Climate Change- Is it too late to save the planet?
Author: Suraj
‘Climate change’ is a term which we come across everyday. It’s talked by one and all, and you might wonder why is it so important to understand it. Well, here goes.
What is Climate change?
NASA defines climate change as “A broad range of global phenomena created predominantly by burning fossil fuels, which add heat-trapping gases to Earth’s atmosphere. These phenomena include the increased temperature trends described by global warming, but also encompass changes such as sea-level rise; ice mass loss in Greenland, Antarctica, the Arctic and mountain glaciers worldwide; shifts in flower/plant blooming; and extreme weather events.”.
In layman terms, it is the global phenomenon of climate transformation characterized by the changes in the usual climate of the planet that are especially caused by human activities.
Well, we all know that don’t we? Some may ask, what’s the fuss about it now?
Significance of increased temperature trends
These few degrees that rise as a result of global warming and cause the climate change are the difference between survival and extinction.
With one degree Celsius of warming above pre-industrial levels, the world has already seen a crescendo of tropical storms swollen with more moisture, and made more deadly by rising seas.
The rise in temperature by just 5 degrees would lead to something known as “hothouse Earth” climate scenario. This “hothouse” climate would make parts of the world uninhabitable.
Apart from this, there are a few issues which will indirectly impact us either socially or economically. They are as follows:
Coming back to the matter at hand, is it too late to save the planet and decelerate climate change? The answer is no and yes.
Are we too late?
We’ll get to the first part. A study in 2019 conducted by the UN said that, the earth has only 11 years left before irreversible damages are done, but a 2020 report said that we have just 18 months to save the earth. And then, the pandemic happened.
These uncertain times have inadvertently helped the environment, with frequent sightings of clean air, blue skies and clear river water.
The UN General Assembly President back in 2019 said that, “We are the last generation that can prevent irreparable damage to our planet”.
But the consequences owing to climate change have already begun. Increased heat, drought and insect outbreaks, all linked to climate change, have increased wildfires. Declining water supplies, reduced agricultural yields, health impacts in cities due to heat, and flooding and erosion in coastal areas are additional concerns.
World biodiversity has declined alarmingly in half a century: more than 25,000 species, almost a third of those known, are in danger of disappearing. Climate change will be responsible for 8% of these.
So it’s fair to say that climate change has taken it’s toll and some damages are irreversible. But every cloud has a silver lining, doesn’t it?
It might not be too late to avoid or at least, limit some of the worst effects of climate change. According to NASA, responding to climate change will involves a two-tier approach:
- “Mitigation” — Avoiding and reducing emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to prevent the planet from warming to more extreme temperatures.
- “adaptation” — Altering our behavior, systems, and in some cases, ways of life to protect our families, our economies, and the environment in which we live from the impacts of climate change. The more we reduce emissions right now, the easier it will be to adapt to the changes we can no longer avoid.
he most ironical and concerning part of all this is that, we are not serious about this issue yet and more embroiled in petty issues such as building more weapons to save ourselves against our own. This very insecurity dilemma will propel mankind to it’s end.
Many philanthropists, governments and organizations are doing their part to minimize the effects, but at the end of the day it’s up to us, the next generation.
So think wisely, act accordingly, educate and enlighten minds, both young and old so that our descendants have a planet which is inhabitable.
