Essay on Effects of Climate Change and Response Strategies

Both Vulnerability of Waterborne Diseases to Climate Change in Canada: A Review and Canadas Strategy on Climate Change: Work with the American States demystify the adverse effects of climate change. This paper assesses the rhetoric that the authors use to advance their perspectives on the issue of climate change

According to the authors of Vulnerability of Waterborne Diseases to Climate Change in Canada: A Review, the phenomenon affects various aspects of societal well-being ranging from water quality, water availability, agricultural productivity and the general habitability of the earth. Historically, water-borne diseases have not been a common occurrence, but with the advent of climate change, various incidences of such illnesses have been reported (Charron et al., 2004). From the perspectives of the article, it is vital that policymakers and national decision makers continue to weigh the general health implication of climate change in water quality.

The authors draw on the logic that with already various cases of waterborne diseases associated with adverse climate, it is only arguable that the trend is likely to continue thus necessitating proactive response frameworks to address (Charron et al., 2004. The authors approach to the issue of climate change is one that is thematic and focuses only on how such a variation in climate impact the health of the Canadian Society.

From the onset, the article inadvertently addresses climate change from the dimension of awareness creation. It appreciates the fact that perhaps many Canadians do not know how changes in climate result in the quality of drinking water and population health. The authors systematically trace the pathway through which climate change may lead to dangerous water-borne diseases that have the potential of jeopardizing the perceived population health (Charron et al., 2004. For instance, various aspects of climate change including the variable frequency and severity of the drought, floods, and rise in sea level, extreme rainfall, and fluctuations in snow cover continue to change in some parts of Canada due to climate change. The authors advance the logic that a change in the hydrological regimes as a result of variations climate portend a similar shift in pathogen entry and behavior in source and finished water (Charron et al., 2004.

The authors use abstract figures to demonstrate how severe climate change-related water quality degradation can be. For instance, they give percentages and actual numbers about the effects of waterborne infection in Canada. In the article, 35% of enteric disease in Montreal were attributable to preventable waterborne illness (Charron et al., 2004. Furthermore, the section restates that 4200 cases of giardiasis and 1600 incidences of cryptosporidiosis were reported in Canada in 2001. The authors try to make statements to the extent that the proportion of waterborne related cases in Canada. However, they use the estimated figures to systematically trigger necessary policy decisions aimed at improving not only the water security but also water quality in Canada amidst changing the climate (Charron et al., 2004.

The authors appeal to the emotion of decision makers and policy developers in Canada by portraying climate change as a consequence of both natural and anthropogenic factor but whose effects are not easy to reverse within reasonable tie scales hence the need to develop relevant adaptation approaches (Charron et al., 2004. At best, this article is more oriented towards identifying the problem without necessarily exploring feasible solutions to address them. Logically, the pronouncement of issues is also a way of inspiring intervention strategies; the article falls short of having a direct approach to eliminating climate change related degradation of water quality.

As opposed to Vulnerability of Waterborne Diseases to Climate Change in Canada: A Review, Canadas Strategy on Climate Change: Work with the American States explores the collaborative approaches that the Canadian government continue to engage in as an approach to dealing with climate change. Therefore, the article employs an optimistic approach to the effects of climate change in Canada (Ian, 2017). In the article, the author asserts that climate change will continue to affect various aspects of the world economies in general and Canadian population specifically. Therefore, it proposes that the government should make battling climate change its top priority.

Through expressing the need for global cooperation in addressing the issue of climate change, the article appeals to reason. Ideally, climate change is a cross-border phenomenon caused resulting from the collective outcome of activities of individual countries (Ian, 2017). The New York Times article portrays Canada as relentless in its quest for a world that is not only safe but also secure. The safety and security of the country depend on the general world security which is threatened by climate change.

By portraying climate change as a shared problem than the article tactically emancipates other countries to also join in addressing it. Nonetheless, it underscores the need for the most affected states and the countries whose activities are highly responsible for climate change to cooperate in resolving the issue. The article makes its assertions for appealing to the populous to rise and mitigate climate change before it progresses to critical levels (Ian, 2017). For instance, it provides a clarion call for partners in business, labor and civil society to cooperate for the common good by offering a multifaceted approach to the issue of climate change.

References

Charron, D. F., Thomas, M. K., Waltner-Toews, D., Aramini, J. J., Edge, T., Kent, R. A., & Wilson, J. (2004). Vulnerability of waterborne diseases to climate change in Canada: a review. Journal of toxicology and environmental health, part A, 67(20-22), 1667-1677.

Ian Austen (June 7, 2017). Canadas Strategy on Climate Change: Work with American States. The New York Times.