Introduction
As the consultant hired by the United Nations, I have the obligation of assessing the impact of the overwhelming global population and its effects on climate change. With a close focus on Kenya as one of the developing countries, the paper seeks to provide deep insight into greenhouses. The paper seeks to elaborate the relationship between greenshouse gases and climate change through global warming. Secondly, the paper shall evaluate the role of emissions in climate change. Fossil fuel is one of the major sources of energy across the world. However, burning of fossil fuel has adverse effects on the earth as a habitat for living organisms. The paper addresses security and political challenges that impede the successful implementation of control measures. In a bid to get rid of greenhouse gases, developing countries such as Kenya should use alternative sources of fuel, use energy-efficient machines, utilize sustainable methods of food production, recycle pollutants, and enact strict regulations on greenhouse gases.
Section I: Background
The biosphere or lower atmosphere is characterized by gases that sustain life. A stable ecosystem allows gases released to equalize gases absorbed. Greenhouse gases also contribute to the energy balance on the lower atmosphere such that a small alteration to the balance causes adverse effects to living organisms. It is also important to note that greenhouse gases exist in low concentration. However, the concentrations rise due to human activities on the earth surface. Examples of greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. Carbon dioxide, which constitute the major part of greenhouse gases emanate from the burning of fossil fuel such as oil, natural gas and coal. Methane is also produced from the burning of fossil fuel but also come from agricultural practices. Nitrous oxide is as a result of industrial and agricultural emissions.
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Greenhouse gases are responsible for causing global warming, which refers to the increase in the temperature of the lower atmosphere. As greenhouse gases rise, they form a blanket of gases. Consequently, that interferes with the free flow of energy into and out of the lower atmosphere. The blanket of gases has the effect of concentrating heat on the earth’s surface rather than allowing excess heat to escape. An addition of heat energy to the global system causes climate change. The impact of greenhouse gases is dependent on concentration and chemical orientation. Today, Kenya is one of the countries that have been worst hit by global warming. With the continued overreliance on fossil fuel and unsustainable agricultural practices, concentration of greenhouse gases is likely to increase. Effects of global warming is characterized by phenomena such as extreme weather conditions, dirty air, extinction of wildlife, deceleration of the economy, increase in water levels, and increased desertification.
Section II: How Emissions Cause Problems for the Developing World
A focus on Kenyan situation reveals the adversity experienced by the developing world as far as the developing world is concerned. According to Blokhin (2019), China leads in the production of greenhouse gases. Other countries that closely follow include the United States, India, the Russian Federation, and Japan. Blokhin (2019) also attributes the increased carbon dioxide concentration to increase industrialization and manufacturing activities around the world. According to USAID (2013), Kenya is one of the developing countries that have been vulnerable to climate change with its key economic sectors experience adverse impacts. The key concerns include food production, water resources, agriculture, and income. Changes in temperature and precipitation have also led to the emergence of tropical catastrophes such as the locust invasion and diseases such as malaria. Unfortunately, many people from such developing countries lack resources to adapt to such vulnerabilities. According to the Economic Impacts of Climate Change in Kenya (n. d), climatic change is likely to cause an annual reduction of GDP by 2.4%.
Global warming has an indirect impact on the co-existence among communities in such developing countries as Kenya. With the increased hard economic times, individuals resort to criminal activities, thereby, posing security threats. In addition, communities end up fighting to own the limited resources such as land and water bodies. For instance, Schilling et al. (2012) reveal the existence of livestock raids and conflict over water and pasture resources. Climatic changes also cause political instability on the developing world. Economic challenges result to communities being vulnerable to political manipulations. As communities become unstable, political leaders tend to engage in numerous corruptions, thereby, increasing poverty levels. In addition, due to the economic vulnerability, political leaders use their position to benefit their families and communities members while not having much concern to the rest.
Section III: Causes of Greenhouse Gases and Solutions to the Problems that Greenhouse Gases Cause
USAID (2017) attributes 62.8% of greenhouse emissions in Kenya to the agricultural sector. The energy sector closely follows by 31.2%, industrial activities at 4.6% and waste effluents at 1.4%. For instance, Kenya mainly depends on agriculture as the economic activity. However, the agricultural practices are not environmentally sustainable resulting to the release of excessive greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The practices include the use of fertilizers among other agricultural inputs that cause the excessive release of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons. The second major cause of greenhouse gases is energy production. The country heavily relies on fossil fuel to sustain the demand of the rapidly growing population. The industrial sector that is energy-intensive mainly depends on the fossil fuel. Consequently, there is the excessive release of greenhouse gases, thereby causing global warming.
Solutions to the effects of greenhouse gases depend on a global approach of the matter. As such, Kenya continues to enact policies that that embrace environmental sustainability as far as global warming is concerned. One of the solutions is the use of renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind, and nuclear energy. Secondly, there is the need to carry out proper waste management and putting recycling materials that could be harmful if left idle. Thirdly, there is the need to practice sustainable methods of food production such as the use of compost manure. Next, the government needs to adopt proper mitigation measures to caution the public against drought, food shortage, and floods among other common effects of global warming. Lastly, the government should enact strict policies to compel the public to adopt sustainable methods of living while reducing greenhouse emissions. Another serious concern is the overwhelming population against limited resources. Population to resource imbalance is a serious problem in the developing world. Governments should enact policies to regulate population growth so as not to put pressure on the available limited resources.
Conclusion
The world is slowly becoming overwhelmed by the extreme rate of population growth that does not go proportionately with increase in economic resources. Consequently, there is a lot of pressure on the limited resources leading to adverse effects such as over-production of greenhouse gases. As a result, there is increased global warming. Greenhouse is mainly carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. Causes of greenhouse gases include unsustainable agricultural practices, over-reliance on fossil fuel, industrial activities, and waste effluents. Developing countries such as Kenya are the most hit by the effects of climate change, which farther result to food shortages, lower income, and lack of water resources. Developing countries experience economic, security, and political implications due to global warming. Solutions to the menace include use of sustainable methods of food production, use of alternative sources of fuel, enacting strict global policies to prevent global warming, and set up mitigation policies to caution people against extreme effects of climate change.
References
The Economic Impacts of Climate Change in Kenya. weADAPT . Retrieved from https://www.weadapt.org/sites/weadapt.org/files/legacy-new/knowledge-base/files/4e25a04e8c9d92-economics-of-climate-change-in-kenya-factsheet.pdf
Schilling, J., Scheffran, J., & Weinzierl, T. (2012). Climate Change and Violent Conflict in Kenya: A Two-way Relationship. In international conference, Sussex Centre for International Security at the University of Sussex, 18th-19th October .
Blokhin, A. (2019). The 5 Countries that Produce the most Carbon Dioxide (CO2). Investopedia . Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/092915/5-countries-produce-most-carbon-dioxide-co2.asp
USAID. (January, 2013). Kenya Climate Vulnerability Profile. Climatelinks . Retrieved from https://www.climatelinks.org/resources/kenya-climate-vulnerability-profile
USAID. (April, 2017). Greenhouse Gas Emissions Factsheet: Kenya. Climatelinks . Retrieved from https://www.climatelinks.org/resources/greenhouse-gas-emissions-factsheet-kenya
