“We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change and the last generation that can do something about it,” rightly says former American President Mr. Barack Obama. Noted statesman Franklin Delano Roosevelt, too, had rightly put it in perspective when he said: “A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.”
It is not the ‘climate change’ we face today, but a ‘climate emergency’. It affects our mother Earth as well as we human beings who live in every corner of the world.
Climate change refers to the long-term alteration in the climate pattern of the Earth. In 2019, India was the 7th most affected country due to climate-led extreme events-–both in terms of fatalities and economic losses. Landslides in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the Yamuna river overflowing in Northern India due to torrential rains, severe heatwaves that affected the whole of India from March to June, irregular monsoon showers and drought in some parts are examples that climate change is a harsh reality.
Therefore, it is crucial to know the causes of climate change:
(1) Deforestation: The felling of trees, which help absorb CO2, has led to climate change. Rapid destruction of forests on a large scale continues to cause global warming.
(2) Emission of greenhouse gases: Due to man-made causes like burning fossil fuels, industrialisation, etc., there has been a sharp increase in the emission of greenhouse gases like CO2, CH4 and NO2 in the atmosphere. These gases trap heat and cause global warming, which has led to climate change.
(3) Industrialisation: The growth of industries is a significant cause of concern. It increases the global carbon footprint due to the emission of greenhouse gases. Industrialisation, along with urbanisation, has negatively impacted our climate.
(4) Agriculture: The rearing of livestock and extensive use of fertilisers have led to a spike in methane and nitrous oxide in our atmosphere. This is also causing climate change.
(5) Sewage: It is surprising that sewage also contributes to climate change. Sewage gases include hydrogen (H2), methane (CH4), ammonia (NH3), carbon monoxide (CO), phosphine (PH3), hydrogen sulphide (H2S), carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). NO2 gas, which is released from sewage, is found to be 290 times more harmful than CO2.
“Climate is what we expect, and weather is what we get”. These words of Mark Twain tell us that ongoing climate destruction is bound to have severe consequences for Mother Earth.
Some of the notable consequences of climate change include:
(1) Rise in sea level: A prediction that by 2050, much of Mumbai, India’s beautiful coastal city, will be submerged under water shows the impact of climate change-induced rise in sea levels. The rise in global temperature is leading to the melting of glaciers, which in turn is raising the sea levels.
(2) Global warming: According to NASA, the temperature of the Earth has risen at least by 1.11 degrees Celsius since 1880. This is indeed a cause of concern as it can lead to natural disasters and cause heavy damage to human civilisation.
(3) Extreme weather conditions: Frequent incidents of cyclones, floods, droughts, heatwaves, wildfires, irregular rainfall patterns, etc., in various parts of the world are the deadly effects of climate change.
(4) Impact on human health: Changes in climate patterns can severely affect human beings. Climate change can cause diseases like cancer, heat-related illness and the spread of vector-borne diseases.
As rightly said by our Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, “The most powerful way to fight climate change is behavioural change”. These words remind us that the climate is changing, and so should we. The time has come that we take necessary action in the following ways :
(1) Reduce the emission of greenhouse gases: Reducing the use of fossil fuels, changing the agricultural pattern, using eco-friendly technologies in the industries, reducing the number of vehicles on the roads (either by car-pooling or the use of EVs), etc. can reduce the emission of greenhouse gases to a considerable extent.
(2) Actions by government and international organisations: Various international organisations like
the UN have always worked for the cause of climate change. The Kyoto Protocol, in 1997, for example, had
set reduction targets for developed countries. In 2015, the Paris Agreement was signed by various countries, which promised to limit global temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius and to further decrease it to 1.5 degrees Celsius in coming years. Other institutions like the World Bank, World Health Organization, etc., have also supported this cause.
India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), 2008, is also an example that India is proactively tackling this global issue. NAPCC outlines a national strategy that aims to enable the country to adapt to climate change and enhance the ecological sustainability of India’s development path. It stresses that maintaining a high growth rate is essential for increasing the living standards of the vast majority of people of India and reducing their vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. There are eight National Missions, which form the core of the National Action Plan. These are : the National Solar Mission, National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency, National Mission on Sustainable Habitat, National Water Mission, National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Eco-system, National Mission for a Green India, National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, and National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change.
(3) Raising public awareness: Over the years, the public has been made aware of this issue and the need to opt for climate-friendly practices. Various rallies and programmes are organised to encourage people’s action against climate change. Youngsters like Ms. Greta Thunberg and others have made the fight against climate change massively global.
Even though we have done so much against climate change, it is not enough. The problem of climate change is big, and bigger is the task of solving it. We mark October 24 as the International Day of Climate Action every year. Let’s not restrict it to a one-day programme and instead make it an everyday programme. It is possible to solve the problem of climate change if we work together.
Let’s recall 20-year-old global climate activist Ms. Greta Thunberg’s words: “Some people say that I should study to become a climate scientist so that I can ‘solve the climate crisis.’ But the climate crisis has already been solved. We already have facts and solutions. All we need to do is to wake up and change.” Being the younger generation and future citizens of tomorrow, let’s be the change we wish to see in the world.
