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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>.