Viable solutions to anthropogenic climate change
Zac Broughton
The effects of anthropogenic climate change are an existential threat we are currently facing as a species. It could potentially cause massive internal displacement across the globe via rising sea levels as well as increased water and food insecurity, which threatens to increase the likelihood of armed conflict. Despite efforts made by various governments, NGOs and activist groups, the threat of anthropogenic warming evidently remains, as ‘greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise at an alarming rate’ (NOAA 2023) and how even with low emissio ns, we could see 2 C of warming (Diffenbaugh 2023). It is due to these reasons that further solutions must be pursued in order to properly combat the effects of anthropogenic climate change, involving both economic solutions ,such as those suggested in the Stern Review, and social solutions such as grassroots movements bringing about top-down change. This essay will argue for these solutions, firstly by clarifying the risks of anthropogenic climate change. Secondly, it will highlight the insufficient response being taken, despite the economic solutions being available and, thirdly, it will highlight the power social movements have in bringing about the necessary action to reduce the risks of anthropogenic warming. In order to highlight the necessity of these solutions, we must first clarify the risks of anthropogenic warming. These include the melting of sea ice due to a warmer climate and the subsequent rise in sea level, thus increasing risk of loss of life and property damage. A world bank report (Dhaka 2022) highlights how Bangladesh is uniquely threatened by rising sea levels, with much of the country’s elevation being less than 10m above sea level, creating the risk that ‘13 million people could become internal climate migrants. In case of severe flooding, GDP could fall by as much as 9%’ (Dhaka 2022) . An increase in tropical storms due to rising ocean temperatures poses a further risk. This was highlighted in 2022, in which ‘Southeast Africa was hit by three tr opical cyclones and two tropical storms in just six weeks’ (Levey 2022) with Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar being wors t affected. Dr Piotr Walski (University of Cape Town) suggested that ‘Southeast Africa . . . is already a hotspot for tropical storms . . . which we expect to become more intense and destructive with climate change’ thus emphasizing risks of global warming. Anthropogenic warming also acts as a ‘threat multiplier’ (Ruttinger 2017), increasing already existing state fragilities, fuelling social unrest and potentially resulting in violent conflict. The world population will increase in LICs and MICs in particular in the coming years. This will occur alongside the development of global warming which will ‘strain countries ’ abilities to meet citizens ’ needs’ (Ruttinger 2017) , thus increasing poverty and harming economic development. Ruttinger (2017) highlights how these issues ‘spur competition over essential resourc es, increasing tensions and contributing to local conflicts’, with ‘local competition . . . triggering problems at national and international levels’, serving to demonstrate how climate change risks an increase in poverty and armed conflict. These issues thus need to be directly confronted via the simultaneous implementation of social and economic solutions in order to properly reduce these risks.
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