Challenges in Achieving Shared Responsibility for the Common Good in regards to Global Warming:
Global warming is one of the areas where shared responsibility for the common good is not achieved internationally. The common good is a situation whereby a large number is easily satisfied by a given action as it works to the benefit of the group as a whole. The following are the challenges that lead to unfulfilled common good due to global warming;
Human beings burn fossil fuels to power machines thus resulting into environmental pollution. The machines include cars, ships; jet fuels in planes and trains whose use leads to the emission of carbon dioxide. Consequentially this increases the greenhouse effect. Continued use of these machines, in the long run, lead to a lot of carbon emission which then absorb the reflected sunlight and reduces the ozone layer hence a lot of heat on the land surface and the oceans (Kosaka, Y., & Xie, S. P.., 2013).
Human beings cut down trees in an attempt to produce other commodities like paper and to clear bushes in their surrounding for security purposes. Urban migration has also led to cutting down of trees in those areas to erect buildings. All these activities lead to increased greenhouse gases. Trees are the primary absorbers of carbon and so cutting them down leads to a lot of carbon in the air which absorbs the reflected sunlight in the long run.
Industries in an attempt to produce goods, for example, the food industries they emit gases to the environment. Burning of coal to generate electricity also leads to the emission of harmful gases to the air. These gases cause adverse effects such preventing solar radiation hence global warming which interferes with a lot of economic activities like agriculture (Trenberth, K. E., Dai, A., Van Der Schrier, G., Jones, P. D., Barichivich, J., Briffa, K. R., & Sheffield, J., 2014).
The agricultural sector also contributes to global warming through the use of petroleum-based fertilizers that which enhances emission of harmful gases to the air. Production of charcoal for human use which involves burning of trees is also a great contributor to global warming among many others.
To reduce the use of fossil fuel individuals can move closer to their workplace so that they walk to work or use public means of transport. This will help lessen some gases emitted in the air if at all everyone had to drive their car to work (McGlade, C., & Ekins, P., 2015). Moreover, they can buy vehicles which are fuel efficient and poses quality engines. This will, in turn, reduce the number of toxic gases emitted in the air thus reducing the effect of global warming.
Burning of Fossil Fuels
Individuals can avoid cutting down trees since the trees use the carbon in the air and emit oxygen which is very healthy hence preventing global warming (Dirnböck, T., Kobler, J., Kraus, D., Grote, R., & Kiese, R., 2016). People tend to cut trees to do a lot of things like producing paper, timber, charcoal and also to clear the surrounding so they can build homes and they forget the effect in the long run. All those products are crucial to human life but always forget to plant more. Rules can be developed such as if you have to cut down one tree, then you have to plant two which is a paramount method. Forest management strategies can also be put in place to facilitate this. The government should also set some rules to safeguard the forests and the environment at large.
A lot of studies have proved that meat consumption is a significant contributor to global warming. For this reason, it is imperative to avoid consumption of meat. Taking other types of food like plant proteins or even going vegetarian is a significant way of reducing global warming effect (Hedenus, F., Wirsenius, S., & Johansson, D. J., 2014). It is also imperative to avoid wastage by buying food that you can manage to consume as the waste products also decompose and emit such toxic gases that lead to global warming.
People can opt to the use of renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind and geothermal to meet most personal and organizational needs. In fact, they have added advantages like they are cost effective and reduce pollution and still leads to high-level production (Quaschning, V., 2016). These renewable sources of energy are a good substitute for generators and machines used in industries that emit greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
Low-carbon and zero-carbon technologies are very efficient, and they help reduce global emissions (Paerl, H. W., & Otten, T. G., 2013). They include the use of batteries and different sources for example energy from bacteria. This will probably help in reduction of carbon in the air hence thick ozone layer which protects us and boosts our agricultural sector.
Another action to prevent global warming is through the use efficient appliances and their proper management. An example is through the use of efficient refrigerators and other electric appliances even in the office. There should also be proper conservation like putting off a bulb when there is enough light, and you do not need it. People should also strive to save energy for example through the use of energy saving bulbs. You should buy energy saving dishwashers and by all means, try to avoid the use of hot water as you wash clothes and take hot showers rarely.
Cutting down of Trees
The wealthy and well-developed countries should help the emerging countries to develop so as to face this challenge in unity. This must happen to enhance development and the use of new technologies even in the developing countries to curb global warming problem (Tilman, D., & Clark, M. . , 2014). Furthermore, people should take good care of the natural resources like trees and forests to maintain a global environmental sustainability. The government can also enact laws against emission, and environmental polluters can always be charged for the harm they cause.
The issue of global warming is an international challenge and affects everyone, and so people should be informed of its causes and the possible measures they can take to prevent it from happening. Awareness campaigns should be organized to ensure everyone takes a step in its prevention or reduction. Individuals should act responsibly even without the watch of anyone in keeping the environment healthy in an attempt to reduce global warming. There are also other contributors to global warming such as the natural factors, but human beings are the great contributors (Peters, G. P., Andrew, R. M., Boden, T., Canadell, J. G., Ciais, P., Le Quéré, C., … & Wilson, C., 2013). This means that if they all join hands in reducing the already caused damage, then they can successfully do it.
People should avoid burning coal since they emit very dangerous gases in the air which are very great contributors to global warming (Hanks, K., & Richards, J. A., 2015). Again you should avoid building coal-burning power plants, and the existing ones can be shut down one by one as you replace them with the new technologies that do not emit such gases like the use of wind and water to produce such energy. The government can assist in doing that by funding such plants for replacement.
People should always try to reuse some products other than throwing them away like the plastic bottles and containers. Recycling is also a critical measure so as to avoid throwing dumping them or burning them. Polythene paper bags and bottles should be recycled for continued use. They should never be burnt since burning them causes a lot of carbon emission and other toxic gases in the air which causes global warming in the long run. Those that cannot be recycled should be buried deep in the soil.
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Hanks, K., & Richards, J. A. (2015). Let Them Eat Coal: Why the G7 must stop burning coal to tackle climate change and fight hunger.
Hedenus, F., Wirsenius, S., & Johansson, D. J. (2014). The importance of reduced meat and dairy consumption for meeting stringent climate change targets. Climatic change, 124(1-2), 79-91.
Kosaka, Y., & Xie, S. P.. (2013). Recent global-warming hiatus tied to equatorial Pacific surface cooling. Nature, 501(7467), 403-407.
McGlade, C., & Ekins, P., (2015). The geographical distribution of fossil fuels unused when limiting global warming to 2 [deg] C. Nature, 517(7533), 187-190.
Paerl, H. W., & Otten, T. G., (2013). Harmful cyanobacterial blooms: causes, consequences, and controls.,. Microbial Ecology, 65(4), 995-1010.
Peters, G. P., Andrew, R. M., Boden, T., Canadell, J. G., Ciais, P., Le Quéré, C., … & Wilson, C. (2013). The challenge to keep global warming below 2 C. Nature Climate Change, 3(1), 4-6.
Quaschning, V. (2016). Understanding renewable energy systems. Routledge.
Tilman, D., & Clark, M. . (2014). Global diets link environmental sustainability and human health. Nature, 515(7528), 518-522.
Trenberth, K. E., Dai, A., Van Der Schrier, G., Jones, P. D., Barichivich, J., Briffa, K. R., & Sheffield, J. (2014). Global warming and changes in drought. Nature Climate Change, 4(1), 17-22.
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