Page 17 - Çevre Şehir İklim İngilizce - Sayı 1

Zekâi Şen

Introduction

For human beings to exist on Earth there should be a suitable climate and
sufficient water resources. Especially in the atmosphere, certain chemical
components must be present in certain proportions for the living beings
to survive. Solar radiation is the reason for the mobility takes place in the
atmospheric chemical components. Particularly, the bottommost layer of the
atmosphere (troposphere) with an average 10-km thickness plays an effective
role in the survival of living beings. This happens despite the fact that this
layer contains very low levels of water vapor (humidity), carbon dioxide (CO2)
and methane (CH4). In general, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions cause
to global warming and climate change impacts. Thus, atmosphere needs to
assimilate the GHG emissions caused by human activities in a balanced fashion.
Once an imbalance takes place, this may lead to disturbing consequences for
the environment and nature. Thus, this would impact not only troposphere,
but also all the living creatures inside. Besides, there could be a shortage in
the essential ingredients of life, water resources (drought) as well as excess of
it (floods). This could lead to undesirable changes in the water quality.
Climate change has appeared throughout the 4.5-billilon-year history
of the Earth as a result of variations in the chemistry of the atmosphere. A
field tour and inspection concerning the geology, the surface formations
(geomorphology) and geography as well as climate conditions will provide
important evidence for the situation. Due to the natural climate changes
since millions of years, the fresh air, water resources, petroleum reserves
and coalfields became, the treasures above and below the Earth’s surface
for today people needs. If the Earth had not been exposed to any climate
change over the past 4.5 billion years, everything would have remained in
the same state and perhaps the Earth would not support life today. In Qur’an
Kareem, Allah states that the universe was created for people to live in, and
everything natural is presented in balance within flexible boundaries. If these
boundaries were rigid and vulnerable, life on Earth would not be possible.
These elastic boundaries allow everything to change and develop in natural
balance. Petroleum resources are nothing but the remains of natural climate
change of the past. It is now understood through scientific research that the
desert regions with petroleum reserves used to be woodland and green areas
in geological epochs of million years ago. Owing to natural climate change,
humans migrated to regions, where water resources were ample and easily
accessible to survive.
It is widely accepted that the anthropogenic climate change will affect first
the water resources. Around 8-10 thousand years ago, our world was covered
with ice and humans led a carnivorous life, hunting reindeer (Timuçin, 2000).

2 Journal of Environment, Urbanization and Climate,