Climate Change: Energy and Mineral Resources - Term Paper Example

Running head: ENERGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES Energy and mineral resources NAME DATE Introduction Energy and mineral resources Climate change is caused by various phenomena among them human activities. Its effects are also varied and they include change in sea temperatures and sea levels, rising atmospheric temperatures, extreme weather, diseases, loss of biodiversity among other things. Edwards, Geoffrey, Miller, Clark (2001). Climate change is becoming a hot topic by the day because of the negative effects associated to it and which are becoming prevalent in these days. The effects of climate change are believed to cause adverse effects in the environment which threaten the existence of life on earth. This topic is therefore appropriate bearing in mind that it bears a lot of significance to the wellbeing of living things on earth. The relationship between mining and climate change cannot be ignored. In certain areas of the world mining is believed to contribute to the causes of climate change in various ways. This essay aims at exploring the topic of climate change and hence establishing its relationship with mining. Climate change Climate change is a lasting change in the way weather patterns are distributed over time periods that range from tens to millions of years. The change can be in average conditions of weather or fewer or more weather events that are regarded as being extreme (Edwards et al 2001). Climate change could be localized to a particular area or it may take place across the entire earth. The term at times can be used in reference to change in climate that occurs due to human activity instead of the change resulting from the natural processes of the earth. Change in climate results from change in the energy balance of the globe. The rate with which the earth receives solar energy from the sun and the rate with which the energy is lost to space is the determinant of the earth’s climate and the equilibrium temperature (Edwards et al 2001). The energy is taken by ocean currents, winds as well as other mechanisms and distributed around the world to cause various effects on the climates of various regions. Climate shaping factors are called forcing mechanisms or just climate forcings. These forcings are among others processes like concentrations in green house gases, deviations in the orbit of the earth, continental drift and mountain building and changes in solar radiation (Edwards et al 2001). There are a number of different climate change feedbacks which either increase or reduce the forcing. Certain parts in the climate system like the ice caps and oceans have a slow response to climate forcings while other display a quick response. The forcing mechanisms are classified as either external or internal. The internal mechanisms are natural in the climate system (Edwards et al 2001). External forcing mechanism could be natural such as the variations in solar or anthropogenic like high green house gas emissions. Whether the original forcing mechanism happens to be external or internal the climate system might give a fast response for example an abrupt cooling because of volcanic ash in the air that reflects sunlight, a slow response for example the thermal expansion in ocean water that is warming up or a combination like abrupt albedo loss within the arctic ocean as the ice in the sea melts to be followed by a slow expansion of the ocean water. The climate system may give an abrupt response although the total response to a forcing mechanism may not develop fully for thousands or millions of years (Edwards et al 2001). Several phenomena have been identified as the natural cause of climate change. The major ones are volcanoes, continental drift, tilting of the earth, meteorites, comets and ocean currents. The continental drift as the first cause impacted on the climate by changing the position of physical features on land, the features themselves and positions of water bodies. Separating these land masses brought a change in winds and ocean currents hence affecting climate. Another cause is volcanic eruptions. Volcanoes erupt producing dust which blocks the sun’s rays hence cooling. Sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere combines with water droplets forming aerosols which hang into the atmosphere causing cooling many years later (Edwards et al 2001). The tilting of the earth also causes climate change. It causes seasons when the earth tilts towards and away from the sun at various times of the year. This tilting can cause severe summers and severe winters hence climate change. Another cause of climate change is ocean currents. This is a key component within the climate system. They move very large amounts of heat across the earth just as the atmosphere hence climate change. Other climate change causes are classified as anthropogenic. Among them are the causes of green house gases which are among other things the various industrial activities of the present world (Edwards et al 2001). Effects of climate change Climate change has a number of effects on earth. Among them is the contraction of areas with snow cover, increased melting of permafrost areas and a fall in the ice extent of the sea (Edwards et al 2001). There is also the increasing frequency of extremely high temperatures, heavy precipitation and heat waves, increase in the intensity of tropical cyclones and increased precipitation in places of high latitudes. Climate change also causes decreased precipitation on land in subtropical regions and reduced water resources in many semi arid areas among them the Mediterranean basin and western U.S. (Edwards et al 2001). Climate change and mining Climate change can be linked to mining in two ways; First is in the perspective of the effects of climate change on mining and secondly through the ways in which mining causes climate change. In the 21st century climate change has become a very big issue that affects the earth. A world that is carbon constrained in a big way poses major challenges to the mining as an industry. The international Council of Mining and Metals considers climate change especially the effects of Green House Gases as the biggest environmental issue facing the mining industry (Edwards et al 2001). Climate change threatens mining in a number of ways. Among them is the growing storm frequency, changes on patterns and amount of precipitation and extremes in temperature. Impacts of climate change also affect the mining industry. The major culprit is the negative impact that is caused on water resources. The places affected by drought are likely to grow in number. This possibly reduces the amount of water available for mining activities. At the same time the potential benefits of a high amount of run off could be offset by the impact of seasonal runoff and variable precipitation (Edwards et al 2001). Climate change however may not impact the mining industry directly in a big way if there are management strategies and regulations to take care of factors like usage of water and other environmental issues that relate to rehabilitation. Drought and water scarcity resulting from climate change can affect certain mining projects. Change in intensity and frequency of storms and related events also have an impact on mining operations such as by tailing dams, control of sediments and erosion. The mining industry is faced with the highest risk of having to meet the rising concerns over environmental issues. This creates a difficulty in obtaining the required approvals for the mining projects especially coal. Mining causes climate change as well (Edwards et al 2001). Open cast mining strips land of vegetation and forest cover. Forests are known to act as carbon sinks since they play a major role in the carbon cycle. Destruction of vegetation increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere yet it is a green house gas. Deforestation also leads to aridity and desertification which is an aspect of climate change. Mining releases methane from the underground reserves. Methane which comes from coal mining is 20 times more harmful as a greenhouse gas when compared to carbon dioxide. Methane therefore contributes to global warming hence climate change. Coal was formed during the formation of coal through geological processes and it exists in underground mines (Edwards et al 2001). In a different way coal mines cause climate change because of fire which is often ignited through bad mining practices. Underground coal fires burn for many years and even centuries and in the process they release carbon monoxide, methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, sulphur dioxide together with other green house gases as well as fly ash from fissures and vents. The largest and most of the coal fires occur in China where over 15 million tones of coal burn annually producing toxic gases (Edwards et al 2001). Conclusion Climate change can simply be viewed as the change in weather patterns over decades and centuries in a given region or across the world. Climate change is continuously affecting the earth through various ways such as melting of ice, rise in sea levels, drought and excessive precipitation in different areas among other things. Climate change is linked to mining because its existence impacts on the activities of mining. The mining activities also impact on climate hence causing climate change. Climate change causes drought hence reduced availability of water for mining activities. Mining cause climate change through deforestation which contributes to drought and global warming, coals fires which produce green house gases and the release of methane trapped in the underground mines. Methane contributes to global warming. Mining activities should be carried out with a lot of care to avoid the negative effects such as coal fires and release of methane which result in climate change. References Edwards, Geoffrey P; Miller, Clark A. (2001). Changing the atmosphere: expert knowledge and environmental governance. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press. Read More