Climate Change
In both Seoul and my hometown in Canada, the weather seems to have changed quite a bit over the years; particularly, the weather changes more quickly with more drastic temperature fluctuations. Of course, this is mere anecdotal evidence, but it appears to be in line with scientific studies that strongly suggest climate change is real and significant. According to a draft U.N. report due this week, climate change may have “serious, pervasive and irreversible” impacts on our lives and nature. Although public perception is divided over whether climate change is real or not and what might be causing it, an overwhelming majority of scientists agree that climate is changing and recent climate change is anthropogenic.
Students: What is your opinion on climate change? Choose one of the following:
1. If you believe in climate change, what is one of its causes?
2. What do you think will be a serious effect of climate change? (to you, communities, animals, nature, etc.)
3. If you deny that climate change is occurring, why do you think so?
4. Who or what organization(s) might benefit from climate change denial?
5. Who or what organization(s) might benefit from climate change?
6. How can governments reduce the effects of climate change?
7. How can individuals reduce the effects of climate change?
8. Is there a moral obligation to future generations to prevent climate change and environmental destruction? If so, where does it come from?
9. You idea related to climate change.
English Language Pages 
6. How can governments reduce the effects of climate change?
Have you ever heard about circulation theory? This theory, which I believe about the reason of climate change, means that our climate change problem is very natural phenomenon. This theory basis on dinosaurs died. Experts who believe this theory says that the reason of the dinosaurs died are cold weather. However we are now living in warm weather. To combine two situations, we could easily know that climate circulate for a long time. And now it is time for the highest hot weather. So circulation theory believes that our earth has its own climate that human can’t control. So I think that government can do just delay the climate change. There are three ways. First give an extra tax for carbon dioxide. This law is actually started on 2017. Government charges extra for company that release more carbon dioxide than standard of carbon dioxide. Second give incentive for companies which make eco-friendly products. This could evoke company to make eco-friendly products. Lastly government should reduce the VAT for the eco-friendly product. This can reduce the price of eco-friendly products. At the same time this can be marketing strategy for customers. Therefore government should take some action for delay climate change: charge extra tax for over releasing Carbon Dioxide Company, give some incentive for making eco-friendly products and reduce VAT for the eco-friendly product.
If climate change is a natural phenomenon, the big question is why does the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) tell us that climate change is man-made? Does the IPCC not give us the best science available? Does the UN have a secret agenda the public does not know?
While I’m open to new scientific research and the fact that there may be errors in mainstream science, I’m also aware that the oil and gas industry and its multi-billion dollar owners (particularly the Koch Brothers) give lots of money to organizations and pseudo-scientists to deny man-made climate change.
Certainly, i think climate is changing at a rapid pace. Because I feel season changing. In korea, there are four season which spring,summer,fall and winter. But , nowadays it is becoming more and more unclear. Summer and winter occupies most of the season. And the most fearful thing about this phenomenon is summer getting more hotter and hotter, winter also appear to be abnormal climate. It is that climate can directly affect the our life to living. Increasingly, global warming is accelerating, people don’t care about this trend. If world people don’t care for this, it will be big problem to our society.
I agree with your opinion. These days, I think only two seasons- summer and winter- are in Korea. Spring and autumn are disappearing from Korea. Maybe our descendants can’t experience that two seasons. I want to keep our four seasons for our and our descendants.
9.
It seems to me that climate change is one of the reasons of conflict among nations. Developed countries like UK or USA insist of international cooperation to prevent severe climate change. What they claim about is to reduce CO2 emission, and for that reason, they also suppress developing countries such as Brazil or Indonesia to not to develop their natural resources excessively. This is where the conflict occurs. Developed countries have used enormous fossil fuels to develop themselves since the 18th century, when the Industrial Revolution took place. They took the lead in making the nature polluted which led to the climate change happening now. They have nothing to do with the usage of fossil fuels because they have been already developed enough. However, developing countries are at another position. They want progress but since they have less technology and human resources, all they can do is to use their natural resources. For example, people in Brazil burns rain forest to make more cultivation field. In sum, developed countries have no rights to determine whether developing countries can use their natural resources or not and if they were to do so, they have to support developing countries in both economical and technological ways.
