Class B: Case Study Review

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Class B: Case Study Review

The case study selected for this review exercise is the one by Rasmussen and Ramsayer (2015) on the release and absorption of carbon and how it influences the climate. The purpose of this case study is to discuss and analyze seven case studies considered as pressing concerns regarding carbon release and its effects on the warming of the climate. Two of the seven cases include the radical changes in Arctic carbon and the ever-growing concentration of atmospheric methane and its greenhouse warming effects. The others are the carbon storage capacity of tropical forests, carbon release from wildfires, carbon storage and carbon-related changes to North American forests, oceanic abortion of carbon, and carbon absorption by phytoplankton.

In the case study, the authors have addressed the topic of carbon absorption and release by Earth’s ecosystems comprehensively and sufficiently in a way that appeals to policymakers and practitioner audiences to take active actions in limiting carbon release to the environment. Specifically, Rasmussen and Ramsayer (2015) use these seven cases as examples of extreme carbon-related events that continually interact with the environment, shaping the current state of climate warming and causing other harmful events such as wildfires, reduced forest growth, and acidification. The case study also allows policymakers to have a framework for predicting the future of the climate based on the current carbon footprint in the seven key areas addressed.

From an analytical outlook, this case study will contribute meaningfully to the development of Security and Disaster Management studies as an academic field and professional domain in three ways. Firstly, it points to the availability of satellite and remote sensed data from NASA space expeditions, which can assist scholars and professionals to track changes to the climate and make useful predictions regarding climate warming. Secondly, the case study sensitizes environmental professionals about the design, establishment, and adoption of scientific models and instruments for modeling the extreme events that have been identified to have a massive impact on climate change and warming. With such modeling and instrumentation, these professionals can better quantify climate change based on the projections of severity and frequency of extreme events that cause climate change. Lastly, the case study will contribute by the development of such studies by providing current and evidence-based facts and data that will add value to these studies.

Having been published in 2015, this case study retains its value with the time distance from the seven events or case concerns. The rationale for this argument is that carbon release and absorption have continued to shape climate change since the time Rasmussen and Ramsayer (2015) authored this article. What this means is that the article is currently relevant to informing contemporary policy, professional, and scholarly actions relating to regulating the amount of carbon released to the environment. Since climate change due to carbon footprint is expected to be a continuing issue, the article will likely be read with interest in the future to guide decisions on strategic climate change and disaster control actions and measures.

Rasmussen and Ramsayer (2015) have presented their arguments in a clear, concise, and compelling way. The quality of their work is outstanding as they back their claims with evidence from proven and accurate facts from NASA data repository. They express high levels of originality and timeliness in the points judging from the fact that they convey them using professional language without bias and subjectivity while acknowledging sources from which they obtained information used to corroborate these points. This makes it valuable to subject matter experts within the environment study area and other disciplines of interest. By using clear subheadings for each of the seven cases, Rasmussen and Ramsayer (2015) express acceptable clarity of presentation. From a systems analysis perspective, the modeling of climate change suggested in this article should be done with caution. The reason is that the establishment of competing models would generate complicated analyses that would generate too much information, which would obscure real solutions to the systemic problems that cause climate change such as the reduction of carbon dioxide, Meadows and Wright (2008) suggest. In summary, this case study illustrates the weight of carbon release on aggravating climate change, indicating the need for proactive measures to lessen the carbon footprint.

References

Meadows, D. H., & Wright, D. (2008). Thinking in systems: A primer. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing.

Rasmussen, C. & Ramsayer, K. (November 11, 2015). Seven case studies in carbon and climate. Global Climate Change. NASA. Retrieved December 2, 2019, from https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2365/seven-case-studies-in-carbon-and-climate/.