Climatic Change and Community Sustainability

Climatic Change and Community Sustainability

Climatic change is a significant drawback to community sustainability.  The impacts of climatic change reduce an individual’s ability to conduct activities that enhance sustainability. Change in atmospheric temperature leads to various health problems that interfere with the quality of life. In many cases, resources are diverted to combat the negative results of climatic changes. The resources would have been used in other sectors, such as education and agriculture, to promoted sustainable developments. Further climatic change interferes with the resources meant for the future generation (Pandey, 2020). From the course readings, it was noted that various factors, such as greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, land-use changes, soot, and aerosols, are the significant causes of climatic changes. Drastic changes in the global climate thwart the efforts of communities to attain self-sustainability (Burn, 1994). As it becomes one of the major worldwide challenges, this paper intends to provide critical analysis of how climatic change prevents sustainability. Climatic change destabilizes the earth’s temperature equilibrium and has adverse effects on the environment and human beings that thwarts efforts for sustainable development.

Sutter & Parreño (2007) noted that sustainable communities encourage sustainable living in which individuals are self-dependent. In sustainable communities, people tend to focus on economic and environmental sustainability, social equity, balanced growth, and development. Such communities take into account the interest of the future generation; therefore, they use current available limited resources sparingly to ensure that future generation is covered. Sustainability is desirable, and the world has come together to implement sustainable goals collectively (Burn, 1994). However, the efforts to attain sustainable communities are hindered by drastic climatic changes that have adverse impacts on both environment and human beings across the globe. Global warming is one of the main challenges that affect everyone in all the continents. It is generally human-caused to increase the average temperature of in earth’s climatic system. The climatic change also involves drastic shifts in wind patterns and precipitation over a given period. The changes have both long-term and short-term impacts on the environment and human beings that prevent the success of sustainable development. The direct consequences of global warming include an increase in both minimum and maximum temperatures, high ocean temperatures, an increase in sea levels, and heavy precipitations. Indirect impacts of climatic change include a rise in hunger and water crisis in developing countries, decreased quality of health, negative economic implications, an increase in pest, and disease causing-microorganisms (Burn, 1994). Some impacts have that have a direct impact on sustainable development, such as ocean acidification due to the rise in carbon dioxide concentrations and forced adaptations in agriculture, forestry, and infrastructure.

Assembly (2015) points out that human beings play a key role in attaining a sustainable community. An increase in both minimum and maximum atmospheric temperatures presents health risks to human beings, which hinders their contribution to sustainability (Burn, 1994). Global warming may result in a drastic rise in minimum temperatures below the standard rate for human beings. Low temperatures diminish and compromise the immune system. Cold weather leads to less supply of blood in the body, therefore, reducing heat concentration in the vital parts such as torso and head. Reduced blood circulation in the body implies that there are fewer white blood cells meant to fight pathogens. Less white blood cells in the body increase prevalence of other pathogenic infections.

Similarly, increased temperatures beyond the maximum increases risk of illness, such as gastrointestinal complications such as diarrhea (Assembly, 2015). The body’s nervous and respiratory system may also be affected. In sweltering temperatures, the liver and kidney may be affected. This shows that drastic changes in atmospheric temperatures decrease the quality of health of individuals who are the initiators of sustainable development plans. Low and high temperatures beyond the optimum also have negative impacts on the environment. Warmer temperatures result in a chain of reactions across the globe. For example, if the world temperature increase by two degrees, then mountain glaciers and rivers disappear and permafrost start to melt away (Robinson, 2004). Thus the sea level increase displacing a significant percentage of the world’s population. Both low and high temperatures negatively affect agricultural industries, which is the primary source of community sustainability. It is, therefore, evident that climatic change hinders community sustainability through shifts in optimum atmospheric temperature.

Yanarella & Levine (2014) pointed out that in most developing countries, climatic change is the primary cause of hunger and water crisis. As communities struggle to be self-reliant through increased agricultural production, uncertainty in climate conditions reduces the rate of production. Due to global warming, it has become more difficult to predict weather patterns, which is an essential aspect of the agricultural sector. Sudden shifts in weather disrupt food availability hence interfering with food security (Miliband, 2019). It may lead to reduced access to food and food quality. Unwanted shifts in precipitation patterns interfere with weather events.

Consequently, a decline in water availability and accessibility is realized, and agricultural productivity significantly reduced. Water plays an essential role in the determination of the success of agricultural pursuits since most field crops depend on water for life-sustainability. Most of the agricultural products cannot thrive in dry places. They need enough water supply to mature and ensure a high production rate. Droughts are long time effects of climatic changes, which are associated with many effects on both environment and people’s health. Drought has several implications in society, such as increased depression and anxiety. When there is no enough water in society, other adverse effects such as conflicts, reduced incomes, and recreational activities occur (Wahl, 2016). Drought leads to an increase in cases of heat stroke and loss of human life. During drought periods, human beings are not safe, and it is hard to implement sustainable development goals. Climatic change is, therefore, a major threat to food security and the availability of water for agricultural and domestic use. Thus, global warming is a drawback to community sustainability.

