Van Rensselaer Potter, Climate Change, and Justice. by James Dwyer
summary:
The provided text emphasizes the extensive and robust evidence supporting the assertion that human activities are the primary cause of climate change. This evidence spans various scientific disciplines, including physics, chemistry, biology, earth sciences, and more. Notably, fossil fuel companies have attempted to sow doubt about climate change, adopting tactics similar to those used by tobacco companies. Greenhouse gas emissions surpass the Earth’s natural absorption capacity, leading to a rise in atmospheric greenhouse gas levels. Carbon dioxide (CO2), a major contributor to global warming, has increased significantly since the preindustrial era, reaching over 410 parts per million by 2019. The elevated CO2 levels trap heat in the atmosphere, resulting in a myriad of environmental changes such as rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, intense storms, and melting ice masses. These changes in Earth’s systems contribute to various environmental problems, including heatwaves, floods, droughts, wildfires, and more. Importantly, these environmental issues have profound implications for human health, causing heat-related illnesses, cardiovascular problems, displacement due to storms and rising sea levels, water shortages, food insecurity, and the spread of diseases.
reflection:
The summary of the provided text underscores the compelling and diverse evidence supporting the human influence on climate change. It succinctly captures the multi-disciplinary nature of this evidence, ranging from physics to history, and draws attention to the tactics employed by fossil fuel companies to cast doubt on climate change, likening them to strategies previously used by tobacco companies. The escalating levels of greenhouse gases, notably carbon dioxide, are presented as a central concern, leading to a cascade of environmental changes with far-reaching consequences. The summary effectively outlines the various environmental problems arising from climate change, emphasizing their direct impact on human health, including heat-related illnesses, displacement due to extreme weather events, and increased risks of diseases. Additionally, the summary adeptly brings to light the indirect yet substantial implications of climate change on human well-being. By diminishing livelihoods, especially among economically vulnerable populations dependent on healthy ecosystems, climate change is predicted to prompt significant migration. The summary concludes by noting the blurring lines between environmental and economic migration, as well as between forced and voluntary displacement, adding a layer of complexity to the societal consequences of climate change.
quote: “The evidence that human activity is causing climate change is very extensive and robust (9). The data and accounts in support of anthropogenic climate change come from physics, chemistry, biology, earth sciences, oceanography, history, ethnology, and other disciplines. The accounts include theories and models that explain past changes and predict future changes. The robustness of the evidence is reflected in both the scientific consensus, as indicated in peer-reviewed articles, and corporate strategy. Following the strategy used by tobacco companies to counter the evidence that smoking causes health problems, fossil fuel companies have tried to create the appearance of doubt about climate change”
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