The Unavoidability Of Justice In The Pursuit Of Environmental Sustainability

Climate change is influenced by the greenhouse effect which is the increase of Carbon dioxide, Methane, Ozone and Nitrogen Oxide. On one hand, the presence of these gases in the atmosphere make the earth habitable with respect to regulating the earth’s temperature. However, an increase in the concentration of these gases results in trapping energy in the atmosphere and this in turn increases earth’s temperature. “Global greenhouse gas emissions have grown since pre-industrial times, with an increase of 70% between

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the global temperature has risen about two degrees Fahrenheit since the late nineteenth century (“Climate”). Scientists define climate change as the escalation of the earth’s average temperature by natural causes or human inducement. As gases in the earth’s atmosphere increase, earth’s temperature follows coherently. Scientists cite a correlation between the earth’s increasing temperature and gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, and chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere. Scientists have found that through human activity these gases show an increase. The upsurge of gases has a lasting effect on the environment: “Scientists warn of the loss of ecosystems and

The burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil, and deforestation over the last 200 years has caused the concentrations of heat-trapping "greenhouse gases" to increase significantly in our atmosphere. These gases prevent heat from escaping to space. Greenhouse gases are necessary in our lives as they help in keeping the planet 's surface warmer than it would otherwise be. But, as the concentrations of these gases continue to increase in the atmosphere, the Earth 's temperature is climbing above past levels (USEPA, 2014).

One of the leading cause of climate change is the emission of greenhouse gases, such as Carbon Dioxide (CO2), water vapour, methane and nitrous oxide. There is undeniable evidence from hundreds of reputable sources that due to CO2 and other major greenhouse gases the Earth is warming up. The results of this have become extremely noticeable. The average temperature of the Earth has increased by 0.75°C since 1880, carbon dioxide emissions have increased 401.58 parts per million, land ice decreases

The Earth’s climate has continuously changed throughout history. Most of the time, these climate changes are attributed to small variations in Earth’s orbit, which in turn changes the amount of solar energy reflected onto the planet. However, according to NASA, the current warming trend is of such significance because “most of it is very likely human-induced and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented in the past 1,300 years.” Essentially, what happens is that sunlight passes through the atmosphere and warms the Earth’s surface. This heat is radiated back towards space. Most of the outgoing heat is absorbed by greenhouse gas molecules and re-emitted in all directions, warming the surface of the Earth and the lower atmosphere. Human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, emit are increasingly emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

In terms of previous environmental issues, many have tried to frame policy-decisions in terms of promoting the greatest utility, for both present and future generations. However, Norton states that no system based exclusively on the interests of present and future individuals can govern current decisions and their effects on future generations, because current environmental decisions determine what individuals will exist in the future (Norton 186). This proposition makes sense. In the scope of things, it does not really matter what individuals these policies are impacting, future or present, but instead matters that these policies are increasing the quality of the environment, for the sake of humanity’s survival. On the other hand, there is still danger in losing individualistic tendencies within an environmental ethic. Without any individual focus, populations of people may face generalizations based on location, race, age, gender etc. These generalizations may led to the silencing of underrepresented communities, creating even larger environmental justice issues. However, a case can be made that our current individualistic tendencies are leading to grave environmental injustices all over the world, such as climate change in

Global warming occurs due to an increase in the average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere. Various reasons as discussed in task 3 lead to the rise in temperature around the earth. The reasons include deforestation, burning fossil fuels, increase in human population and increase in the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses such as methane, chlorofluorocarbons, nitrous oxide and water vapor in the atmosphere. (Dai, 2013) Greenhouse gasses are produced when fossil fuels or wood is burned. In other cases, when plants rot, carbon and methane are released into the atmosphere. Global warming can be controlled through the following ways: preservation of forests, minimal use of fossil fuels in energy production, efficient use of energy and use of low carbon or zero carbon technology.

Within the last few years, there has been an alarming increase in global warming which refers to “the phenomenon of greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere to increase caused by human activities” (Maslin,2007).

