Assignment 3b: Analysis on the Threats Defense Argument

Analysis Report on Global Threats
Tera Verrant
Professor Salley
15/06/2020
Analysis Report on Global Threats
Global threats vary by impact and likelihood of occurrence. Some have a catastrophic impact and are more likely to happen, while others have minimal impact and are unlikely to occur (WEF, 2020). For this reason, it has become essential for the UN to prioritize the available resources towards the most prominent threats then progressively tackle the less critical challenges. This report offers a unique perspective by analyzing two threats with minimal impact on the global environment and comparing them to four other threats considered more critical. The threats to be analyzed include energy sources and cultural taboos.
Energy Sources
Past research documents increased global concerns over the effects of non-renewable energy (Spence et al., 2010). A substantial segment of the public perceives fossil fuels (non-renewable) as the primary contributors to climate change. Though evidence suggests that these sources are increasingly becoming scarce, the public still perceives them as critical threats to the global environment (Hagen & Pijawka, 2015).
Reasons why energy sources are becoming a less critical threat
Expansion of renewable energies
The use of renewable energies is on the rise around the globe. These alternative energy sources, like wind, solar, and geothermal, have been essential in cutting C02 emissions, an effective strategy in combatting climate change (Owusu & Asumadu-Sarkodie, 2016). The value of these energy sources extends to reducing air pollution, which causes health problems. A recent study established that the use of solar and wind energy alone helped prevent the deaths of 12,700 Americans between 2007-2015 and saved the U.S. tax-payer $112.8 Billion (Millstein et al., 2017). The fraction of lives saved in the U.S alone through renewable energies is about 1.9% of the deaths caused by climate change globally. Evidence suggests that renewable energy reduces the impact caused by non-renewable energies as compared to civil wars, globalization, and poor health of entire populations. Overall, renewable energy reduces the negative impact that energy sources have on the world, thus recording minimal impact when compared to the other four global threats (Hagen & Pijawka, 2015).
Adoption of energy efficiency measures
Nearly all countries have adopted energy efficiency measures because of their associated low costs and effectiveness in tackling climate change. Consequently, nations have already placed plans in place that improve how buildings and home appliances perform (D'Agostino, Cuniberti & Bertoldi, 2017). The World Energy Council (2020) asserts that buildings are responsible for consuming about 40% of energy while emitting 36% of total C02 emissions. Thus, the adopted measures for energy efficiency minimize the adverse effects that energy sources have on the global environment as compared to the damage caused by globalization, civil wars, poor health, and climate change.
Nuclear Energy is now Carbon-free
Evidence suggests that several countries in Europe and the U.S perceive nuclear energy to be carbon-free. Therefore, they view it as an integral component of energy s...