Amidst China's most prominent problems, environmental pollution has standout as one of the issues that are fast leading to climate change in the country. China is the most significant contributor to the greenhouse gases worldwide. It has since overtaken the United States with regards to carbon dioxide production. It is also important to note that China has surpassed various limits on the production of emitters set by world bodies such as the European Union and the United Nations (UN). As such, climate change has rocked the country with several effects of global warming being felt such as glacier retreat, the rise in the sea level, and air pollution among others ( Sorg et al . 2012). With this becoming a global concern, it is imperative to understand the causes of climate change, the effects, and if there is any genuine effort by the country or any international organ to mitigate the situation.
Causes of Global Warming In China
China has turned out to be one of the most notorious emitters of polluters in the world. It has played a massive role in releasing more climate-changing gases into the atmosphere that the entire world combined. Since 2006, the country, through its energy production sector has emitted more carbon dioxide gases than America has done. As it is known, China is also the biggest consumer of coal in the world. In 2009, it hit a record high by producing almost 49% of the world's total coal. The consumption of coal in the country has also lead to an increased production of sulfur oxide which is equally a harmful gas to the environment. Research conducted by the Global Carbon Budget in 2015 postulated that China was responsible for the production of approximately 10.4 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide courtesy of the fossil fuel industries ( Kan et al . 2012).
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Other than the pollutants, global warming is partly due to the population and lifestyle of the Chinese people. The population of China is at a whopping 1.37 billion more than any other country in the world. As a result of industrialization and modernization, the Chinese people have become richer, prompting them to purchase luxurious items such as cars, refrigerators, bigger homes, and air-conditioners among others. Such factors have led to increased energy consumption, and the aftermath is the development of climate change in the country. Yuehao et al. (2018) said that it is also important to notice that the average emission per person has already surpassed the European Union threshold. A staggering amount of industries that include cement, power plants, and steel mills have been responsible for the rise in air and environmental pollution in the country.
Effects of Climate Change in China
Before going into the core effects of climate change in the country, it is critical to appreciate some of the impacts of the environmental pollution. Buckley (2017) asserted that the high-level emission of the gases has been reported to have implications on the health of the people and also undermining the economy of the country. The government, through the Ministry of Science and Technology, states that China is suffering effects of climate change including the rise of sea levels and increase in the temperature of the ocean and surface. The meteorological department has also reported an increase in temperature of designated areas such as the Tibetan Plateau. The rising sea level is a bad sign for cities located near the sea such as Shanghai which is prone to suffer from flooding. Climate change in China has also resulted in natural disasters such as flooding and drought in various areas of the country as pointed out by Gao et al . (2012). As such, both the natural environment and infrastructure have suffered as a result.
Through research and analysis, water resources will soon be unevenly distributed as a result of the climatic change. The rise in temperature will trigger excessive evaporation and transpiration both of which will intensify the probability of water shortage in the country. As stated earlier, humans are the greatest casualties in the unfortunate event of climate change and global warming. Floods, for example, increase the likelihood of disease outbreaks such as bilharzia. Water shortage, which is a consequent of climatic change, could also lead to diseases such as cholera and diarrhea. Specific critical human activities such as agriculture and fishing will also severely suffer from the disrupted weather conditions and alteration of sea levels respectively ( Poloczanska et al . 2013).
Measures Undertaken
The Chinese government remains cognizant of the adverse effects that climate change causes to the country. In this regards, it has made environmental protection one of its primary aims and hence formulated policies to address the situation. In ensuring that it reduces its use of fossil fuels, the government is diverting to the use of clean sources of energy such as nuclear power and natural gas among other renewable sources of energy. The government has adopted specific actions such as regulating on air pollution, apprehending those involved in environmental degradation, and designating specific zones for ecological protection. In the Paris agreement, China agreed to reduce the amount of carbon pollution through reducing its consumption. China has also resorted to the production of electric cars that aims at reducing the burning of petrol and subsequent emission of poisonous gases into the atmosphere.
In conclusion, China remains on the high alert as one of the world's largest polluters of the environment. It is, however, apparent that the effects of climate change are boomeranging on the citizens with various factors such as the economy and health of the citizens suffering the most. However, it is a positive step for the country to take specific measures, with the help of the international organization, to remedy this unfortunate situation.
References
Buckley C. (2017) China’s role in climate change, and possibly in fighting it, The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/02/world/asia/chinas-role-in-climate-change-and-possibly-in-fighting-it.html
Gao, X., Shi, Y., Zhang, D., & Giorgi, F. (2012). Climate change in China in the 21st century as simulated by a high-resolution regional climate model. Chinese Science Bulletin , 57 (10), 1188-1195.
Kan, H., Chen, R., & Tong, S. (2012). Ambient air pollution, climate change, and population health in China. Environment international , 42 , 10-19.
Poloczanska, E. S., Brown, C. J., Sydeman, W. J., Kiessling, W., Schoeman, D. S., Moore, P. J., ... & Duarte, C. M. (2013). The global imprint of climate change on marine life. Nature Climate Change , 3 (10), 919.
Sorg, A., Bolch, T., Stoffel, M., Solomina, O., & Beniston, M. (2012). Climate change impacts on glaciers and runoff in Tien Shan (Central Asia). Nature Climate Change , 2 (10), 725.
Yuehao, C., Mingcai, L., Mingming, X., Jingfu, C., & Ji, L. (2018). Future Climate Change on Energy Consumption of Office Buildings in Different Climate Zones of China. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies , 27 (1), 45-53. doi:10.15244/pjoes/74152
