Crisis of Our Time: Climate Change

 


Just like me have you also experienced extreme weathers? How you also pondered over Mauritius oil spill and it’s impacts on aquatic flora and fauna?

Have you observed the rising numbers of floods and cyclone across the globe? Number of respiratory and skin problems? Summers getting hotter? Food and water shortage and barren and drought land?

But this is what we call results of climate change. This is clearly a result of human activities and increasing population

People believe that end of this corona virus spread is end of problems and a life back to normal but is that so, NO, a bigger problem than this pandemic is climate change which will and is evidently leading to climate disaster. Entire ecosystem is collapsing.

 

What Is It All About?

The levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere has been observed over years by scientist, and according to them there has been a spike noticed in the level CO2 that took off during industrial level and continued since then.

Why was there such a jump? The answer is yet simple. over the years human beings have evolved with an increase in their materialistic needs, desires and consumptions, and so has the society evolved from traditional to modern society. Hence, we humans are reason of 95% of the problem that cause climate change.

We have been burning fossil fuels like oil and coal which release CO2 to power our home, factories, airplanes, cars etc.to add on to this, the global population has tripled over last 70 years increasing the consumption of animals and that release another pollute gas called methane.

So, all these gases are released into the air and when sunlight’s gets into the Earth’s atmosphere some of the heat gets trapped and the planet gets warmer. That’s what is Greenhouse Effect The problem doesn’t lie in earth getting warmer but it is getting way too quickly.

This can be better explained – United nations says that right now our world is around 1 degree Celsius hotter than pre industrial times (1800), which is fine. 

In fact, the UN says if rise by 1.5 degree C before 2100 this is fine too. UN says even 2 degree is fine but again the problem is speed because right now we are about to hit 1.5-degree C just in 10 years and if this does not slow down this means catastrophe.



Taste of Climate Change

Europe is currently colder than Arctic. Sea levels are rising about 3 milli meter a year because sea water expands as temperature gets warmer resulting in floods and cyclone. Over millions of deaths are reported due to this.

Melting ice sheets and glaciers also adds trillions of tones of fresh water into our oceans. People around the world are already losing their homes and searching for new shelter and livelihood. If things carry on, millions of us have to pack up too.

All the cities and countries that are on coastal lines can we flooded and drown in approx. 80 years like Osaka, Chile, Miami and entire island nation in pacific can go disappear.

Disasters are becoming more and more frequent. Dramatic impact of droughts in different parts of world all this is a real threat to existence of human being or life in general on Earth.

 

Need to Be Address on Urgent Basis

I wonder that why we won’t follow things that are for own good .In simple words if a doctor by looking at a sick person’s condition prescribe him medicine and tells him fundamental guideline to take care .

The person will obviously follow the same and take medicines as he knows that  not doing the same will only worsen his health and may lead to death.

There are a lot of agreements signed by world political actors like Kyoto protocol, Paris agreement. But these superpowers like USA are withdrawing their names from Paris agreements and china and Russia not following the guidelines. All this are empty promises and inaction on the part of authorities.

On the other hand, there is positive momentum, with spreading awareness and individuals realizing their duties towards Mother Earth. Countries like India and Morocco are even making progress by promoting use of renewable energy.

There are people talking and contributing for clime change as young as Greta Thunberg who are constantly pushing the world leaders to shift their focus from economy to the survival of human kind.

But I will blame us as we are not doing enough .As we don’t follow those things, we expect others to do .So I want all of you not for me ,not for mother earth but for your own life’s sake and your upcoming generation ,ask this question to yourself that;

ARE YOU DOING ENOUGH ?

Make an effort, try to bring the change and try to influence others to do the same. Remember that at the end every effort made by every individual maters and that is what helps us at the end. 


Written by – Shalaka Pathak

Edited by – Adrija Saha