The planet is undergoing Anthropocene period which is a geologic time period greatly influenced by a human being centered on the devastating global facts that biospheric, hydrologic, geologic, atmospheric and other earth system processes have been interfered with due to human activities. Human behaviors can be largely blamed for the environmental changes which are currently experienced. In pursuit of good life, humans have undertaken numerous activities in total disregard of the impacts of their behaviors and activities, collectively and individually. Ironically, humans continue with their activities regardless of their negative effects on environmental and at the same time complain of negative environmental changes such as climate change (Change, 2016).
Climate change can be traced back to the period of the industrial revolution with its roots in Europe but it swiftly expanded to other continents. Even though industrial growth has enhanced the global economy and the current race is cognizant of negative effects of industrialization such as emission of carbon to the climate, nothing tangible has been done so far, apart from holding annual climate change summits whose resolutions are not implemented. Emitted carbon raises the global temperatures which lead to increased melting of land-based ice such as glaciers and ice sheets and thermal expansion caused by warming of oceans resulting in global sea level rise such as in Pacific (Change, 2016). The oceans are absorbing more than 90% of the increased atmospheric heat linked to emissions from human activities.
Sea Level Rise in the Pacific
The rise in sea level is the most significant effects of climate change. Since the conception of the industrial revolution, sea levels have been rising substantially and the future high projected rates have attracted the attention of the world. In the 3500 years that Pacific islands have been settled, there have been occasions that changes in the sea level have affected the coastal bioproductivity to the extent that island societies have been transformed. Coastal inundation, erosion, and groundwater salinization have caused loss of productive land along the most Pacific island coasts over the past 200 years that sea level has been rising. Recently, at least five reef islands in the remote Solomon Islands have been completely submerged and a further six islands have been eroded severely. Nuatambu islands which are habitat to over 25 families have lost more than half of its habitable area in which, since 2011, eleven homes have been washed away into the sea (Church, 156).
Behaviors and Practices
Arguably, industrial practices can be largely attributed to the emission of the carbon. Carbon in the atmosphere destroys the ozone layer which acts as a protective cover against harmful effects of the sun such as increased temperatures. The net effects increased temperatures is climate change whereby the planet is experiencing a rise in sea level, prolonged periods of winter and summer leading to destructive rain when it falls (Mimura, 138). Behaviors such as continued use of fossil fuels for household purposes have also not made the situation any better. Humans have continued to depend on fossil fuels for the provision of energy ignoring the fact that they contribute to the build-up of greenhouse gases responsible for increased global temperatures. These temperatures are absorbed by glaciers and oceans leading to increased levels of sea specifically the Pacific Ocean.
Eurocentric worldview whereby industrial revolution emanated fuelled colonialism which ended up shaping the destinies of cultures around the globe. Western culture influenced the cultural values of the respective colonies. Colonies were influenced to behave and think like their colonists engaging in activities which colonists were showing them. The end product was that colonies engaged in practices that were destructive to the environment just like colonists. Environmental degradation became a norm to colonies, thereby changing their cultural values to represent those of colonists. These colonies which most of them are currently developing countries have continued to embrace western culture irrespective of the negative impacts to the environments (Mimura, 140). The sum total of this is climate change which leads to sea level rise.
Pacific Islanders
Pacific Islanders are cognizant that behaviors and practices that will negatively affect the environment will ultimately culminate in their extinction. Destroying their environment will make it easier for the submergence of their island (Mimura, 141). As such, Pacific islanders engage in economic and subsistence activities that will preserve their land. They self-regulate their farming practices to ensure they aim at the minimal disturbance of the soil. Heavy tilling of the land will loosen the soil making it easier for erosion and inundation. They have to maintain the current level of the ground in an attempt to cheat the rising sea levels. Also, Pacific islanders cultivate dense vegetation cover on the ground to help mitigate the activity of erosion.
Pacific islanders undertake different behaviors and practices to the other parts of the globe are doing so as to prevent their respective islands from submergence and so their existence. Although other parts of the world suffer from effects of climate change, Pacific Islanders are at the greatest risk of experiencing the real wrath of climate change (Mimura, 141). This difference in behavior is deeply rooted in the different environment they evolved in. While rest of the world was greatly influenced by western behaviors, practices, and cultures, pacific islanders evolved indigenously knowing that they have to preserve their islands, not only for economic and subsistence welfare but also for their sole existence. They have evolved without the interference of their cultures and beliefs from the outside world.