You seem to be intimating that the developed countries of the West have a moral obligation to developing countries. I partly agree, but reality has changed greatly over the past few decades. These days, the concept of nation-state is disappearing because of globalization. The power centers in western countries are shifting from the state to the corporations, making the political system subservient to the corporate system. Since the raison d’etre of a corporation is to maximize profits for their shareholders – not to provide for the common good as governments do – there is little care for the common good (breathable air, drinkable water, clean soil, etc.) unless it can turn a profit. Moreover, capitalism erodes moral values, so all that is left is power and money. Therefore, it will be very difficult to convince the western political leaders – who, more and more, are taking directions from corporate leaders (who take direction from the global elites) – of a moral obligation to provide solutions for climate change unless, perhaps, they can force the masses to pay for it – maybe through a tax.
2. What do you think will be a serious effect of climate change? (to you, communities, animals, nature, etc.)
If climate change occurs, hibernation animals can’t sleep in winter and their circulation will be destroyed. Communities will be fluster at climate change. They have to fix existing information about climate, agriculture duration, clothes, etc. Everyone can’t adapt at first and maybe some people leave the country because of the weather. We have to change life pattern and adapt climate change such as prepare various clothes to adjust that day’s weather, more concentrate at meteorological administration’s notice especially farmer have to pay attention at the day’s weather. To me also have to pay attention the weather because to fit clothes and protect my body. If do not pay attention, I will wear a clothes as I please, the body feel cold or hot so will catch the cold. Therefore If climate change, bad effect can occur to me, our community, animals, etc.
Climate change will make changing of natural system but I think this isn’t good or bad thing, it is just one of natural phenomenon. Include animal human can adapt to natural change instinctually.
As you said, climate change would give us a lot of disadvantages. I agree with your most opinions on the problem of “adaptation” because of climate change, but on the difficulty of “wearing clothes”, I feel you need more reasons to argue your opinon. In the days when climate change didin’t happen, people also took care of wearing clothes according to the weather. The difference between the past and the present should be more explained, I think.
4. Who or what organization(s) might benefit from climate change denial?
Historically, the climate of the earth has changed consistently, so the insistence that the climate change will cause serious trouble in future might be false. Thus, there are people who believe the climate change is natural and doesn’t cause a problem. However, some of them related to cooler company might use the problem in order to earn more money. The people who think the climate change is only natural thing claim that the climate change is a natural phenomenon on the grounds of several reasons. For one thing, the current rise in temperature is unaffected phenomenon, because the concentration of CO2 of the earth repeats getting higher and lower. For this reason, they say now is the time getting higher. Also, the orbit of the earth face to the sun changes continuously, so at this moment the earth is more close to it and the climate temperature of earth must be higher than past. Therefore, they involved with cooler company might use these reasons to lessen worries of people who think that the climate change causes serious problem someday and sell their products. In sum, they can earn more money by using the higher temperature of the earth.
I heard that Freon gas which was produced by air conditioners or refrigerators can cause serious effect on the ozone layer. Also, it’s in sprays or even in fire extinguisher so at least we should reduce the use of hair sprays or aerosols.
9.
Who should take responsibility for effects of climate change? Most of people think that methane gas produced by cows which are grazed recklessly because of meat consumption, and Co2. and believe global warming is main cause of global warming. But here’s revealing claim. According to BBC news, global warming is not only ‘THE GREATEST SWINDLE” but also global warming is kind of industry.This program show graph which related to density of co2 to viewer. And this graph is of particular interest because according to this chart, density of co2 has nothing to do with global warming and recent climate change. In addition they insist solar activity such as explosion of sunspot is the most crucial cause of global warming. If so, why many scientist and nation say co2 is the main cause of global warming? BBC think it’s because an uprush of fear about global warming can make it easy to produce thousands of jobs and use politically.It is not the real proven fact, but their opinion does make sense. Therefore I think no one should take responsibility for climate change’s main reason,’global warming’.
P.S – I want to discuss about these theme with you guys!
Here is youtube address (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5TjcDsPsg4))
You have referenced BBC, but I think you mean Channel 4 specifically. Actually, I’ve read that Channel 4 is the “supermarket Tabloid” of TV. Their current big hits are Big Brother and My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. The documentary you linked to was very controversial when it aired 7 years ago. However, according to John T. Houghton, the former co-chair of IPCC Scientific Assessment working group 1988-2002, the program was “a mixture of truth, half truth and falsehood put together with the sole purpose of discrediting the science of global warming”,
Science is often never certain. Something as complex as climate change is difficult to investigate because there are so many factors and possibilities. That some scientists disagree with the mainstream view is unsurprising. But there are currently no national or international scientific bodies that dispute the IPCC’s main points, including that global warming since the mid-20th century is very likely due to human activities.
