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West Island School (Hong Kong)

IGCSE Global Perspectives Individual Research

Topic: Climate Change

Question: To what extent will climate change affect poverty?

Word count: 2154

Contents

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Introduction…………………………………………………………………..…………….. Page 3

Global Perspective part 1………………………………………………………….…… Page 4

Global Perspective part 2…………………………………………………………….. Page 5-6

National Perspective………………………………………………………………….… Page 7

Personal Perspective………………………………………………………………….… Page 8

Future Scenarios.……………………………………………………………………….. Page 9-10

Course of Action………………………………………………………………….……… Page 10

Personal Response………..…………………………………………………………….. Page 11

Citation List..………………………………………………………………………...…….. Page 12-14

INTRODUCTION

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Climate change is defined as “a long-term change in the earth's climate, especially a

change due to an increase in the average atmospheric temperature” (dictionary.com). Since

1880, the average temperature has increased by 0.8 degrees Celsius, which may not seem like

much, but affects the livelihood of millions of people. This is due to the devastating follow-on

consequences such as changes in ocean currents, food chains, agriculture, disease and severe

weather. Poverty is explained as“the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or

means of support” (dictionary.com). Those in the world that live in poor conditions are

arguably the most affected by climate change. This is because they do not have the finance or

equipment to cope with the harsh changes, potentially resulting in even more extreme

poverty. The map gives an approximate

death toll caused by climate change, and

shows a quite obvious correlation that

those most affected are those living in

poorer regions such as Africa and the

Middle East. Therefore I chose to look at how the chain reactions can impact those in poverty,

and whether in a positive or negative way.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES PART 1

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Climate change is a natural occurrence, which many people misunderstand. For

millions of years, Earth’s temperature has constantly varied. The amount of sunlight reaching

earth depends on several factors over a long period of time, such as the sun’s intensity itself,

which changes over an 11 year cycle, Earths’s position and tilt of orbit around the sun, and the

reflectivity of the Earth. At the moment the atmosphere absorbs 70% of the heat, however if

more light objects are introduced, such as clouds or glaciers, more heat would be reflected,

cooling Earth. These factors explain events such as the ice age, happening prior to human

existence. However it doesn't

explain the recent causes of the

ruptured pattern, where Earth is

hotter than ever and shows no

evidence of cooling, as can be seen

on the graph. It can be argued that

humans are to blame, because our

increased use of fossil fuels to

make energy, increases greenhouse gas emission, trapping infrared radiation in our

atmosphere. Not only that, but we also emit other substances such as carbon aerosols which

again absorbs heat, and increases average global temperature. It is a very important issue to

consider because we cannot predict what will happen if we continue our contribution to

climate change as it has never happened before. Already we can see numerous impacts such

as droughts, insect-borne diseases, flooding, extreme weather, sea level rise, crop failure, and

extinction of species. Poorer people will have more trouble counteracting these changes as

they are more dependent on nature and agriculture, but climate change should be high on

every political agenda whether for moral reasons, in the interest of survival or for stability in

the world.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES PART 2

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In 2010 it was recorded that 31.5% of

the population in Bangladesh live in poverty.

They are incredibly vulnerable to the

consequences of climate change. The

Himalayas unfortunately lie exactly north of

Bangladesh (as can be seen on the map), and as global temperature increases, the ice in the

Himalayas start to melt. In just 30 years, 9% of the ice and snow in the Himalayas melted. A

decent proportion of this, head straight to Bangladesh, flooding the Northern area. At the

same time, the biggest bay in the world, the Bay of Bengal, is rapidly flooding the Southern

area as sea levels rise. It is estimated that in 2050, 17% of the land will be underwater and

force 18 million people to migrate and find new homes. They are forced into city slums, which

are already overpopulated and left with nothing as many will lose most of their possessions.

Few that are lucky to remain in their homes, cannot harvest crops because of the salt water in

the soil, and therefore cannot earn money or make a living. Aside from flooding, they are also

facing severe problems with cyclones. As water temperatures are getting hotter, and the air is

more humid, it escalates the chance of a cyclone forming. In the past 20 years, Bangladesh has

faced two destructive cyclones, killing 148,000 people in total. They only produce 0.03% of

the CO2 emissions in the world yet the majority of the country suffers severely from climate

change.

