35
years due to booming economy that is heavily reliant on coal and other carbon-rich energy sources”
(Brown et al. 38). Scientists predict that in the next 500 years developing countries will quadruple
carbon
emissions, whereas developed nations will increase the contribution of carbon by 30%
(Brown et al. 38).
The consequence of a rise in carbon emissions in the atmosphere has a devastating impact
on the climate change. Every year, forests in California undergo severe fires, while floods destroy
coastal villages in Bangladesh (Current Events 26). The ice caps in the Arctic are melting at a fast
rate and polar bears are drowning, whereas frogs are becoming extinct species in the Costa Rican
rainforest (Current Events 26). In the report on global warming, United Nations’ Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicted in 2007 that climate change will have a disastrous effect
on the nature. “By 2080, scientists estimate, the number of people going hungry in the world could
increase by between 140 million and 1 billion, depending on the amount of greenhouse gases
emitted over the coming years” (Current Events 26). Furthermore, diseases such as malaria, fever,
heat-related deaths, and other illnesses are far more likely to occur (Current Events 26). By 2020,
approximately 250 million people living in developing countries
in Africa could face water
shortages (Current Events 26). “If average temperatures rise by 2.5 to 4.5 degrees Fahrenheit, about
20 to 50 percent of plant and animal species face increased risk of extinction” (Current Events 26).
There is no doubt that the poorest of the global population will be hit the hardest, but even countries
with
powerful resources, such as United States, will undergo impact of climate change. In
Midwestern United States, people are likely to experience water
shortages due to rising
temperatures, while on the East Coast water levels may rise and along with storms, New York and
Boston are predicted to be entirely flooded.
36
Moreover, in the next couple of decades, demand for energy is predicted to double and
wealthy nations will use as much energy as their population will grow. If energy consumption per
capita is high, the population growth does not need to increase significantly for energy to be used
excessively, as total energy demand will increase by itself. “In the United States, for example, the
75 million people projected to be added to the population by 2050
will boost energy demand to
roughly the present energy consumption of Africa and Latin America” (Brown et al. 38). The
production of oil worldwide reached its peak in 1979, and is predicted to reach its peak again by
2025, which will impact price levels as oil is still the only dominant fuel on the world (Brown et al.
38). In the near future, the factors of climate change will originate from
countries that have the
highest economic activity, such as Asia, “where consumption is expected to grow 361%, though
population will grow by just 50%. Energy consumption is also expected
to increase in Latin
America (by 340%) and Africa (by 326%)” (Brown et al. 38).
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