I didn’t know that some of documentary programs mix truth and false. It would be quite similar to others, so I believe we all should try to watch TV programs critically.
7. How can individuals reduce the effects of climate change?
: There are various causes of climate change such as plate tectonics, volcanism. But they are just natural causes of climate change, and climate change caused by not only natural but also individuals. Most individual cause of climate is carbon dioxides. Many of these things come from the people’s life. The society turn to industrialization period, enormous buildings, factories and cars are appeared. Because of these the world becomes to fill with lots of carbon dioxides. Therefore, to reducing the effects of climate change, individuals use the public transportation instead of cars and refrain from using spray which makes lots of carbon dioxides. In conclusion, these ways are not reduce the effects directly, but individual’s trivial effort would be helpful for reducing the effects of climate change.
I agree with you. Additionally, I want to suggest another way of indirectly reducing the CO2 which is not charging your smartphone while you’re sleeping. When you sleep, you can’t pull off the plug of the charger, so though the smartphone was fully charged, the electricity is still consumed. The highest electricity supply of Korea is come from thermoelectric power station which emits massive CO2. For that reason, by plugging of the charger of your smartphone while you’re in sleep, we can support preventing climate change in some way.
2. What do you think will be a serious effect of climate change? (to you, communities, animals, nature, etc.)
I think th most serious effect is the rise in sea level. Most people misknow that melted glaciers make the rise in sea. But it is only a small part. A major cause is expansion of seawater by increasing temperature. Anyway, by rise in sea level, we have lost our land and nation. Actually some islands keep disappearing. For this many life who live in there will be disappear forever. people who live in continents will live on so little of the land, too. By decreasing of land that we can use, it can cause social turmoil between people. For our safety and many life, we must prepare a countermeasure.
I agree with your opinion. The serious effects of climate change is rinsing sea level. Our living foundation is more and more disappeared by the climate change. But it doesn’t occur visibly; therefore, people do not have deep concern about the rising sea level. If the rising sea level continues, the world does not exist anymore.
1. If you believe in climate change, what is one of its causes?
In most cases, climate change’s main cause is the vehicle’s exhaust emissions. Several kinds of emission gases like CO2, CO, NOx, etc. is generated when the vehicle is moving.
These gases are main destroyer of ozone layer and make ultraviolet rays more strongly. Furthermore, these gases make smogs that prevent solar radiation from getting out to the space. Thus, the solar radiation remains in the earth and makes the temperature higher. Temperature’s change provoke climate’s change and it triggers the extinction of many species of animal.
In conclusion, vehicle’s emission gas is one of the most crucial causes of climate change.
Yeah, even now there are a lot of cars which emit the greenhouse gas. Therefore, the government needs to reduce it effectively above all things.
6. How can governments reduce the effects of climate change?
As the weather becomes more unstable, people would suffer from the sudden change of weather condition. Among the threat of climate change, the role of the government is quite important. The government can take these two policies to reduce the effects of climate change : showing 3D videos describing the situations caused by climate change and additional charging system. Through the realistic 3D videos showing the horrible situations, the government can notice people how the climate change can seriously damage their life and make people try to fix their attitudes which harm the environment. The videos have to include the contents about what people can do in their normal life to prevent serious climate change. Showing these videos should be performed regularly at least more than one hour in a week in all educational institutions and private and public offices. Usually, people only ‘know’ that climate change is happening, but do not really care about it. Also, they don’t fix anything that can harm the environment and worsen climate change. Thus, by performing this training policy, the government should constantly warn people about the danger of climate change and teach what they can do. In addition, the government can charge a heavy fine to people who use electricity and water more than the standard the government established. Too much energy use causes the global warming and climate change worsens. Thus, regulating the energy use is really needed. The concept of this system is the same as the charging system of the mobile phone. All mobile phone users have their own calling plans and when they use the calling time or the Internet data more than they have to use, the users get additional charge. Like this, the government can establish the term of the amount of electricity and water people can use in a month and make people have additional charge when they overuse. The fines can be also used in developing the training program. However, the government should have long and enough communication with the citizens when they establish the standard. Anyway, by taking the additional charging system, the government can prevent too much energy use and the effects of climate change gonna reduce. Clearly, the government can effectively prevent the aggravation of climate change by performing these two policies.
