Lake Mead

Lake Mead is among the most significant reservoirs in the western United States, serving many of the cities along the Colorado River. Studies have shown that the levels of this lake are likely to drop over the coming years and that if no action is  to remedy this situation, then Lake Mead will most likely dry up by the year 2021. There are many factors other than climate change, which are believed to have a significant effect to the lake’s drying up. It is these factors, excluding climate change, which shall be discussed in this paper in relation to the dropping water levels on Lake Mead.

One of the factors which affect the increase in the dropping levels of water on Lake Mead is the rise in the human population which relies on the water supply from the lake. Lake Mead is responsible for the supply of water to such key cities as Phoenix and Las Vegas, and the ever increasing human population in these cities is stretching the ability of Lake Mead to supply water efficiently. If action is not taken to get an alternative source of water for this population, then it is most likely that the lake will indeed be dried up in a few years time (Henetz).

A significant factor, which has a crucial effect on the possible drying up of Lake Mead, is drought. This reservoir is situated at a place which is particularly prone to drought. It is, therefore, extremely difficult to predict whether a drought will last for only a few months, or for several years. This makes it highly uncertain that the water in lake will be maintained in the current levels. There are times when there is an abundance of rainfall to replenish the water supply, but such rains are always short and are, therefore, not reliable. It is more likely than not that drought will continue to plague this region unless there is a serious climatic change (Brean).

The maintenance of the water levels of Lake Powell, which is upstream of Lake Mead, also has an effect on the possibility of the latter drying up. More water is required to maintain the height of Lake Powell, and this is detrimental to Lake Mead. This is because Lake Mead is denied the necessary supplies of water needed to ensure that it does not dry up. Moreover, Lake Mead, as stated above, supplies ever growing cities, and because of this, it needs more water to ensure that this supply is stable. If this trend continues for the next few years, then it is inevitable that Lake Mead will dry up (Rogers).

Lake Mead, and by extension the Colorado River which maintains it, relies heavily on the abundance of snowfall to replenish its water supply (Hawkins). Snowfall is not usually abundant, and there are times when it is not enough to maintain the level required for the lake to be effective. This means that in order to supplement the water supply of Lake Mead, there is often an overreliance on rainfall. Rainfall is always in short supply, in this area due to the fact that it is prone to drought. This dependence on rainfall is, therefore, not logical because it is not known whether it might utterly fail. If the latter happens for an exceedingly long time, then it is highly likely that Lake Mead will dry up.

Global warming – Myth or Reality

The issue concerning global warming should not be politicized. There are people out there who live in secured areas and because they have money, and they think they can buy anything. What has to be realized is the fact is that global warming is taking place every second. Politicians are using it as a way of winning votes in their respective countries worldwide. They stage campaign crusades to talk about it but in the long run, they are the exact people fueling the process. They own those companies which emit dangerous gasses every day, but they never talk about it during their campaigns (Lynch, et al, 213). Some people have gone to the extent of being too philosophical and only believe that it is just a myth rather than a reality. Even religious leaders, who do not have as much education as other people do, are much more sensitive on the issue of global warming. These religious leaders talk about the issue of global warming in church. This is their right because they believe that it is one of the catastrophes written in the Holy Bible. Behreandt, D (Pg 31) contends that the issue of global warming has raised a hot debate in the world in the twenty-first century. The main problem is that people are pretending not to see the fact and are, instead, waiting to see what exactly will happen. Let everyone be vigilant so that this problem can be solved in a united and logical way.

It will be sensitive of us to take the facts with us and live by them, and I will not hesitate to fight those who oppose the existence of global warming. The fact is that it is real and this reality will always prevail no matter how much we try to conceal it. I will not deny that people are different but if we consider the ideology of global warming being a myth, what facts do we have? Fictitious stories will be written to explain the idea that global warming is just a myth.  The most pertinent question to be asked would be ''are we going to be solving the problem since it is already with us?'' Millions of dollars will be generated by the sales revenue of books and movies.  However, a time will come when the truth will matter to us more than the economic endeavors. That is when the whole world will be desperate for relevance because all the doors of saving the planet will be shut. Christian believers will term this as a biblical rupture and they will certainly say the savior has come. However, when we think deeply, there can never be such a thing because the coming of the Messiah shall not be revealed to anyone, not even Christ himself.

