Climate change, one of the most talked-about topics of recent years, has its effects no matter where you go in the world. Before answering the question of what climate change, or global warming, is, according to some, it is defined as a cyclical process of our world, but according to many, global warming is a result. A result whose effects become deeper every day…
What really is global warming?
Global warming means an increase in temperatures as a result of the increase in the density of various heat-trapping gases, especially carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere of our universe. In other words, as the name suggests, our world is gradually becoming a much hotter place. As our world, which has existed for billions of years, began to change the balance that makes human life suitable, the issue of global warming began to come to the fore even more. In other words, after the consequences of global warming began to become visible and palpable, humanity began to take steps that something needed to be done. Although the scientific community had long ago discovered that the temperature of our world was rising, the issue of climate change began to come to the fore more and more, especially in the 2000s.
What are the main causes of global warming?
To put it briefly: With industrialization gaining momentum since the mid-1900s, we can explain it as faster industrialization and growth, with the increase in production and the concept of economic growth gaining importance. In other words, it would not be wrong to say that we are experiencing climate changes today as a result of societies, especially developed countries, industrializing for decades, ignoring the damage they cause to the environment.
With industrialization, the change in people’s daily lives, their transformation into a consumer society, and finally humanity reshaped by technological developments, began to have an increasing effect on global warming with every step it took.
What are the damages of global warming and its effects on economies?
In the 2000s, as the scientific community proved that carbon emissions should be reduced, something began to be done on a global scale. Global warming continued to increase as a result of countless conferences, congresses, summits, decisions taken, and those decisions not being implemented or not having the expected effect in practice. The melting rate of the glaciers at the north and south poles, which was expressed in centimeters in the early 2000s, is now expressed in meters.
The process, which begins with the melting of glaciers that are tens of meters thick and have existed for perhaps millions of years, mixing with the oceans and seas, returns as floods in many parts of the world. Irregular weather conditions, natural events that lead to disasters, drought-related food crises and thirst, which cause the issue to be called climate change, are negative aspects that everyone can understand about the danger of global warming.
The economy, which can be considered as the cause of global warming, is among the areas most affected by this phenomenon. Nowadays, environmental protection criteria are taken into consideration in production processes in many countries. The concept of sustainability is gradually shifting towards the center, causing nature-friendly, environmentally friendly technologies and elements to attract attention. With the expenditures made to protect nature while producing or consuming, and the costs being guaranteed by law, another very strong front will be opened in the fight against global warming.
So, will the agreements made and measures taken at national and international levels be effective? Time will tell, but it is a good sign that events such as the Paris Climate Agreement and COP are attracting more and more world attention. For example, COP 1, the first of which was held in Berlin in 1995; The 26th edition of the first United Nations Global Climate Summit, held in 2021, had a great global impact and was talked about a lot.
What is COP? What does COP 26 mean?
COP is the abbreviation of the English expression “Conference of the Parties”, but can be translated as “Conference of the Parties” in Turkish. The annual summit brings together 197 countries and is organized within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