I agree that governments can play an important role. Unfortunately, most governments prioritize economic growth. It would seem prudent, as well as moral, to implement policies that reduce the effects of human activity on climate change (and thus on human societies and nature), but not much will change without support from the corporate sector, a sector that dislikes policies that affect their profits.
3. If you deny that climate change is occurring, why do you think so?
There are two major reasons why climate change is untruth. First, the period of Co2 concentration. The antarctic glaciers was made thousand years ago. So it is possible to find out the climate of the past by extracting an air inside the ice. Eventually, researchers could find out the degree of Co2 concentration repeatedly went up and down, and they don’t anticipate any major problems because these days are just in a rise period. This is why people don’t need to worry about the climate change. Second, the orbit of revolution. Some scientists says global warming can be explained that the earth moves around the sun ovally and for now is located nearby the sun. So if the location of the earth is the farthest from the sun, the scientists claims the global “freezing” would be occurring.
That’s very interesting opinion because I’ve never thought about denying global warming and climate change. There is something in that makes this opinion sounds correct.
I feel very interested in your unusual opinion especially, the global “freezing”. I didn’t really think about that kind of sight. However, in your paragraph, I feel lack of explaining more phenomenon such as shorter period of spring and autumn than the past.
2. What do you think will be a serious effect of climate change? (to you, communities, animals, nature, etc.)
One of the serious effects of climate change is rise of the sea level. There are two reasons for sea level increase. First, sea water tends to inflate when it get heat. Dissolution of ice burg also trigger sea level increase. Both reasons are the results of climate change triggered by global warming. When sea level increase, the scale of inundation gets bigger and that makes houses and farmland easier to sink. These are connected with serious economic damage among people living near the sea. Also, animals living in North and South Pole are getting more danger. They lost their home beause ice burgs are melting. So many animal species are more endagered.
I agree with your idea, Global warming evokes many tremendous damages. But I think there are more examples of effet of climate change. First, Desertification is accerated. Next, viruses which usually infected near the equator will move upside and many countries will encounter with danger because of global warming.
7. How can individuals reduce the effects of climate change?
If you use goods which have a same function, you need to use goods which don’t cause enviromental pollution such as the thing which has high energy efficiency or low waste product.
In family and work, you have to save a electric power and energy of cooling and heating. Besides, you need to economize
a city water and use a public transportation.
recycling is important for prevent climate change too. when recycling hastens, degree of Methane reduces itself because Methane which is one of greenhouse gases mainly occurs during dealing process of reclamation. Also recycling a waste product contributes reduction of the greenhouse gas through slowdown of demage of forest resources
So, to reduce the effects of climate change, you need to have this kind of efforts and participation.
It’s very good idea that we should use some recycled product but i want you to write more details about it. Like how we could identified the products of recycling.
I agree on the ways you argued to reduce the effects of climate change individually. Especially, in normal life, we should really try not to use disposable products. Not using disposable products in normal life is much better than some high-sounding projects to protect the environment.
2. What do you think will be a serious effect of climate change?
Serious effect of climate change is menacing to all kind of living things.
If climate changes rapidly, there are many changes on weather, for example, global warming.
Freon gas that makes temperature high is the suspect of global worming.
It raise up the water level of the sea.
As temperature go high, winter will disappear and desertification occurs around the world.
In addition, many creatures become extinct because of climate change.
The other hand, it occurs abnormal climate, all around the world ,for example, hurricane, high temperature, bitter, heavy rain.
Such a nature disaster is unpredictable that it cause enormous damage.
As a result, climate change makes not only direct damage but also biological change. So we should strive to prevent climate change.
I agree with your opinion. When I was child, I often saw unique budgs and squirrel in my village mountain. However, I can’t see these animals anymore, and I think, it causes climate change.
9. You idea related to climate change.
There are a lot of opinions about reason of climate change. Some people say it is natural disaster that man made and some people say it is just natural phenomenon explaining through circulation theory. Anyway whatever the reason it is obvious thing that temperature is getting higher. In my opinion the solution of overcoming climate change is in human’s adaptation. Until now human have faced numerous changes and adapted to it making their own way. As those adaptations, adapting to climate change can be possible and actually even now we are adapting to climate change. Climate is changing slowly and temperature is gradually getting higher but contrary to it speed of human’s adaptation is faster than we think. So it isn’t impossible human adapt to climate change through many ways like changing location where they live, changing live habit. And also there will be physical mutation.
