Integrated Europe. The contribution of the EU to the global climate policy (eBook)

Seminar paper from the year 2018 in the subject Politics - Region: Western Europe, grade: 2,3, University of Applied Sciences Stuttgart, language: English, abstract: The average global temperature is rising since years due to the increase of greenhouse gases. Human activities cause this phenomenon, which allows the solar energy to enter the atmosphere but not to outgo it.

Melting glaciers leading to a rise of the sea level is just one of numerous consequences, which could endanger insular states or any other coastal areas. Extreme weather events yield to floods and droughts in areas in which environmental disasters didn’t occur before. For this reason, especially for poor countries, who can’t handle the aftermaths, are affected which represents a danger for their food production but also for the lives of many people. For instance, heatwaves have already caused many of deaths.

In addition, the agricultural area and the availability of fresh water is decreasing because of the rising temperatures. The dropping stocks of aliment, as for example fish, causes regional conflicts, famines and flows of refugees. Moreover, many kinds of plants and animal become extinct owing to the results of the climate change.

As you can see the global warming is affecting not only the liquefying poles and the polar bears but also us, the hole humanity and the living standard of future generations. The United Nation (UN) estimates the number of migrants who are forced to leave their homeland by reason of the environment by several million people.

So how exactly can we protect the climate, what is climate protection, what is the contribution of the European Union (EU) to it and why do we need a European climate policy?