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Climate Change: Problems and Solutions

Conference Paper · December 2007

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 CLIMATE CHANGE: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS
*Smart N. Uchegbu and Ben Ugwuanyi,
* Associate Professor of Planning,
University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus
Department of Urban and Regional Planning
Tel: 234 803 342 5686; 234 805 2374974;
E-mail: suchegbu@yahoo.com:
Department of Urban and Regional Planning,
Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu
Accepted Date:
January, 2009
ABSTRACT
Climate change is a persistent fluctuation in the climatic elements for a considerable length time
usually 35 years as to show significant differences in the behaviour of climatic conditions, an
area or areas, when contrasted with the conditions years back. Different physical causes of
global climate change have been identified as solar flux, volcanic activity, mountain building
events and continental drifts, among others. Accordingly the anthropogenic causes include the
release of greenhouse gases through agricultural activities, land use changes; and industrial
processes. At such carbon dioxide, methane, halogen compounds etc when emitted out cause
harmful effects on the environment. Some of the problems of climate change on the environment
and man include physical effects on climatic parameters of temperature, precipitation all of,
which have implications for sea level rise or fall, flooding, drought etc, with their attendant
impact on the, aquatic, terrestrial and even arboreal ecosystems. Among other things, climate
change result in ozone layer depletion, global vanning, and desertification. Measures to control
climate change have been formulated chiefly by the western countries through series of
conventions spanning from 1990 's to the present. The aim of this paper is to look at the
problems, effects and solutions of global climate change. The findings shows that the control of
the global emission of the green house gasses by countries, changes in technology the release of
less gasses, use of alternative energy, de-emphasizing fossil fuel use, energy/carbon tax among
others are the solutions to the problem of climate change in a sustainable way.
Keywords: Climate change, Industrial processes, harmful effects, global emission, alternative
energy

INTRODUCTION
Climate change is a persistent fluctuation in the climatic elements for a
considerable length of time usually 35 years as to show significant difference in
the behaviour of climatic conditions of an area or areas (Adeleke and Leong,
1978). According to them, this involves the systematic observation, recordings,
and processing of the various elements of climate such as rainfall, temperature,
humidity, air pressure, wind, clouds and sunshine before any
standardization of the climatic means or average can be arrived at. Across the
globe, the degree of variability in the climate is not the same. The earth's
climate has not always been as it is today. Pickering and Owen (1995) have
averred that there have been times in the geological past when the global
climate was warmer or considerably colder than at present, citing evidence from
the geographic and temporal distribution of organisms, preserved as fossils and
particular chemical signatures and sediment types.
Interest in studying whether the climate is changing or not was brought about by unexplained
rise or fall in global mean temperatures, widespread drought conditions, sea's level rise or
fall, etc. The meteorological data over the years provided significant evidence through
climatic predictions and models constructions for the future The archeologists were enticed
by their desire to understand the climatic condition that existed during the early development
of human life and around the globe, (Pickering and Owen, 1995). Moreover, the present
climatic extremes in condition across the globe also caught the interest of the public.
Recently, studies on past climates have been facilitated by availability of fund for research,
leading to the discovery of computer based climatic models referred to as the general
circulation models (GCMS) As a matter of fact, no one discipline or area of study can claim
exclusive knowledge about the climate and its changes. It is truly an inter-disciplinary study
involving many experts such as geographers, geologists, chemists, biologists, physicists,
astronomers, mathematicians, planners, environmentalists and others. The expected effects
of climate changes justify this inter-disciplinary study efforts and it is hoped and expected
that through their efforts, the expected/ attendant problems of climate change will be
minimized The aim of this paper is to look at the problems, effects and solutions of global
climate change.

