Effect of Climate Change

Effect of Climate Change

Section A: Critical Reflections

Critical Reflection #1: Strengthening BC’s Agriculture Sector in the Face of Climate Change

Sustainable food production is one of the essences of human well-being. Climate change continuously poses a threat to food production. According to Crawford & Beveridge (2013, p. 5), there is a need to assess the potential impact to establish effective mitigation measures. Extreme weather conditions altered agricultural production in recent years. The 2012 draught was the most extensive in America for more than sixty years, and it affected 60% of livestock and crops resulting in an upsurge of food prices (Crawford & Beveridge, 2013, p. 5). The article used such a scenario to explain the impact of climate change on food production in British Columbia.

The agricultural activities in every region do vary depending culture and geography of the area. According to Crawford & Beveridge (2013, p. 7), different communities in British Columbia farm unique products depending on soil type, latitude, and topography. Despite that, the agriculture in the area faces many challenges. Only a small fraction of the land is arable, most farming on happen on a small scale, and the farming population is aging (Crawford & Beveridge (2013, p. 7, 8). Despite the challenges, the people have mastered to maximize the output in the farms.

To understand what is at stake it is essential to review the climate change trends in British Columbia. The area has a unique pattern with an annual temperature increase of 1.2oC and a 22% increase in precipitation (Crawford & Beveridge (2013, p. 9). These changes may sound positive, but they occur on extreme levels. According to Crawford & Beveridge (2013, p. 9), heavy rainfalls do occur in spring and winter, and there are extremely dry and wet conditions in summer. Since most plants and animals operate on a narrow climate range, such changes will have an adverse negative effect on food production. After explaining the food production and climate change, the article elaborates on what is at stake and further suggest mitigation measures.

In summary, this article picks a crucial element of human well-being and the influence of climate change. The article dwelled on food production in British Columbia, the current situation, changing climatic condition and its impact. The authors went ahead and provided alternative methods to control the problem.

Critical Reflection #2: Canada in a changing climate: Sector perspectives on impacts and adaptation

The designs of most residential places do consider the effects of the environment and some future trends. However, the global warming cause unpredictable, extreme weather patterns. Though this situation poses a risk, Kovacs & Thistlethwaite (2014, p.149) highlight that it is imperative to analyze the problem to create an opportunity in a calamity.

The article elaborates on a seven-step plan developed by Whistler Blackcomb to avoid such damage.

The plan by Whistler is a useful tool to construct buildings that are at lesser risk of global warming. According to Kovacs & Thistlethwaite (2014, p.149), the first three steps are the assessment phase that question financial implications and human contribution. The third step is the commitment to emission reduction. From the assessment phase, it is possible to gauge if the risk is worth it, and humans contribute to global warming. In the fourth to sixth step are the actions that include adaptation, mitigation, and risk diversification steps (Kovacs & Thistlethwaite, 2014, p.149). Adaptation strategies direct developers to come up with designs that align with climate changes. When it is impossible to adapt, mitigation provides solutions to the problems. However, it is vital to diversify the risk so that no single area is profoundly affected. The final phase is advocacy, which entails inspiring others through education (Kovacs & Thistlethwaite, 2014, p.149). If one plan works, it is critical to let others follow the trend to save a whole community.

In conclusion, despite the unpredictable weather pattern caused by climate change, it is possible to create an opportunity in the problem. The seven steps developed by Whistler is a solution to reduce the effect of global warming on residential buildings. The risk assessment informs an ideal action plan that others can emulate.

Critical Reflection #3: British Columbia; in From Impacts to Adaptation: Canada in a Changing Climate 2007

The diversity in British Columbia makes it an area of interest in understanding the impact of global warming. According to Walker and Sydneysmith (2008, pp. 333-336). The elements of interest in the future of the province are physical geography and climate, ecological diversity and biogeography, human environment, and the regional challenges. These factors cumulatively form the indicator of climate change and its impacts.

The article elaborates on some of the changes that act as indicators from the past to the current situation. An analysis of the historical trends and future projections suggest that British Columbia will get drier in summer and wetter in winter (Walker and Sydneysmith, 2008, p. 338). Extreme weather events witnessed in the province will continue to occur as in the rest of the world. Walker and Sydneysmith (2008, p. 341) add that global warming will continue to cause a rise in sea level, as witnessed in the last century. However, because of vertical land movement in British Columbia, there will be a drop in sea level in some areas. Climate change will also affect biodiversity by eliminating some species and promoting the survival of others.

The effects of global warming affect different sectors at different levels. According to Walker and Sydneysmith (2008, p. 343), water resources are sensitive to global warming, and the people in charge of them may have a hard time balancing between various uses. Since water is an essential requirement in any form of life, the alteration will impact the activities in forestry, fisheries, and agriculture. British Columbia is at more risk because its mountainous topography leaves it with only 4.5% of arable land (Walker and Sydneysmith, 2008, p. 343). In extreme cases, other victims will be tourism and the energy production sector. Apart from highlighting the potential problems, the article also provides adaptation solutions to these problems.

