A More Positive Outlook

Over the last couple of decades I have become increasingly interested and aware of a world-wide problem called “global warming.” Nature is such a large part of my life, being a surfer and having my restraint on the beach that I feel compelled to examine the way forces are at work in changing the global climate.

An online encyclopedia defines global warming as “the observed increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation” (Wikipedia). The effects of this increase in global temperature have lead to undesirable and somewhat alarming phenomenon. There have been rising ocean levels, melting arctic glaciers, and even sharp inclines in polar animal mortality rates. Many ocean islands have already lost some of their surface area to the rising oceans, and there are even specific incidences of islands becoming completely engulfed by the rising oceans (The Effects of…, 2001).

A recent editorial from the online publication of “Nature” journal expands upon the most recent enlightenment of people in all circles, including business and political ones, on the unavoidable fact that global warming is happening. This article entitled “Light at the End of the Tunnel” presents viewpoint in which there is hope for the state of the global environment but the hope is somewhat marginal or distant. It also says that arguments and debates over the subject of assessing global warming have always been quite similar until just recently. Those businesses which had once turned a blind eye to their impact in global warming may now be focusing a portion of their attention on the threat and prevention methods for this global phenomenon.

The article’s positive outlook diminishes here as the authors begin to contemplate the political involvement that the United States and Australia will have in assessing global warming. The president of the United States, George W. Bush, and the prime minister of Australia, John Howard, have been previous skeptics of initiating regulations dealing with global warming making them both relatively ignorant of the multitude of effects that global warming proposes (Light at the End of the Tunnel, 2007).

The author implies that these leaders will be less active in creating political reform due to their conservative, business oriented philosophies; the political leaders are needed to set regulations of emissions. So it looks like their conclusion may be with a leader of a party that explicitly supports financial giants and reduced government powers the outlook is bleak.

This “Nature” article continues to support its less hopeful attitude towards environmental reform as it describes the new problems arising from global warming’s standard acceptance. Their point made is that since debate was solely made over the presence of global warming, that neither side thought to seek out proposals for addressing global warming once an agreement had been reached.

Finally, the article describes the economic hurdles made by the implementation of global warming prevention. Assessing global warming by taking preventative actions, such as reducing emissions, is quite expensive on both the part of the involved businesses and governments. The view of the article is that there is reasonable cause for concern due to the economically centered nature of most governments, as they wouldn’t want to lose political stability or human dignity due to losses incurred from “greener” regulations (Light at the End of the Tunnel, 2007).

While my ideals are not fundamentally opposed to the ideals of the article, I disagree with the more pessimistic nature of describing advances made in managing global warming.

Firstly it is important to know that a movement for understanding this global phenomenon has only existed for a short period of time, being initially rejected. America serves a good example of this fact. Probably the first early account of global warming being partially accepted in the United States was as late as 1988. In the summer of 1988 there was sever heat and draught that manifest seemingly randomly and unprovoked. The sinister nature of this heat wave caused a “social scare” that allowed for environmentalists’ claims to be temporarily heralded by at least the most deeply affected citizens (Ungar 1-2).

While this event was only nineteen years ago, its lasting effects were mainly either segmented or temporary on having global warming grab the attention of Americans. This short lived environmental push is described by Sheldon Ungar as “[piggybacking] on dramatic real-world events” leading to the fact that most Americans dismissed the accusations of global warming with passing interest (Ungar 1, 14).

If the first public appearance of global warming (in the US) was only in 1988, and it was met with relatively wavering concern, then it can’t be expected for the United State’s population to be moved towards action. Greater movement towards environmental policy and reform has solely come in the past decade and so the current state of the public’s attitude is adequate given its novel nature. In order to get global support for changing policy, Americans must serve as a spear-head because of the USA’s role in the research and practice of the natural sciences (Ungar 2-4).

I firmly believe that the most recent global warming awareness movement since the new millennium, such as those led by prominent American figures such as the politician Al Gore, have changed the American population’s mind and directed concern to the issue of global warming.

The “Light at the End of the Tunnel” Nature article also talks about the unresponsive nature of the United State’s current administration to global warming as a foreboding sign. I believe that this unresponsiveness is not representative of the government’s agenda in the near future. In an article on “Addressing Global Warming” the authors explain that the government’s policy on global warming has only been a product of the democratic process. However, now that the people that make up the government’s various constituencies are personally invested in global warming, because of its potential harmful effects on the voters, politicians are going to have to make changes that reflect a more modern view of global climate change and that satisfy the desires of the voters (Kross, Vlad 2003).

There is significant evidence, however, to support the Nature articles observance that developing nations are going to be less willing to comply with agreements such as the Koyoto Protocol which is a standard for reducing green house gas emissions . “Global Warming Economics” briefly analyzes the negative economic impacts made by adhering to standards such as the Koyoto Protocol. The article concludes that observing the protocol will make little major global impact in proportion to the great cost it will place on its user (Nordhaus 2001). It is almost impossible to think that a relatively volatile nation would place its stability in jeopardy in order to adhere to a policy that is abstract and without much obvious feedback as to whether the policy is working.

While I do not agree with the less hopeful attitude towards progress with global warming, I do agree that developing nations may pose to be an important obstacle to global unity and movement towards change.

While government is the key force in exacting environmentally friendly policy, business compliance is also extremely important. The editorial presented in the “Nature” journal briefly mentions business as a retarding force as they have to directly implement the various protocols that will cost them economically (Light at the End of the Tunnel, 2007). While the author mentions that there are some businesses that have already begun to comply, I believe more companies have grasped the situation and understand that making and presenting themselves as an environmentally conscious organization is actually conducive to business rather than just a great cost to the company’s profits. A great example of this marketing strategy is presented by the British energy corporation BP. They advertise their movements towards cleaner gasoline and alternative energy (BP and Climate Change 2005). Obviously the information here is biased, but my point is that companies will use “green” advertisement as a ploy in the future, which will require them in some way to comply with environmental protocol.

While the forecast for the future of the planet with global warming is bleak I believe there is a great forecast for global climate management’s future understanding the very recent nature of the global warming movement.

“Global Warming.” Wikipedia. 2004. 10 February 2007. .

Kross, Burton; Vlad, Mariana. “Addressing Global Warming.” Environmental Health Perspectives. Volume 111, Number 3, March 2003. 14 February 2007. .

“Light at the End of the Tunnel.” Nature Publishing Group. 8 February 2007. 10 February 2007. <>.

Nordhaus, William. “Global Warming Economics.” American Association for the Advancement of Science. 9 November 2001. 14 February 2007. .

“The Effects of Global Warming.” Time Incorporated. 2001. 10 February 2007. .

Ungar, Sheldon. “The Rise and (Relative) Decline of Global Warming as a Social Problem.” The Sociological Quarterly. December 1992. 10 February 2007. .