Environmental Ethics Reading

Scientists have gone deeper than ever before inside the core of the Antarctic to measure greenhouse gases for the last 650,000 years. Another fact is that there is a scorching heat of the early summer causing about 95 percent of the total Himalayas Glaciers to melt. Glacial melting results in mudslides and other related disasters from the full mountain lakes (Clinton, 2015).

The northern Atlantic countries are facing the risk of getting distinctly colder in the future due to the rising global temperatures. As freshwater is flowing into the oceans, it is disturbing the rotation of the currents, which may hinder the normal temperature changes and intensify the cold periods in the North Atlantic. Some of the predictions of the UN Global Initiative on climate change for the effects of global warming include the rising of sea levels in the North Atlantic, which are predicted to cover at least 50 feet of Manhattan Island (Clinton, 2015). There will be many refugees all over the world lacking enough food.

Clinton proposes the use of high-efficiency appliances as well as imposing a carbon tax. These measures would lead to energy saving, hence reducing overreliance on fossil fuels that emit more gasses.

Countries like Denmark, the Philippines, and Germany are generating environment-friendly electricity by harnessing natural processes to get power. These resources include wind, solar, hydroelectricity, biomass energy, and geothermal power (Clinton, 2015).

As individuals, we can resolve the problem of climate change in various ways. One way is by reducing standby power use. This goal can be achieved by ensuring that devices that use power while on standby are switched off. Such devices include televisions and music players among others. Another way of reducing climate change is by switching to green energy. The green energy sources include sun, wind, geothermal, hydropower, and biomass. These sources are environment-friendly (Monbiot, 2007).

Smart driving is another individual way of reducing climate change by adopting simple driving habits that improve the vehicles’ efficiency. Such habits include avoiding driving during rush hours, driving at optimal speeds, and maintaining the car in good working order at all times.

Individually, one can help reduce climate change by using recycled packages. This move reduces the use of natural resources used to produce paper, aluminum, plastics, and Styrofoam (Wagner & Weitzman, 2015). The excessive use of natural resources leads to the exploitation of the environment, hence leading to climate change (Monbiot, 2007).

Planting trees is another way of reducing climate change. Trees absorb the carbon dioxide produced by many sources such as vehicle exhausts, thus cleaning the environment. By reducing waste generation, individuals can also contribute to the reduction of climate change (Monbiot, 2007). Most products used every day produces greenhouse gases.

Lastly, we can reduce the advances of climate change by ensuring the proper disposal of wastes. For instance, if plastics are burned, they produce thick smoke, which is dangerous to the environment.

References

Abood, S. (2007). Influencing health care in the legislative arena. OJIN, 12(1), 1-12.

Aiken, H., Sloane, M., Cimiotti, P., Clarke, P., Flynn, L., Seago, A.,…Smith, H. (2010). Implications of the California nurse staffing mandate for other states. Web.

Clinton, W. (2015). Global Climate Change. In O. Roca & M. Schuh (Eds.), An examined life Critical thinking and ethics (pp. 463-471). New York, NY: McGraw.

Monbiot, G. (2007). Heat: How We Can Stop the Planet Burning. London, UK: Penguin.

Moore, N., & Bruder, K., (2008). Philosophy: The power of ideas. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Wagner, G., & Weitzman, M. (2015). Climate Shock: The Economic Consequences of a Hotter Planet. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.