The effects are real as scientists have already demonstrated the depletion of the ozone layer due to the massive emission of harmful gasses such as carbon dioxide. In addition to this, the sea level has been on the increase especially in the twentieth and the twenty-first century. This is a clear sign that we are burying ourselves slowly, claiming that we are technologically advancing the world. Signs of destruction such as the tsunami are evidence of the consequences of rising temperatures. All these among other are caused by the increased human activities that lead to the release of the causing factors. One would argue that the increase in the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere goes back to the start of the industry in Europe. This means that more carbon dioxide is being produced without control and release in the atmosphere. Moreover, vehicles that emit harmful gases are being manufactured every day. On the other hand, no one is ready to put measures on the control of such gasses. The steady decrease of the quantity of irradiance on the planet is a contributing feature to the disaster. This is happening as a result of what are called aerosols which are produced by the presence of pollutants and volcanoes. As a result, the cooling effect is being reduced hence more rays of sunlight reaching the earth. The continued destruction of the aerosols has reached its highest point and that is why the temperatures are increasing. At the same time the ice is thawing into the Atlantic Ocean leading to an increase in the sea level.

Another consequence of rising temperatures is the change in the climatic patterns. It is becoming increasingly difficult to predict what the weather will be like in a few months’ time. As a result, hurricanes have been on the increase in America and other parts of the world. Heavy rains without patterns have destroyed houses and claimed so many lives especially in Africa. Water borne diseases are on the increase as a result of the rains. We are talking about a problem after the other each and every day. Each second means a change in the environmental conditions and this means that in the near future people will not be able to walk freely on the planet earth. It will no longer be the heaven that we used to enjoy and instead it will be the hell that has been talked about by believers. The effects of global warming will not be evenly distributed and there are areas that will be more prone to the effects. On the other hand,   there will be others that will not be hard hit by the catastrophe (Hayashi, et al, 87).  However, this should not be a segregation factor. People should not start saying that I play my part in reducing global warming. People should come together and see this as a global crisis as it already is and start working hand in hand for the future of this planet. The future generation is dependent on the effort to making this planet a healthier place. Politics should be put a side and people concentrate on what matters most.

Those who still believe that global warming is but a myth should spare some time and learn more about what it is causing to the planet. They should be more analytical and see over the horizon and in this way; they will appreciate the consequences of human activities on the planet. They will at least be aware of what is ahead of them. There is no falsehood when talking about a worldwide crisis as global warming. The intergovernmental forum has to strategies ways of fighting the crisis rather than fighting among themselves. In the process, people should not disregard that fact that the problem is in within us.

Opinions concerning the Implementation of Environmental Policies in London

Varying opinions have been given concerning the Mayor of London’s main concerns about the city, with some arguing that he has his priorities right in trying to protect the environment of the city. Others, however, believe that his priorities are not in the right direction and that his attention should be more focused on issues that are of more importance than the environment. Some have said that because of the global economic recession, the Mayor should give more attention to the creation of more jobs for those people who are unemployed. They argue that more jobs are needed if the, current improved, standards of living are to be maintained. There are, however, those who fully support the Mayor’s initiatives concerning the environment, stating that saving the environment should be given a priority so that future generations can have a safe place to live. They argue that the environment is the most valuable thing in the world today, more important, in fact than fighting unemployment, because with global warming, perhaps life, as we know it, will come to end.

Most people agree that there has been a colossal air pollution problem in the city and that it is high time it was tackled to ensure a clean environment. Because of this, they support the Mayor’s policies concerning the environment, especially those dealing with air pollution, with the hope that once implemented, these policies will be able to help deal with health problems, which are related to unclean air (Rydin, et al, 2012, 2082). Those who support the Mayor’s green initiative state that he has taken the right step to combat the production of carbon emissions to the environment. They believe that the reduction of such emissions in the city will not only have a significant impact on the reduction of the global emissions, but it will also give other cities in the world a model to use for their environmental policies. They, further, have hope that the Mayor’s policies will come to be successful because, of the fact that, each of them has a specific timeline within which to be implemented. This will ensure that adequate funding for such initiatives is provided for in the budget of the GLA, making them a success. Mechanisms have been put in place to measure the impact of these policies on the environment of London, and this is to make sure that they are turned into reality.

Other people have mixed reactions towards the Mayor’s focus environmental policies, believing that while cleaning up the environment is a praiseworthy thing to do, he should ensure that these policies are balanced with others which are based on development. They feel that some of the environmental policies being initiated by the Mayor are not based on the reality of the situation. Some have said that the initiatives are way too ambitious, and it will be impossible to achieve them within the time allocated. These people may be right because the ambition of making London an emission free city by 2025 is indeed an uphill task which will require extraordinary efforts to achieve. Some would say that thirteen years is too short a time, within which to achieve such a colossal task, especially when one considers the fact that at present, London is still heavily dependent on the use of fossil fuels. It has   that more needs to be done by the GLA to make the people of London more receptive of greener fuels.