In conclusion, climate change is a phenomenon with visible indicators and will affect various sectors. The signs include an increase in atmospheric temperature, a rise in sea level, and extreme weather patterns. These physical factors will affect areas like agriculture, fisheries, forests, energy, and water resources.

Effect of Climate Change on People’s Expectation, Attitude, and Lifestyle in British Columbia

Though there are aggressive efforts to mitigate climate change, there is evidence of existing damage. Different parts of the world are experiencing a shift in precipitation, an increase in atmospheric temperature, and extreme weather. According to Taylor, Dessai & de Bruin (2017, p. 150), the attempts of nations to adapt to climate change depend on public support to earnest the opportunities and manage the threats. To effectively understand how to engage the public, it is critical to understand the attitude and expectations people have towards climate change and the effect on lifestyle.

The effects of climate change have had significant alteration on livelihood, and it is normal for the public to have few expectations. According to Taylor, Dessai, & de Bruin (2017, p. 155), people expect future threats such as loss of biodiversity, flooding, and extreme weather to be of more concern than the opportunities global warming creates. In most cases, the opportunities are present in selected areas, but the dangers are universal. Therefore, it is normal for people of British Columbia to be concerned more with the threats than opportunities. The significant risks are expected to receive more funding and research (Taylor, Dessai, & de Bruin, 2017, p. 155). Since global warming poses a threat to water resources and food production, these sectors will get more attention to save humanity.

The other expectations relate to anthropogenic cause and mitigations measures. According to the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research (2019), the majority of Americans believe human activity has a significant contribution to climate change. This kind of thinking affects the publics’ expectations in mitigation. As 66% of Americans associate climate change to anthropogenic activities, 72% expect that governments will put in measures to ensure a reduction of CO2 emissions (NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 2019). Global warming is primarily associated with emission from fossil fuel burning, and it is appropriate for British Columbia residents to expect policies to reduce atmospheric CO2.

The effect of climate change vary in different areas and thus create mixed attitudes. However, from the expectations, it is evident that some views are universal. The aspiration to reduce global carbon placed forest in the center of the strategy. According to St-Laurent, Hagerman, Kozak, & Hoberg (2018, p. 2), forests can increase carbon removal and decrease the amount of greenhouse gas. This attitude towards global warming influenced the implementation of policies in British Columbia that protects and increase forest cover. The strategies aim at protecting the 95 million hectares of forest cover to create a natural system for carbo sequestration (St-Laurent, Hagerman, Kozak, & Hoberg, 2018, p. 2). Though such attitudes will influence environmentally friendly policies, the challenge is that they store large amounts of carbon in the wood (Abeles, Howe, Krosnick, & MacInnis, 2019, p. 127). Therefore, there is a need for laws that control logging to manage carbon emissions.

The focus on forests is not the only public concern. There is a need for policies that manage alternative factors of global warming and reviewing the policies (St-Laurent, Hagerman, Kozak, & Hoberg, 2018, p. 2).

The public attitude and support are critical in the management of forest (Abeles, Howe, Krosnick, & MacInnis, 2019, p. 127). However, in most cases, the public always clashes with conservation policies as they view them to infringe on their rights. In the case of British Columbia, forest conservation measures have resulted in conflict since the 1980s (St-Laurent, Hagerman, Kozak, & Hoberg, 2018, p. 2). To mitigate climate change, the residents of British Columbia must change their attitude towards conservation measures.

Despite the direction people of British Colombia take, climate change will consequently result in a change in lifestyle. One of the significant changes will be the effect on health. According to Ostry, Ogborn, Bassil, & Takaro (2014, p. 1023), the impact of global warming on health include, an infestation of the province by the mountain pine beetle, flood and wildfires will expose people to more pollution and consequently risk their health. Precipitation and temperature changes will introduce new pathogens and new diseases. When these changes occur, the people of British Colombia will change their lifestyle to new survival means. The effect of global warming will also cause an increase in mental and physical illnesses among vulnerable communities (Ostry, Ogborn, Bassil, & Takaro, 2014, p. 1024). Such effects will cause more gaps in the social structure in British Columbia. Thomson (2015) also confirms that the impact of climate change in British Columbia will get rid of shellfish in their diet. Moreover, the streak will get thirstier, the ski holidays will reduce, and people will not construct more cabins in the forest due to wildfire. Therefore the resident of British Colombia must change their lifestyle according to climatic transformation.

In summary, the effect of climate change in British Columbia wrong different attitudes that stir public expectation and a change of lifestyle. Most people expect the negatives effects to be more than opportunities. Additionally, they also anticipate mitigation measures to target managing human activities that emit carbon. These expectations have turned their attitude towards conservation of forest through planting trees and enforcing policies. Despite the direction climate change takes, it will transform the lives of people regarding health and their social organization.