The Causes of Climate Change

Studies have tended to suggest that the causes of climate change are both natural and
anthropogenic. It has been argued that among the natural forces, the sun may have notable
impact, since the sun has direct influence on the atmosphere and ocean system, which is
essentially solar, powered, (Pickering and Owen 1995). The primary cause of climate
changes is the variation in gaseous content of the atmosphere, changes in the reflective
properties of the earth's surface and alteration in intensity of sunlight reaching earth surface.
They stated that short-term changes in global climate for a considerable length of time appear
to be as a result of solar flux i.e. a slight change in the distribution and amount of solar
radiation, which may ultimately exert external controls on climate. In fact it is argued that
such changes in ocean circulation and heat exchange between the ocean and atmosphere may
contribute significantly to climate change.
The increased use of motor vehicles from the late 1940s onwards may also have increased
atmospheric dust equally contributor is the volcanic eruption influences. In another angle,
volcanic activity influences climate change both in the long and short runs. This is caused by
the emission of enormous volume of greenhouse gas thereby increasing the rate at which new
ocean crust is generated. This increase in emission of green house gases can lead to
remarkable level in global warming and hence climate change. On a short-term note, volcanic
eruption can eject large volume of gases and ashes, which have implication for a change in
climate. Large eruptions according to experts can pump out tremendous quantity of ash into
the atmosphere to cause a reaction in the solar flux to the earth's surface.
It has also been argued that continental drifts are veritable factors that also cause climatic
change. These activities lend to help in generating many inactions, which give rise to green
house gases, capable of changing global climates. There are other natural causes of climatic
change, but by and large, it seems that the anthropogenic factors are more rapid in giving rise
to climatic change.
Climate is strongly influenced by change in the atmosphere concentrations of a number of
gases, which traps or absorbs infra-red radiation from the earth's surface. This is called the
green house effect (European Environment Agency, 1998). Accordingly, water vapour and
carbon dioxide CO2 result to natural green house effect, in conjunction with other important
gases such as methane, (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), halogen compounds of CFC's and
perflourocarbons (PFCS), (IPCC, 1990). Some authorities assert that fossil fuel burning is the
determinant driving force of the enhanced greenhouse effect, (IPCC, 1996). According to the
study other activities that cause greenhouse effect and hence climate change include .
 Agriculture
 Land use changes e.g. deforestation, etc (2%) globally
 Industrial processes e.g. cement
production 2% globally, landfill and wastes, refrigeration, foam
blowing and solvent use.
Carbon dioxide, of course is an important greenhouse gas, and it's source is chiefly from
man's activities. It is generally generated through the burning of fossil fuels for a variety of
uses and applications. USA and China contribute more to climate change and have refused to
sign emission reduction agreement. Table 1 summarizes the trend in Europe.

Table 1: Generation of CO2 4 from Human Activities

Activity Global Europe
Fossil fuel contribution 77% 98%
Industrial process 2% 2%
Landuse changes 21% 13%
Methane 27% 11%
Source: European Environmental Agency, (1998)
Recently, developing countries have been producing a sizeable quantity of these greenhouse
gases through massive industrialization policies and high rate of vegetation depletion through
agriculture, deforestation and the like.
Concentrated emission of methane contributes to climate change. Globally about 375 million
tones of methane are emitted yearly (EEA, 1998). The main sources of methane have been
listed by IPCC (1996b) to include
 Leakages from natural gas distribution networks
 Coal mining and
 Agriculture
Wetlands also contribute about 20% of global methane emission (ibid). Nitrous oxide,
another greenhouse gas, causing climate change are emitted in the range of 3 and 8 million
tonnes annually, and they are generated from fertilized lands, acid manufacture (part of nylon
production) and nitric acid manufacture, plus a small quantity from fossil fuel burning.
According to the European Environmental Agency, (1998) the causes of global climate
change can also be traced to the activities of man through energy use,
agriculture, waste disposal and industrial activities.
The discussion on the causes of climate change is by no means exhaustive. But
what is important is that human factors should be viewed seriously as a giant
contributor to climate change. A lot of global world efforts have been made to
control the emission of greenhouse gases because the effects of climate change
have been witnessed in different dimensions across the globe.
Effects/Problems Of Climate Change
According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC, 1997). Climate change has been identified by the European Union
as one of the key environmental themes to be tackled under the 5th
Environmental Action Programme. This is in line with the recognition of
climate change as a serious potential threat to the world's environment on a global
scale and in physical sense climate change especially from greenhouse effect will result in a
variety of problems and outlined by lPCC(1996a) as:
 Sea - level rise and possible flooding of low-lying areas
 Melting of glaciers and sea ice
 Changes in rainfall patterns with implications for floods and droughts
 Changes in the incidence of climatic extremes, especially high temperature extremes.
Accordingly, these effects of climate change would have serious problems pertaining to
the ecosystems, health, key economic sectors as agriculture and water resources.
As already indicated, human activities release gas that have a warming effect such as carbon
dioxide (CO2), methane CH4, nitrous oxide (N2O) troposphere ozone (O3), carbon
telrachloride CFC, etc HCFCS, HFCs etc. gases are contributor to global warming.
Other global implications of climate change emanating from these greenhouse gases
according to (IPCC, 1996a) include an estimated global mean temperature rise of 1oC to
3.5oC by 2100. When this happens, the implication is global ice melt leading to increase in
sea level and the consequent flooding. In other cases, excessive temperature may lead to
biodiversity loss, drought and unbearable weather conditions for man. In addition, rising sea
level due to increase in mean temperature will lead globally to the following consequences:
• Flooding and the displacement of wetlands and lowlands,
• Increasing the salinity of the estuaries
• Damaging freshwater aquifers (IPCC, 1997).
Managing the consequences from these climatic variations is not an easy thing. For example,
Bijlsman et al (1996) has stated that the cost of adaptation and protection against a one meter
rise in sea level has been estimated at US$12,300 million for Poland, and US$23,500 millions
for Germany. The cost by extension to other parts of the world including the developing
countries is equally enormous.
Climate change has repercussions for water availability. It has been argued that persistent
climate change may lead to drastic reduction in the level of streams, flow of streams/rivers,
volume of underground water and the like. Thus climate change may lead to shrinkage in the
surface water supply as well as the quantity and regularity of atmospheric water supply,
in some parts of the globe.
With regard to global ecosystems, agriculture and forestry on a global scale, "the main
impact on individual wild species is expected to be changes in their geographic
distribution" (Huntley, 1991). In another angle, while global climate change may result in
some cases to increase in agriculture (Peris et al, 1996), it may lead to crops being at risks
of late frost as well as leading to increase in some pests and diseases.