Uganda has a different, but also difficult situation to deal with, as a consequence of

climate change. Malaria has been a problem for a long time, but climate change is only

worsening it. Approximately 47,000 people die of malaria each year and the number is likely

to increase. As it gets both hotter and more humid, more mosquitos will survive. There will be

longer season where mosquitos are reproducing, and malaria safe zones may diminish. As

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Uganda being one of the poorest countries in the world, they focus on spending their earnings

on basic necessities rather than items such as repellant and mosquito nets, thus increasing

their chances of receiving malaria. Some areas such as the Apac district, one person gets 1,500

mosquito bites a year on average, and even with a low percentage of malaria carrying

mosquitos, there is quite a high chance of receiving the pathogen. In both Bangladesh and

Uganda, many people are dying due to climate change. Even though Bangladesh has higher

GPD per capita with $2,100, those in poverty are more affected as they often loose everything

due to the aforementioned flooding. Malaria has been around for a long time in Uganda and

although incurable, it is possible to avoid. Anopheles mosquitos (malaria mosquitoes), are

known to almost always bite between dusk and dawn, so therefore families who can afford it,

can greatly minimise the risk by investing in mosquito nets. It can therefore be argued that

the challenges in Bangladesh is more extreme or harder to solve.

NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

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China has some of the wealthiest people in the world, but also many of the poorest. It is

one of the main contributors to the emission of CO2, emitting 13.3% of the CO2 in the world.

Therefore it can be argued that China carries a large responsibility for many of its own

problems that is linked to climate change. Climate change causes more extreme weather,

including droughts, floods, typhoons etc, which directly impacts China’s agricultural

production. In 2011, 34.8% of people worked in agriculture, and the majority was negatively

impacted by the weather. Many crops take longer to grow, as it is no longer growing at

optimum temperatures, and some crops even get destroyed by pests that now have more

favourable living conditions. As it gets hotter, pest-infestation periods get longer and more

crops are prone to pests and diseases. Furthermore, extreme weather damages weak

infrastructure and many are left homeless. Aside from that, lack of access to water resources

is a growing challenge. The livelihood of many poor Chinese

people depend on the water in the rivers, and evaporating

rivers will mean less water per person, less water for

agriculture, diminishing food supplies and yet more poverty.

Consequently, while natural resources become scarce,

disease will most likely outbreak as transmission becomes

easier through floods, and cholera, diarrhoea and typhoid will spread easier. Overall many

poor people in China will be affected, especially those in the agricultural industry.

Northwestern part of China deals with more droughts and the southern with floods, as

illustrated on the map. Different but equally difficult situations to cope with.

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

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I feel that in the past, I have not taken as much responsibility of my actions, as I should

have. This has mainly been because I was unaware of the severity of the issue. Personally I

have been neither very affected by climate change, living in Hong Kong, nor aware of how I

was contributing. After researching, I have realised that for every unfortunate consequence of

climate change, poor people are the main victims. This despite the fact that they are rarely, if

ever, the culprits, which is unfair and immoral in my opinion. Based on what I've read, I think

that eventually we will face even bigger problems with famines, as the worlds agriculture is at

risk, which is quite terrifying. This realisation has encouraged me to be more aware of how I

can change to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle, not only for myself, but for those in the world

who do not deserve to be victims of climate change and also for future generations.

Individually I can make an impact by being a role model. However, real progress requires the

whole community to work together to help buy more local goods, use public transport and

even bikes if they are able to and stop wasting electricity. These are small adjustments, yet

they can make a significant difference.

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FUTURE SCENARIOS

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1. It is very likely that as a result of climate change, both the entire worlds food supply

and the economy will be at risk, but the exact severity is relatively unknown. Since 1980,

there have been about 410 drought disasters around the globe, destroying crops. One place

particularly affected already, is the mid-west of North America. They experience constant

droughts, either killing crops or decreasing crop yield as heat waves affect pollination.

Concurrently the population of America is increasing by 0.71%, gradually increasing food

demand. Therefore, over time it becomes more difficult to satisfy demands, causing inflation

of prices as a result. Food becomes more expensive, and obviously those who will be lacking

food will be the lower class Americans. This

scenario will likely be increasingly evident

in many other countries in the future.

2. There is a very small chance that

climate change might slow down, which is

what several climate experts believe. However they are using the global air temperature to

justify that. Most heat is actually absorbed into oceans, 93.4% to be exact, as shown in the

illustration. The way to slow down climate change would be to decrease CO2 emissions, which

is unlikely to happen anytime soon, due to the high demand for energy. The government could

pass laws to encourage investments in alternative energy development and incentivise

companies to adopt green policies. Reaching a common accord on reducing CO2 has proven

difficult however, which is evident in the Kyoto protocol, where the major CO2 emitters

refused to sign it.

3. If the world keeps the momentum in the ongoing green-energy revolution, which is

relatively likely to happen, as climate change probably will persist or worsen. Then we would

experience a fundamental shift away from the fossil fuel industries to the renewable energy

industries. It would lead to redundancy within coal, gas and oil companies and cause

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unemployment, however new jobs will be created in the green-energy sector and with

political will and human ingenuity, the world should be able to prosper and become cleaner at

the same time.