Cultural Adaptations
Due to colonial neglect and historical isolation, the Pacific islands is home to the world’s most diverse range of indigenous cultures continues to sustain many ancestral life-ways. Initially, Pacific islanders adopted the Hawaiian code of conduct popularly as Kapu, which helped the Islanders to maintain the purity of their culture and regulated the relationships among islanders. The code made the Pacific Islanders to observe strict practices that have enabled them to preserve their respective islands (Church, 158). Islanders are also building dynamic atolls at the most vulnerable positions around the islands. They are helping to fight negative effects of coastal inundation of the island ground and control the levels of rising Pacific. The myths and stories associated with their ancestral life help the Islanders to self-regulate their behaviors and practices when it comes to conservation of the environment. For instance, Pacific Islanders have been using coconut energy to power cars and outboard motors. They are using the renewable sources to get rid of electricity, for example, Tokelau Island became the first territory globally to meet all its electricity needs with solar power.
The survival of Pacific Islanders is pegged on their ability to contain the sea level. By adopting the adaptations discussed above, islanders enhance their chances of survival through reducing the practices that can contribute to climate change. For instance, strict observance of Kapu code of conduct regulates their relationships as well as their practices on the island (Church, 158). Atolls reduce the effects of coastal inundation on the island. Reducing and eliminating the dependence on the fossil fuels as a source of energy will help Pacific Islanders to eradicate practices that contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases.
Indigenous Value Systems
Cultural knowledge helps the Pacific islands to find solutions to deal with the impacts of climate change and environmental problems. These solutions have enabled generations in Pacific nations learn to live in harmony with their environment. These nations have clung to their culture protecting their land from colonial westernization. The Islanders have been able to make environmental conservation part of their norms and beliefs passed from one generation to generation creating a system of values. This indigenous value system is mainly effective because historical isolation from outside world prevents shifting of moral and ethical principles of a society (Church, 164). As such, the system is able to control the individual and collective behaviors to ensure that environmental conservation and ultimately their species.
This preservation of indigenous value system can help the larger world overcome cognitive dissonance that make people act blindly to the effects of their actions. People across cultures can learn to observe their indigenous values to safeguard the environment in an attempt to contain the climate change. The indigenous value system of Pacific nations can teach people across the cultures that they can be to live a comfortable life without their behaviors causing negative impacts to the environment (Edenhofer et al., 2011). Even in the light of cultural evolution, people across culture can adopt adaptive cognitive dissonance to positively impact long-term sustainable survival of the culture or species as a whole within an ecological context. Culture prevails as a necessary product of human evolutionary adaptation enabling people to apply their values to various complex issues such as environmental conservation.
Adaptive Strategies
The issue of sea level rise not only in the Pacific Ocean but also in other oceans. The solutions to the issue come in various forms including discussions in the international arena. Some examples of adaptive strategies applied include; the rise of indigenous people in international politics. Indigenous people through their leaders are becoming part of the pressure to force the international community especially the larger emitters of greenhouse gases to commit to Paris resolutions on climate change (Edenhofer et al., 2011). Secondly, there is increased activism by non-governmental organizations to pressure larger emitters such as the United States and European nations to implement Paris resolutions and other tangible measures aimed at controlling the carbon emitted by their factories. However, many countries are reluctant to implement these resolutions.
Another example aimed at containing the behaviors that culminate in climate change. There is a significant shift in these local behaviors because people are beginning to recognize their negative effects on the environment. For instance, people are resorting to renewable sources of energy such as solar panels in lighting and heating water in their households. Reliance on solar power reduces dependence on the electricity which is mostly generated by burning diesel which emits carbon (Edenhofer et al., 2011). Since it is the human activities that cause the problem, it will also take adaptive human action to alleviate and eradicate the wrath of climate change.
Works Cited
Change, Climate. "Climate change." (2016).
Church, John A., Neil J. White, and John R. Hunter. "Sea-level rise at tropical Pacific and Indian Ocean islands." Global and Planetary Change 53.3 (2006): 155-168.
Edenhofer, Ottmar, et al. "IPCC special report on renewable energy sources and climate change mitigation." Prepared By Working Group III of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK (2011).
Mimura, Nobuo. "Vulnerability of island countries in the South Pacific to sea level rise and climate change." Climate research 12.2/3 (1999): 137-143.
