Issues On The Global Environment,

Kason Akbarov

Issues on the global environment

26th Sept, 2019

1. Introduction

“Title: The World’s Oceans Are in Danger, Major Climate Change Report Warns”

Author: Brad Plumer

Media source: “https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/25/climate/climate-change-oceans-united-nations.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fclimate&action=click&contentCollection=climate&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront”

Publication date Sept. 25, 2019

This article focused on a very current issue, which is the World’s oceans are in danger. The article Covenant can provide an opportunity to renew and modernize international environmental law, in particular by learning from the movements associated with major climate change while serving as a driver for improving the effectiveness of already existing instruments.

2. Statement

 According to the report, “Earth’s oceans are under severe strain from climate change, a major new United Nations report warns, which threatens everything from the ability to harvest seafood to the well-being of hundreds of millions of people living along the coasts”.

3. Primary and Secondary issues

 According to the report, moreover, rising temperatures, ocean acidification, increased water salinity, increased heat waves, rising sea levels are all upheavals that should impact marine ecosystems. The fall of marine resources has already damaged by overfishing or new distributions of these resources, to the detriment of some countries. The sea-level rise is a growing threat to small island countries and exposed coastal communities, but will also have a significant impact on world economic powers. In advance of the forthcoming publication of a much anticipated UN report on oceans and climate change, of which AFP has obtained an exclusive copy, here is an overview of what lies ahead for China, the United States, European Union and India if nothing is done, as well as a reminder of their respective contributions in terms of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

According to the report shows that the "drastic reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is essential if we want to avoid room for maneuver to fight the impacts of climate change, continues Valerie Masson-Demotte. She also stressed that for the oceans and the cry sphere, adaptation to climate change is not an option but a necessity.  

4. Facts

Oceans are heat sinks that run at full speed in these times of global warming. "They have absorbed more than 90% of the excess heat" that causes the rapid increase of greenhouse gases, said Brett Veerhusen. They have also captured between 20 and 30% of greenhouse gases emitted by men since the 1980s. But these services are not without consequences on the composition of these large bodies of water. The oceans are more acidic and their oxygen concentration has dropped by 2% in half a century, says this new publication. 

The global level of the seas is increasing, a process that has accelerated in recent decades," also notes the Gien. Between 1901 and 1990, the average increase was 1.4 mm each year. It has grown to “3.6 mm per year over the period 2006-2015”. The first fact is the increase in the average temperature of the water of the oceans, which causes their dilatation. The second is the significant loss of ice and ice sheet mass, particularly in Greenland and the Antarctic ice floe. It is this second factor that contributes most today to the acceleration of the rise in sea levels. This rise in sea level will continue regardless of the scenario of the increase in greenhouse gas emissions retained. The rise would be 43 cm in 2100 in the most optimistic scenario taken into account by the Gien, which limits global warming to + 2 ° C by the end of the century. 

5. Conclusion

Differences between projections come from different model sensitivities for greenhouse gas concentrations and different future emission scenarios. Most studies have chosen 2100 as a horizon, but the warming is expected to continue beyond that because, even if emissions stopped, the oceans have already stored a lot of heat, carbon sinks are to be restored, and the duration of life of Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is long.

6. Personal opinion 

This report provides a positive message despite very disturbing impact projections if greenhouse gas emissions are not drastically reduced." It shows that an emission scenario consistent with the Paris Agreement can stabilize or the state of the future ocean is therefore in our hands, “tempers Jean-Pierre Gattuso, oceanographer, and author of the report.

In my opinion, Devastated by climate change and man-made pollution, the oceans are preparing to unleash their power over humanity that cannot live without them, warns a UN draft report to be adopted on September 25th. Some of the consequences of climate change on the oceans and icy regions of the planet are irreversible and humanity must be prepared, warn experts.

This report is very important for management students due to the oceans change quickly, could suffer significant damage and cause rapid warming in the coming years. Financial mechanisms are needed to save the oceans. According to the report, asset managers, especially pension funds that are slow to appreciate the threat of climate change, may see the value of their investments in energy or electricity companies decline as investors become aware of the risks associated with industries producing large amounts of carbon. Yet opportunities are emerging for financial services to reduce or protect against risk, or even contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the destabilization of the Earth's climate and weather systems.

References

Brad Plumer, 2019. The World’s Oceans Are in Danger, Major Climate Change Report Warns” Online available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/25/climate/climate-change-oceans-united nations.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fclimate&action=click&contentCollection=climate&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront

Kellogg, W. W. (2019). Climate change and society: consequences of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide. Routledge.