COURSE OF ACTION

The government can pass laws stating businesses must be eco-friendly and not

exceed a certain limit of CO2 emission. That would mean businesses have no choice but to

turn to energy from solar panels, windmills and hydro-power or having to pay heavy fines.

Moreover, governments can even encourage by offering rewards in the way of lower taxes on

firms that minimises their ecological footprint. Everyone else can spread awareness of the

issue through media, posters and even everyday conversations, to highlight the consequences

of climate change and the small things we can do to prevent it, such as using less energy,

recycling, buying local products (without the need to be transported) and supporting eco-

friendly firms. People could even stop eating beef, as less cows would result in less methane in

the air. All these actions would significantly help decrease greenhouse gas emissions, and

slow down the build up of these gases in the atmosphere.

PERSONAL RESPONSE

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Researching for this project has been an eyeopener. Being blessed with a life in a rich

and relatively carefree part of the world, I now have a better understanding of the

consequences my own actions can have on the environment. Growing up in Hong Kong, I have

been aware of talks of pollution and “bad” air coming from factories in China, but have

otherwise been unaware of the havoc climate changes is causing around the globe. The chain

reactions such as diseases and rising sea levels, especially shocked me as I thought climate

change only impacted the air temperature. My view changed somewhat, as I previously

thought it was mainly a natural occurrence, but I now realise we are all to blame, perhaps

more than we are willing to admit. It is such a concern that I feel that I should change the way

I live by saving energy. However I also think the government have a big responsibility in

adapting laws that properly address the problem and by spreading awareness, as we all could

do more to take care of our planet and our future kids.

CITATIONS

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"Africa Fighting Malaria Article|." Africa Fighting Malaria Article|. Web. 8 Mar. 2015.

<http://www.fightingmalaria.org/article.aspx?id=1908>.

"Bangladesh Villagers Still Struggling after Cyclone Aila's Devastation." Theguardian.com. Web. 5

Mar. 2015. <http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2012/mar/05/bangladesh-villagers-

struggle-after-cyclone-aila>.

"Causes of Climate Change." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 04 Mar.

2015.<http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/causes.html#changessun>.

"Climate Change and Poverty- a Case Study of China." Oxfam. Web. 5 Mar. 2015.

<http://www.oxfam.org.hk/content/98/content_3515en.pdf>.

"Climate Change - Melting Glaciers Bring Energy Uncertainty." Nature.com. Nature Publishing

Group. Web. 5 Mar. 2015. <http://www.nature.com/news/climate-change-melting-glaciers-bring-

energy-uncertainty-1.14031>.

"Country Comparison Population below Poverty Line." Population below Poverty Line. Web. 5

Mar. 2015. <http://www.indexmundi.com/g/r.aspx?v=69>.

"Drought Statistics." Statistic Brain RSS. Web. 5 Mar. 2015.

<http://www.statisticbrain.com/drought-statistics/>.

Harris, Gardiner. "Borrowed Time on Disappearing Land." The New York Times. The New York

Times, 28 Mar. 2014. Web. 5 Mar. 2015.

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<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/29/world/asia/facing-rising-seas-bangladesh-

confronts-the-consequences-of-climate-change.html?_r=0>.

"Hurricanes and Climate Change." Union of Concerned Scientists. Web. 5 Mar. 2015.

<http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science_and_impacts/impacts/hurricanes-and-climate-

change.html#.VPWBeEJVQUU>.

"Is Global Warming Really Slowing Down?" Grist. 2 Sept. 2013. Web. 8 Mar. 2015.

<http://grist.org/climate-energy/is-global-warming-really-slowing-down/>.

"Is It Rare to Die If You Get Malaira?" MALARIAcom. Web. 8 Mar. 2015.

<http://www.malaria.com/questions/malaria-death>.

"Malaria." WHO. Web. 8 Mar. 2015.

<http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs094/en/>.

"The Impact Of Climate Change On The Midwest: More Heat, More Droughts, More Floods, Fewer

Crops." ThinkProgress RSS. 7 May 2014. Web. 5 Mar. 2015.

<http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/05/07/3434933/national-climate-assessment-midwest/>.

"Top 10 Places Already Affected by Climate Change." Scientific American Global RSS. N.p., n.d.

Web. 04 Mar. 2015.<http://www.scientificamerican.com/slideshow/top-10-places-already-affected-

by-climate-change/>.

"World Carbon Emissions Data by Country." Web. 5 Mar. 2015.

<http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/jan/31/world-carbon-dioxide-emissions-

country-data-co2>.

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