the environment would result to a climate change and a change to the environment and at the same time severe effects to the environments ecosystem and life that depends on the environment. Thats the reason why today there is a song like scheme from government authorities and other scientific professionals and environmental activities on issues concerning conservation of environment.

Human causes of climate change
The human increased population has seen increasing demands for energy and land resources. This in turn has led to burning of fossil fuels to produce energy for industrial use and for domestic use. This has led to increased cutting of trees for domestic use leaving the land bare with no vegetation cover. Land meant for forests have been turned for agricultural use leading to disappearance of indigenous all this have led to altering the Earths energy balance which has been seen to change the global climate change.

Also humans have been linked to changing the climate during mining of coal and dumping coal by-products which contain very high levels of radioactive materials mercury and lead which are hazardous to the environment. Huge manufacturing industries such as oil refineries, or chemical plants keep on expanding on their workplace in terms of manpower and space with huge processing engines releasing toxic gases and the gases are captured in the atmosphere, which causes changes in the air temperature, precipitation patterns, sea-level rise, and melting of glaciers.

Natural causes of climate change
Other than human causes to climate change there are also natural causes that have too been contributing to the causes of climate change. The sun which is known to be the sole fundamental energy source for our climate system has played a role in climate change. The increased amount of heat that is thought to be being released by the sun is thought to be causing global warming effect.

Increased volcanic eruption and activities with its carbon dioxide emission to the atmosphere has also contributed to rising temperatures and this has also added its effect in climate change adding it to the greenhouse emissions. Ocean currenthas also been noted as a major contribution to climate change. This is so in the sense that fast ocean currents move large amount of heat across the planet together with strong winds they produce phenomenon like el nino and with this movement of strong currents from the sea and back to the sea it determines the carbon dioxide concentration content into the atmosphere. Such change in ocean and seas circulation affects the climate through the movement of Carbon dioxide.

Chinas strategies to combat climatechange
China with the worlds highest population index is moving her masses towards combating climate change and at the same time providing her ever growing population with what is needed in her populations lifestyle. The strategy termed as Clean Revolution is aimed at lowering the amount of carbon emitted to the atmosphere. China the global leader in carbon emission and is the country with many poor and vulnerable population that would suffer the most from climate change.

Water scarcity, flooding and earthquakes would affect most of her cities due to climate change. This has given china a challenge to steer the country towards development but still within a controlled carbon emissions. This is done through emphasizing on manufacturing vehicles of low carbon emission which are major carbon emission to the atmosphere, practicing energy efficiency in industry, designing renewable energy such as, wind power, geothermal heat energy pumps, bio fuels and low carbon construction and urban design. This practice has seen Chinas population grow out of poverty and has transformed the country into an economical powerhouse.