Environmental Risk Perception Article Paper

Environmental Risk Perception Article Paper Bill Hasler Environmental risk is an issue perceived in dissimilar ways by individuals across the globe. In fact, it is impossible to assess full accuracy of environmental risk research. This is due to several environmental aspects which require thorough investigation. In the recent past, global warming has been the major topic under consideration. This paper seeks to analyze two articles related; one analyzes issues of global warming, and the other highlights aspects not related to environmental issues In short, the first article focuses on the effects of tourist, transport, and industries on our environment. This article indicates that transport is one of the major contributors of global warming. Some forms of transport such as buses, cars, trains, and airplanes ferry tourists to their intended destinations (Cristina, 2013). However, as indicated in this article, road and air transport lead to emissions of huge amounts of fossil fuel which in turn pollute the atmosphere. Additionally, the article records that air transport is the primary contributor of greenhouse effect (Cristina, 2013). In fact, the rate of pollution falls at 60 percent, followed by road transport at 40 percent of the total greenhouse effect. This article supports this documented evidence by considering other sources such as charts from the WTO (World Trade Organization). Moreover, it indicates that greenhouse effect can be reduced if emission of carbon dioxide can be reduced through modern technologies, as well as sustainable environmental care. The second article reviewed the variability in climate for the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), an important aspect of climate makeup for much of the world. This article does take many weather factors into consideration such as wind, sea surface temperature, and cloud radiation (Ng, 2014). It should be noted that the suggestions and arguments in this article are based on a specific climate model, GFDL-ESM2M Coupled Climate Model (Ng, 2014). The article points out that positive IOD events occur when the eastern IOD (IODE) is anomalously cool (Ng, 2014). These events lead to droughts in Indonesia and Australia and flooding in areas of East Africa and India (Ng, 2014). The article goes on to say that it is unclear whether the atmosphere or the ocean is responsible for the amplitude of these events (Ng, 2014). This particular article, utilizing the aforementioned climate model, essentially found no conclusive evidence that the Indian Ocean is or is not impacting global warming (Ng, 2014). When comparing the two previously mentioned articles, it is first important to understand that although they discuss two different topics, climate in the Indian Ocean and tourist transport gases, the underlying issue is the same; global warming. The first article makes it very clear from the beginning that global warming is of great concern. The article is very effective in providing data to back up what is suggested. The fact that the data gathered comes from several credible resources goes a long way towards supporting their claims. The second article is completely different in its approach and goal. The authors seemed intent only on establishing that there was no discernable risk of global warming from the Indian Ocean point of view. They did do a great job of providing data, maybe too well. The article was jam packed with a ton of data that seemed to be credible, but it only served to leave the reader feeling like the authors really did not know whether or not global warming was a concerning issue. The first article also did a great job of providing alternative methods and suggestions to decrease gas emissions, thereby reducing the impact to climate change. The second article did not really seem to be solution based. With any environmental issue, there are always going to be stressors involved. With these articles in particular, the main stressors were traffic, noise, pollution, and weather. The first article focused mainly on noise, traffic, and pollution, while the second article really only focused on weather. The stressors from the first article are ones most people encounter on a daily basis. Dealing with noise and traffic are very common stressors, especially in the U.S. Pollution is something many citizens deal with worldwide, but it goes largely ignored because the source of much of this pollution is emitted by factories that provide much needed jobs. Weather is not looked at as a stressor very often, unless a specific event such as a tornado is present. What many people do not realize is the impact on the human state of mind that occurs with extended weather patterns, such as long winters or heat waves (Linda Steg, 2013). My own risk perception of global warming is one of great concern. When I read about the level of gases being emitted into our atmosphere, just in the tourist industry alone, I was shocked. The first article brought home for me just how real the issue of greenhouse gases really is. The fact that the second article essentially had no explanation for the weather patterns coming from the Indian Ocean did not help to ease the level of concern. There are alternatives available in the way of technology and equipment to help monitor and reduce gas emissions, as pointed out in the first article (Cristina, 2013). The fact that these methods and approaches are not being utilized tells me that our species is not nearly as concerned about the environment as we should be. The second article to me is a shining example of what our species is inclined to do; explain things away with massive data no one understands, rather than address the issues. My stance is one of heightened concern. I have been guilty in the past of ignoring the environment and the issues we face. However, reading that 90% of carbon oxide emissions come from over the road transportation, I cannot ignore it anymore (Cristina, 2013). I intend to continue to research these issues and share my findings with anyone I can. References    Cristina, M. L. (2013). Analyzing the Forms of Tourist Transportation with Major Effect on Global Warming and Sustainable Development. Agricultural Management / Lucrari Stiintifice Seria I, Management Agricola, 151-156. Linda Steg, A. v. (2013). Environmental psychology: an introduction. British Psychological Society and John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Ng, B. C. (2014). Nonlinear Feedbacks Associated with the Indian Ocean Dipole and Their Response to Global Warming in the GFDL-ESM2M Coupled Climate Model. Journal Of Climate, 3904-3919.