Table 2: Shows Some greenhouse Gases and Linkage To Climate Change

Gas Main Anthropogenic Sources Contribution to
Climate Change
CO2 Energy use, deforestation and changing land use, 65%
cement production
CH4 Energy production & use, animals, rice paddies, 20%
wastes, landfills, biomass burning, domestic
Halogenated Industrial, refrigeration's aerosols, foam blowing, 10%
compounds solvents
N2O Fertilized soils, land clearing, acid production 5%
biomass burning, combustion of fossil fuels
Source: IPCC (1996b)
Climate change may also lead to other physical/human problems whether directly or
indirectly. Climate change is known to affect the environment and the atmosphere
through:
(i) Global Warming. Global warming effect is not restricted to any geographical
area in other words, it is a global thing since many parts of the earth are witnessing
and experiencing unprecedented heat especially in tropical countries, while
temperate countries have also been confirmed hotter than before. The IPCC has
affirmed that globally, the last two decades of the 20th century were the hottest on
record (UN 1998), stressing that global warming causes environmental problem by
causing a rise in sea level, soil erosion, flooding and drought.
(ii) Depletion of the Ozone Layer: The ozone layer is the protective covering of the earth
from dangerous ultraviolet (UV - B) rays and other harmful rays of the sun. It
occupies a range of height of 20-30km above the sea level. The depletion of this zone
is facilitated by the Chloroflourous Carbons (CFCS) gases, and enhanced levels of
chloride and bromine compounds in the stratosphere. The effects is of ozone layer
depletion is immense. In humans, increase in UV-B radiation can cause skin cancer,
eye cataracts, sunburn, snow blindness, skin ageing and depression of the immune
system (Moan et al, 1989). It also affects the aquatic ecosystem by hunting the
production of phytoplankton and causing damage to the early development stages of
fish, shrimps, crabs etc (UNEP, 1995).
Other effects of UV-B radiation include
• Stunted growth of terrestrial plants
• Retards chemical processes in the lower atmosphere
• Low productivity in agriculture
• Causes the deterioration of synthetic materials as plants and other materials used
in the building industry, etc (Ukpong, 1994).
(iii) Desertification: As already indicated climate change may include unprecedented
increase in temperature which may have a dual effect. It may cause ice melting and
then flooding. On the other hand, persistent lack of rainfall is known to cause the
death of plants especially if supplemented by persistent high temperature. So, a
persistent increase in global mean temperature not balanced by a corresponding
increase in precipitation may lead to desertification. Desertification is the situation
that arises when an area turns into a desert -type of environment. The
environmental effects of desertification include loss of vegetation, soil erosion,
famine, landslides etc. (Uchegbu, 2002).
(iv) Biodiversity Loss: Climate change with its effects on temperature, precipitation
and other weather/climatic elements will surely impact on biodiversity.
Biodiversity can be said to include all life forms such as, fungi, protozoa, bacteria,
plants, insects, fishes and mammals (Uchegbu, 2002). Climate change induced rise
in temperature may lead to sea level rise with its consequent flooding which may
tend to disturb the biodiversity ecosystem balance. A fall in rainfall and
persistence in dry season may lead to drought condition, which may also affect the
biodiversity ecosystem negatively by reducing their life span.
Biodiversity loss in any form leads to the extinction of some plants and animal species
leading to the shortage or absence of basic national food resources from timbers and
fishes. The effect of climate change can also affect agriculture since the climate change
phenomenon may create an environment that may not be suitable for a particular crop
cultivation. However, it may also encourage the cultivation of other crops. The above
discourse on the effects of climate change is by no means exhaustive.
Probable Solutions To Climate Change Effects
Climate change is a global phenomenon and as a result global efforts have been made and
are still being planned to find solutions to the effects of climate change. The global
concern on the dangers of climate change was manifested in 1992 when governments
throughout the world attended the 1992 UN conference on Environment and
Development (held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and adopted a framework convention on
climate change (UNFCCC).
The convention was putting forward strategies to control the human side of the cause of
climate change viz - the release of greenhouse gases. Other conventions were held in
1997 in Kyoto (Japan). But prior to the Summit, the EU council on Environment Ministers
had proposed that developed countries should reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 15%
before 2010, (CEC 1997a, b). The developed countries are the principal generators of
greenhouse gases and as part of the solutions, they agreed to reduce CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs,
PFCs and PFS generation by an overall 5% from 1990 levels (UNFCCC, I997b).
In order to achieve the decision of these conventions, one practical way to immunize
greenhouse gas emission by the developed and developing countries include:
 Energy/carbon tax. This tax should be taxed progressively or proportionately to the
level of gases generated. Energy tax or greenhouse gases tax will tremendously reduce
the greenhouse gas emissions if carefully executed.
 Another possible solution may be the devising of a new set of vehicles/cars to
minimize exhaust gas releases. This can be further achieved by inventing
communication on a strategy for limiting CO2 from cars. A target can be set to try this.
For example a target of 5 litre/l00km fuel consumption for petrol, or 4.5 litres/100km
for diesel cars is recommended.
 Government all over the world should find and experiment on alternative energy sources
apart from fossil fuels that generate high percentage of greenhouse gases.
 Use of natural gas and biogas as fuel rather than coal.
 Road pricing or road tax to control careless uses of the road and reduce the number of
vehicles. In this regard, emission of carbon may be reduced.
 Reduction of land filling of waste, recycling and increasing controlled incineration. This
measure will reduce the introduction of methane to the environment.
 We can further reduce the emission of methane by applying appropriate technologies to
reduce methane from coal mining.
 Another solution is the application of the principle of aforestation i.e. planting of new
trees, and by re-aforestation i.e planting back cut down trees. These will help to maintain
balance of gases in the atmosphere and hence control climate change.
 There is also the possibility of changing our patterns of energy use, to conserve instead of
generating gaseous emissions. According to EEA (1998) patterns of energy use changed
between 1980 and 1995. Energy use in the transport sector grew by 44%, industrial
energy use fell by 8% and other fuel use grew by 7%, reflecting mainly growth in road
transport and a move away from energy - intensive industry. Nuclear energy use increase
from 5% to 15% in Western Europe.
 Energy efficiency programme
 Fuel switching from coal to natural gas.
 Improvement on management system
 Increase in afforestation programme
 Increase in grassland area
 Use alternative energy such as biogas
 Reduce carbon emission
  Discourage deforestation
 Education programme on climate change
 Economic development/poverty reduction
 Political stability
If the adequate policy measures are taken to control the anthropogenic forces of causing
climate change, the effect of the natural forces may be marginal in effect.