The concept of global warming has become one of the most widely debated and controversial topics of our time. Scientists learned long ago that the earth’s climate has powerfully shaped the history of humanity. However, it is only in the past few decades that research has revealed that humans have a significant influence on the climate as well. A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that since 1950, the world’s climate has been warming, primarily as a result of emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and the destruction of tropical forests. More importantly, an article titled "Global Warming" published in the New York Times shows that methane, a gas that is emitted from landfills, livestock and oil gas facilities,

During the last century, human activities in agriculture, industry and technology have brought about a change in the chemical composition of the atmosphere. This change so far has not had a noticeable or discernible effect on world climate, but if these same activities continue, global climate change will become irreversible. The major contributing factor is the increase in the amount of carbon dioxide and other gasses in the atmosphere. These gasses are being cited as the cause for a "greenhouse effect" where they trap the heat of the sun and cause global climate change, specifically a warming trend

Providing society with an increase of economic freedom will likely increase harm to the environment (Ozler & Obach, 2009). Ozler and Obach (2009), states that the less freedom afforded for capitalism through government regulations, the better the ecological footprint. Government penalties and regulations require businesses to dedicate funds and resources to avoid harming the environment. Endangering the ecology presents the choice of saving lives or spending money. Almost everyone would vote to save lives but in many cases businesses will vote for legislation that will increase the organization’s bottom line (Smith & Jeffreys, n.d.). Government intervention is needed for the protection of the environment, which subsequently protects the human race.

A tremendous amount of concern regarding climate change has emerged recently as most of the human population is adversely affected by it and adapting to current and projected rates of climate change could be very challenging. There have been observed increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, rising global sea level and small increase in growing seasons (Learner, 2007). Although climate change is attributed to both natural processes and human activities, this term has become synonymous with anthropogenic global warming (Berliner, 2003). Humans have been modifying the environment with processes associated with industrialisation and urbanisation, resulting in increased emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). The excess amounts of CO2 generated primarily due to burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas, as well as the release of gases such as methane, nitrous dioxide, aerosols and other pollutants has led to the enhanced greenhouse effect, causing an unnatural warming of the Earth’s surface (Berliner, 2003). It is estimated that the global temperature will increase substantially by the year 2100 and that this warming will have widespread and irreversible impacts on human life and natural ecosystems (Learner, 2007). Therefore, there is a universal consensus for the need to deeply cut CO2 emissions to limit this temperature growth to below 2 degrees Celsius (McKibben, 2010).

​The global climate change was identified late 19th century with more and more greenhouse gases released into atmosphere by human activities. Carbon dioxide, a major human-produced greenhouse gas, accounts for more than 50% of direct contribution to the present-day reinforcing greenhouse gas effect. It is estimated that over half of the carbon dioxide comes from energy sector activities. Energy demand and energy-related carbon emissions in the developing regions cause an increasingly global concern because of their significant emissions growth.

The issue of global warming should be on the list of our top priorities. Studies show that the average of global temperatures have risen since the Industrial Revolution began. Since the Industrial Revolution, human emissions has quadrupled the frequency of certain heat extremes and many scientists have warned that a failure to bring greenhouse gases under control could eventually lead to a 62-fold increase in extreme heat blasts (Gillis Justin A17). Most of the increase is due to human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. These activities contribute to a build-up in carbon dioxide and other gases in Earth’s atmosphere. The Earth’s atmosphere is made of gases like nitrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen. These gases act as a blanket that covers and gives us warmth, but once these gases such as carbon dioxide absorbs heat, but does not release it back into space in which causes the increase in global temperature. This is called the greenhouse effect because it only traps heat but does not release it.

Since late 1800 scientists have studied the phenomenon of Global Warming and majority of them had concluded that human activities are responsible for most of the warming. Human activities contribute to global warming by enhancing earth’s natural greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect warms the earth surface through the complex process involving sunlight, gases and particles in the atmosphere. Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere are known as greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. There are few scientists who argue that the increase in the greenhouse gases had not made a measurable difference in the climate. Therefore the claim that human activities are causing the global climatic to warm