EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Introduction
Many of the changes we see in our environment today are due to changes in the climate. Greenhouse effect, for instance, is due to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, causing the heat not to be reflected in the atmosphere. Also, the melting of ice in some regions, increases in sea level, higher temperature’s, and changes in seasons in some areas of the world are a sign that things have changed and we need to take actions to solve the problems causing the environmental changes. During the presidency of Roosevelt, measures to conserve the environment came from changes the president had observed for years. In the process the president formed the civilian conservation corps to deal with environmental changes and also help the youth who were jobless. With such a noble idea, it still amazes us that even today, we are still dealing with the same environmental issues that president Roosevelt tried to solve.
Current Affairs
There are many changes in our environment today. Some problems include seasonal changes, rise in sea level, high temperatures for countries at the equator, and melting of glaciers at unprecedented levels. Such issues have existed for decades, and there seem to be no concrete solutions to them. Deforestation is one problem that has existed for centuries, and in recent times, there has been an increase in deforestation due to industrialization, real-estate boom, and agricultural farming. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
The deforestation problem is world-wide, and the consequences affect both humans and species that depend on them. According to FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization, we lose about 18million acres of forest cover each year.[1]
Deforestation and Climatic Change
Cutting down trees removes soil cover, causing erosion. This, in turn, leads to less food production leading to food insecurity.[2] Forests absorb around 30% of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels. With the depletion of forests, carbon dioxide increases, leading to climate change.[3] Also, forests help in mitigating coastal flooding and regulate the flow of water. With deforestation, this causes damages to people and property in the coastal regions when disasters strike.
Climatic change is no longer the theory we have been reading in science journals. We are currently witnessing changes in climate in various countries, from America to Africa. Deforestation has been a contributor to climatic changes. Problems caused by deforestation have been in existence for decades, and different solutions have been used with no lasting benefits. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), created in 1933 by the then President Roosevelt, was mandated to deal with the issues we are facing today. It does not hide the fact that almost a century later, we are dealing with the same problems. The mandate of CCC, at the time of its inception, was to use the youth to control floods, soil erosion, and forestry and any project related to environmental conservation. [4]
The CCC was created after reports that in 1933, floods had caused a lot of damages in Ohio and other rivers. The reason behind the losses was deforestation.[5] Also, growing up, Roosevelt had witnessed his large family farm produce half of what it previously produced, due to erosion, where fertile soil had been washed down the gullies over the years.[6] Such encounters and news had led to the formation of CCC. Such encounters are being witnessed a century later, with a higher pace of deforestation and destruction.
Conclusion
Climate change is becoming a significant issue, and if not mitigated may cause environmental problems for us for decades to come. The fact president Roosevelt, in his lifetime, tried to change the situation by forming CCC shows that we as humans need to come up together to solve the problems causing climate change. With governments and international bodies coming together to think of the climate, there can be progress if the countries implement the changes. Otherwise, the next generations are doomed.
Bibliography
“Deforestation and forest degradation,” IUCN ISSUES BRIEF, Accessed 5th Feb. 2020. https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/deforestation-and-forest-degradation
Maher Neil, Nature’s New Deal. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Rinkesh, Deforestation: Compromises of a Growing World.” Conserve Energy Future. Accessed 5th Feb. 2020. https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-of-deforestation.php
[1] Rinkesh, Deforestation: Compromises of a Growing World,” Conserve Energy Future, Accessed 5th Feb. 2020. https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-solutions-of-deforestation.php
[2] “Deforestation and forest degradation,” IUCN ISSUES BRIEF, Accessed 5th Feb. 2020. https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/deforestation-and-forest-degradation
[3] “Deforestation and forest degradation,” IUCN ISSUES BRIEF, Accessed 5th Feb. 2020. https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/deforestation-and-forest-degradation
[4] Neil Maher, Nature’s New Deal (New York: Oxford University Press, 2008), 33
[5] Ibid., 33
[6] Ibid., 34