Dauvergne (2005) noted that global warming means increased carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere that has severe impacts on the environment. High carbon concentration is known to be the root cause of drastic shifts in the global climatic system. It results in several adverse consequences such as ocean acidification, disrupts agriculture, forestry, and infrastructural developments. Increased carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere affects human health by displacing oxygen and lowering its concentration (Yanarella & Levine, 2014). Decreased oxygen concentration makes breathing difficult hence the emergence of respiratory problems. Too much carbon dioxide gas in the air is poisonous to both plants and animals. It leads to damage to the central nervous system and deteriorates respiratory processes. Carbon dioxide concentration is linked to a high prevalence of diseases such as restlessness, increased heart rate, and high blood pressure (Bioregional, 2018). In an extreme case, a high concentration of carbon dioxide results in coma and convulsions and finally, death. Change in carbon dioxide concentrations requires new adaptations in agriculture and forestry. Some plants are less productive at a certain level if CO2 concentration, while others have high productivity in increased carbon dioxide concentration. One of the development goals is to protect the environment from pollution and ensure safety. This implies that if there is a high concentration of carbon dioxide above the optimum, then sustainability is not yet achieved.

Negative economic implications and an increase in pest and disease causing-microorganisms are associated with climatic changes. Orr (2013) noted that drastic and sudden climatic changes have adverse economic consequences that reduce the rate of sustainable developments. The changes may also lead to increased pest and pathogens. Crop pests reduce the rate of agricultural production, thus thwarts community self-reliance. Most developing countries and some developed countries depend on agriculture as the backbone of the economy. For example, in low-income countries found in Africa, the agricultural sector forms the major economic docket contributing to a significant percentage of gross domestic product. A decrease in agricultural production in most countries will, therefore, reduce the economic growth rate of a country or community. Pest and crop diseases caused by changes in weather patterns have the effect of decreasing total agricultural production, thus compromising sustainable development.

Due to the adverse effects of global warming on human beings and the environment, efforts made to increase community self-dependent are stopped. Since climatic change is a worldwide problem affecting everybody, its solutions require a joint effort. The world should come together in one accord to put a stop to activities that promote global warming. For this reason, the United Nations Environmental Program came up with an integrated strategy to help reduce the rate of climatic change and encourage sustainable development. Complied under United Nations development goals, the program contains seventeen strategies that all communities should adopt and implement to attain sustainability (United Nations, 2015). The goals are meant to transform the world by ensuring zero poverty, clean water, zero hunger, gender equity, among other goals.

In conclusion, efforts to attain sustainable communities are hindered by drastic climatic changes that have adverse impacts on both environment and human beings across the globe. Global warming is one of the main challenges that affect everyone in all the continents. It is generally human-caused to increase the average temperature of in earth’s climatic system. People should mind their activities to preserve and conserve the environment for the future generation.

References

Assembly, G. (2015). Sustainable Development goals. SDGs), transforming our world: the, 2030.

Bioregional, B. (2018). Beyond zero-carbon homes: we must design for sustainable living – Bioregional. Retrieved 7 April 2020, from https://www.bioregional.com/news-and-opinion/beyond-zero-carbon-homes-we-must-design-for-sustainable-living

Burn, D. H. (1994). Hydrologic effects of climatic change in west-central Canada. Journal of Hydrology, 160(1-4), 53-70.

Dauvergne, P. (2005). Globalization and the environment. Global political economy, 448-478.

Miliband, O. (2019). UN’s development goals leave refugees behind. Retrieved 7 April 2020, from https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/25/opinions/miliband-un-goals-most-vulnerable/index.html

Orr, D.W. (2013). Security, Resilience and Community. Centre for Ecoliteracy.

Pandey, K. (2020). Sustainable Development Goals: 36 changes in global indicator framework. Retrieved 7 April 2020, from https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/climate-change/sustainable-development-goals-36-changes-in-global-indicator-framework-69716

Robinson, J. (2004). Squaring the circle? Some thoughts on the idea of sustainable development. Ecological economics, 48(4), 369-384.

Sutter, C., & Parreño, J. C. (2007). Does the current Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) deliver its sustainable development claim? An analysis of officially registered CDM projects. Climatic change, 84(1), 75-90.

United Nations (11 September 2015). “What is Sustainable Development?” Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WODX8fyRHA

Wahl, D. C. (2016). Re-generation. Permaculture 89 Autumn 2016, Gaia Education. Retrieved from: https://gaiaeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/PM89-Regeneration-pp13-16-1.pdf

Yanarella, E. J., & Levine, R. S. (2014). From sustainability to resilience: Advance or retreat?. Sustainability: The Journal of Record, 7(4), 197-208.