CONCLUSION
It is heartwarming to realize that climate change is a global problem rather than a localized
one. As such global attentions and solutions have been given and are still given to it over the
last few decades. There is still need for further research to make conclusive findings on some
other aspects of climate change such as global extent, intensities, effects and solutions.
According to Pickering and Owen (1995). There is the need for further research to further
preserve the environment from the effect of climate change. The research can help ensure
better future predictions through detailed observations of present atmospheric, ocean, and
land physio-chemical conditions. It is one thing to make policies and programmes, but it is
another thing to implement, monitor and evaluate such policies/programmes. The
listed solutions to climate change can be meaningfully achieved through implementation,
monitoring and evaluation of the compliance levels of the different governments on
especially the emission of greenhouse gases including the CFCs, PFCs, CFCFs etc.
It is hoped that more conventions on climate change and oilier environmental issues
should he regularly organized on rotationary basis, to span the various countries of the
globe. For example, EGA (1998) observed, "reducing CFC emission will reduce
stratospheric ozone depletion change, while reducing the emission of fossil fuel smoke
(soot), which is a greenhouse enhancing substance. It also reduces both global
warming and air pollution. In fact according to Uchegbu (2002), the panacea to some
of these environmental problems such us climate change is the adoption of (he policy
of sustainable development, which is the development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the. ability of future generations to meet theirs (UN,
1990). All policy makers should endeavour to bear this in mind.

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