I partly agree that people need to adapt to changing climate in order to survive. However, how about the climate change is so severe that people can’t adapt to it unlike other disaster, for example there is no time to escape the earth, when the temperature of the earth is too hot to survive?
I disagree with you, because climate change is not the problem we can overcome by “adapting”. Climate change is the one we should hardly try to prevent. “Adaptation” is not the suitable solution for climate change.
1. If you believe in climate change, what is one of its causes?
These days climate change is a sensitive proplem that related to our ordinary life. As years go by people can feel climate change. Every summer weather is getting hotter. It is a boiling weather compared to before seasons. So i believe climate change is a severe problem and one of its cause is a rash technology investment. For example fuel and oil is main causes that make companies develop technologies. Because fuel and oil are efficient sources and there is few replaceable energes in aspect of efficiency until now. So fuel or oil companies invest to develop technologies for better productivities. A company itself is a organization which is pursuing their profit. So companies focus on the technologies that can make better proficiency and less care about environmental pollution their investment would cause. Therefore i think it is a reason that cause climate change.
Right, but don’t forget that the energy companies are reacting to demand from consumers, i.e. us. We want to buy more and more stuff, thus, requiring more of the earth’s resources. Think about all the energy that goes into making a smartphone, from the energy needed to mine precious metals, transport them around the world, produce the products, transport them around the world, etc. Perhaps our greedy, self-interested nature is the source of the problem.
6. How can governments reduce the effects of climate change?
Have you heard about ‘Certified Emission Reduction(CERs)’ ? It is right that enterprise who didn’t reduce emission during prescribed period can buy right to emit carbon from another enterprise which can afford to emit carbon or created forest. This institution is useful to regulate enterprises which emit harmful pollution material by leaving enterprises to their own resources. However, Korea is not adopt this system yet because of objection of korean enterprises asserting CER’s big financial burden. In my opinion, government have to introduce this system as soon as possible to reduce the effects of climate change becasue carbon emission is vital cause. Also, government should not accommodate large company by reason of more economic growth. In evironment, there is not accomodation, hesitation and delay.
Yeah, I have heard that, but it is almost the logic of the great powers. In other words, the great powers don’t need to develop their industries like before, so they can introduce it themselves. Therefore, it is unfair that the small nations introduce it.
I wrote the paragraph with the same topic as you, but I didn’t think about this kind of solution. I agree CER is really needed in Korea. Regulating enterprises should be performed by the government for protecting the environment.
7. How can individuals reduce the effects of the climate change?
The climate change can also called ‘ Global Warming’ and global warming has been called humankind’s “greatest callenge” and the world’s gravest environmental threat. Many people are trying to help reduce globalwarming by driving more fuel-efficient cars and using energy saving light bulds. Although these measures help, science shows that going vegan is one of the most effective ways to fight global warming. A staggering 51percents or more of global greenhouse gas emissions are caused by animal agriculture. Additionally, according to the United Nations, raising animals for food is ” one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global.” Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide together cause the vast majority of global warming. Raising animals for food is one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide and the single largest source of both methane and nitrous oxide emissions.
Climate change is the result of excessive consumerism and the lack of responsibility at moment to use natural resources. Develop countries give permission to internationals corporations to take natural resources that they need in order to make their products. Also individuals do not preserve the natural resources in order to please their desires.
7. How can individuals reduce the effects of climate change?
Climate change is very serious problem to us, and the major causes are burning fossil fuels like natural gas, oil and carbon dioxide. If climate change last in our life, we will suffer for many problems. Therefore, these causes appeared to our incorrect habits, so we have to reduce the effects of climate change. First, drive less and use public transportation. While we drive to a car, our environment suffers from carbon dioxide. Less driving means fewer emissions. You have to walk and bike instead of driving car. It helps not only our healthy but our environment that suffered by our action. Second is that use less heat and air conditioner. These are our usual actions. To improve our action, we should use electric fan instead of air conditioner because electric fan releases less greenhouse gases than air conditioner. Also, I recommend that you wear long underwear when you are very cold. Third, we have to recycle exactly. The separate garbage collection is basic to prevent climate change. Whenever we can, recycle paper, plastic, newspaper, glass and aluminum cans. By recycling, we can decreases carbon dioxide. We can easily practice these three ways in our life. If you love our earth, why don’t you try it every day?