The Issue of Climate Change

The problem of climate change today is extremely relevant. It is well-known fact, the climate of our planet is changing fast enough. Well-established term ‘global climate change’ means the reconstructing of ecosystems. These observations suggest an increase in sea levels, melting glaciers and permafrost, increasing irregularity of rainfall, change in river flows and other global alternations related to climate variability.

Everyone is informed about effects of climate change, considering the increased frequency and intensity of severe weather events, and the spread of infectious diseases. All these factors cause significant economic damage threatening the existence of stable ecosystems, human health and even life. Conclusions of the scientists prove that the ongoing climate changes in the future may lead to even more dangerous consequences if humanity fails to take proper measures.

Human ecology is a complex ecological and socio-economic field of knowledge where all social, economic and environmental conditions are considered as equally important components of the medium’s life, providing the different sides of his needs. Ecology, in the broadest sense, is a dynamic relationship with the community environment where it is located. Human ecology studies human adaptation to changes in the environment through the lens of social conditions. In this relatively new section which includes a range of knowledge of the theoretical and practical issues that affect different areas of human existence.

First, here is investigated the interaction of the human body with environment. The general theoretical aspects of adaptation are also discussed. We investigate patterns and mechanisms of human adaptation to changes in environmental conditions, different levels of adaptation limit adaptive capacity of the organism, adaptive behavior. According to DeWeerdt (2007), focusing efforts on developing countries could also produce the greatest possibility to adapt to climate change.

Second, we observe the human adaptation to various natural factors (thermal radiation, magnetic fields, air, temperature, barometric pressure and meteorological conditions) and climatic conditions. In recent years, research efforts are aimed at opening the biological basis of human interaction and the environment in an integrated eco-physiological approach, including the analysis of the environmental significance of natural, social and technical factors for the body, the degree of their isolated and combined action, structure anthrax ecological ties, especially each reaction.

The main tasks are to develop original method for assessing the stability of neural plasticity and processes, and the main types of central regulatory mechanisms, their connection with the human ability to adapt and self-adaptation strategies. Of great importance are the results of studies on the health of geographical and social aspects of human ecology. The problems of human ecology have been discussed repeatedly in the domestic and overseas symposium and conferences. ‘To date, efforts to gain knowledge of the policy and to adapt to a large extent based on a synthesis of published studies’ (Challinor, A., Ewert, F., 2009).

The term “environmental justice” refers to the United States since the early 1980s were solving the problems at the intersection of environmental, social and health policies. It is mostly about the different environmental impacts of different social and ethnic groups and the locations, regions, where they live. Environmental justice provides the necessary foundation for changes in public policy concern. The distribution of environmental benefits and harms is a fundamental right to which very few people may argue. Justice is important, but we must not forget about the need for more systemic changes, which will make it possible to create decent living conditions for people, regardless of their class accessories, types or colors. Local government working with other interested parties can make such changes in the state.

The opinion of world’s community is that globalization can solve the problem of ecosystem degradation. Now is a new era of human development and at the heart of economic relations based scientific forecasting of events, planning and management of socio-economic and ecological processes.

The idea of global inequality takes into account stratification between whole countries. There is a division between rich countries and poor, but stratification is about more than just the number of product per head. Relations between countries depend on their status on a scale stratification. Such relationships are mainly economic, but also political, which include elements of all six measurements.

Here are four basic theories and approaches to the model of global stratification: imperialism, world system, the culture of poverty, and the theory of dependence. In the book Sociology by Richard Schaefer we see how cultures unfold ideology, functionalist and conflict theorists’ opinions about culture.

Climate change is a development issue, because of the possible effects on the many aspects of human life, today it is probably one of the most important issues of development. In Sociology by Schaefer, R. (2011) we see how cultures develop a dominant ideology, how functionalist and conflict theorists view the culture. In this sense, climate affects every single part of the material and spiritual life of humanity, which join the main content of the historical process. Environmental security has become an important part of national security. For the efficient and comprehensive management of nature (ecosystems) there is the need of higher levels of social knowledge, filling its value and meaning characteristics. Only in this case will be achieved harmonic, based on the principles of reason, sense of value, relationships between man and the surrounding environment. An integrated approach to the development of adaptation measures, combines science, technology, and the decision makers will cut the vulnerability of society and economies to climate change.

References

Challinor, A., Ewert, F., Arnold, S., Simelton, E. & Fraser, E. (2009). Crops and climate change: Progress, trends, and challenges in simulating impacts and informing adaptation. 60(10), doi: 10.1093/jxb/erp062

DeWeerdt, S. (2007). Climate change, coming home: Global warming’s effects on populations. Farmington Hills: Thomson Gale.

Schaefer, R., (2011). Sociology. NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies.