CLIMATE CHANGE; 21st CENTURY’S BIGGEST THREAT TO HUMANITY
Abstract
The
term climate change is defined as the change impact on the temperature of the earth
due to heavy emissions of greenhouse gases naturally as well as by human-induced activities. Heavy emission of Chloro-Floro-Carbon (CFC) gases including
carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), and the burning of
fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) has caused certain changes in climate
which we sometimes term “Global Warming.”
World Health Organization (WHO)
has considered climate change as the biggest threat of the 21st
century to global humans, animals, plants, and other living things. If the rapid
increase in the temperature of the earth continues in the future, the biodiversity of
life on the planet earth will be under great threat.
Therefore United Nations
Organization (UNO) including World Health Organization (WHO) is stressing all
the member countries of the world to take necessary actions to stop this
catastrophic climate change before it’s too late for us to save life on planet
earth. This blog article intends to highlight some important statistics related
to climate change, its possible impacts including consequences, and what are some
possible solutions to overcome this biggest threat to humanity across the
globe. Let’s read them out below.
Introduction:
Although
both “Global Warming” and “Climate Change” terms are interchangeably used yet
they have specific meanings and understanding. It was James Hansen (NASA
Scientist for Climate) who used the term "global warming" in 1988, which usually
refers to human-induced warming of the temperature of the earth. Whereas the term "climate change" became quite common in 2000 and onwards, that refers to natural
as well as human (anthropogenic) changes in the temperature of the earth.
Over the
past 50 years, the average temperature of the earth has risen up to 4 0C
which is a huge rise that has actually caused sudden heat waves, wildfires,
intense storms, weather extremes, heavy floods and rains, food insecurity,
water scarcity, human displacement and huge economic losses in the world.
Actually, the increase in carbon emission (whether natural or man-made) causes an increase
in the temperature (hot weather) similarly, a decrease in carbon emission causes a decrease in temperature (cold weather), therefore we need to reduce carbon
emission and need to balance its emission as in case of too much reduction in
carbon emission, it will lead us to very cold weather conditions on the planet.
On
the other hand, due to the emission of Greenhouse gases, the air has become
comparatively hotter. The increase in CFCs and nitrous oxide along with carbon
has not only damaged the Ozone layer but has also caused the earth to absorb more
sunlight, which then radiates and converts into heat. As a result of it, Greenhouse gases absorb and re-emit infrared radiation including slowing
down the speed of sunlight that passes through the atmosphere and escapes into
space.
How did “Global Warming” & “Climate Change” emerge?
Since
the 19th and 20th-century advancements in science,
technology, and industrialization and with the rapid increase of CFCs emission
in the name of human advancement and progress, the temperature of the world started
rising. Similarly, the expansion of agricultural land, rapid growth in human
population, and deforestation caused the gradual rise in temperature.
Fertilizer
consumption for agricultural purposes, electricity consumption for
domestic and industrial use, transportation, and explosions of weapons are the
major cause of the release of CFCs into the environment. Due to scientific inventions
and the increase in human population we required more land to live on as well as for
agricultural purposes which eventually reduced forestry and as a result
today we consume up to 34% land area of the earth for agriculture, forests have just
reduced to 26% only, while 30% of remaining land area is covered with deserts
and glaciers.
Ideally, there should be at least 33% of the total land as forests.
So we can say that on the one hand scientific inventions and on the hand, rapid
growth in the human population has caused the increase in global warming and
created climate change.
What
are the Impacts of Global Warming & Climate Change?
Climate
Change and Global Warming are causing very devastating impacts on the physical
environment of the earth like droughts, heat waves, hurricanes, typhoons, melting
of ice in glaciers, increase in the level of oceanic water, heavy rains, and
floods. Antarctica has been witnessing significant change due to climate change
issues where ice sheets and glaciers have started melting at a very dangerous
level.
Similarly, nature and wildlife are also at a high stake. Certain changes
in our ecosystem, expansion of deserts, and reduction of forest land have
endangered all forms of life, especially extinct wildlife. As a result, some species are about to disappear once and for all. On the other hand, climate change has started affecting not only human life but also its sources
of survival.
Food scarcity, severe health problems, the emergence of new fatal
diseases, flooding of coastal areas, and soil erosion are the signs that in
near future there will be huge food insecurity, livelihood problems, loss of
economy, and displacement issues for human beings in the world.
What
the World Has Been Doing So Far?
Although
most countries are the part of the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) since 1994 there has not been done anything
commendable, particularly from those countries that are major carbon and CFC
emission countries in the world including America, China, England, France,
Germany, and India, etc.
Various conventions have been called including the Kyoto protocol in 1997, Copenhagen Accord, in 2009, and Paris Agreement in 2015
but major Greenhouse emission countries are not giving any positive and serious
response to this 21st century’s biggest threat to humanity.
Although
G77 countries (advanced countries of the world) have been promising and signing
different agreements from the Kyoto Protocol Convention of 1997 in Japan to the Paris
Agreement of 2015 in France regarding reducing the emission of Greenhouse gases
and carbon nothing substantial has come out of such conventions from time
and again.
The reason behind the lack of reduction the Greenhouse gases, particularly from the advanced countries is their vested economic interest. The
heavy industries inside advanced countries heavily rely on fossil fuels and other
non-renewable sources of energy.
What
are the Possible Solutions to Climate Change Issues?
As it
is said that every remedy has some possible solution, the same is the case with the
issue of climate change that the world is facing at the moment. There are a number of solutions if we can surely overcome the climate change issue to a greater extent. Some important solutions are discussed below.
Renewable Energy as
an Alternate Source: There is a dire need that we have to deviate from renewable sources of energy as quickly as possible. On the
other hand, we need to increase the efficiency of energy by ensuring sensible
use of it. Unnecessary consumption of energy needs to be reduced as much as it
is possible.
Preservation of Food
and Water Resources: Food wastage through five-star hotels, restaurants,
and other social gatherings needs to be stopped immediately, particularly in
advanced countries. Similarly, we need to preserve water resources and ensure
proper and economical consumption of pure water resources including the use of
water for agricultural purposes.
Plantation and
Forestry: Plants are considered as lungs to the earth’s environment,
therefore we need to grow more and more plants and ensure at least 33% of the
earth’s total land preservation for forests. Plants are a great source to
balance the ratio of carbon dioxide in the environment as most plants eat
carbon dioxide during the daytime.
Increasing the Process
of Recycling of the Synthetic Materials: Proper handling of
pollution, dumping of waste, decreasing the use of chemicals, pesticides and
fertilizers in agriculture, and recycling of polythene bags, paper, as well as
polyvinyl pipes, etc. also help to reduce the release of Chloro-Floro-Carbons in
the atmosphere.
Converting the World
Auto-mobile Industry on Renewable Sources of Energy: Every day millions of liters of fossil fuel are being consumed by heavy vehicles and
automobiles across the globe which is one of the greatest sources of carbon
emission in the world. Therefore we need to convert the world automobile industry
to renewable sources of energy as soon as it is possible so that carbon
emissions may be limited to a greater extent.
Making Strict Laws
against Unlimited Emission of Greenhouse Gases: World,
particularly the United Nations Organisation needs to come up with certain
strict rules and regulations against the leading Greenhouse emitting countries
of the world. Advanced countries like America, China, France, England, Germany,
Japan, Italy, Australia, Canada, and India need to realize that they are putting
the entire humanity at stake by not taking any serious measures and steps
against the emission of Greenhouse gases.
Launching Advocacy
Campaign across the Globe: We already see a reasonable campaign against climate change in the world particularly by WHO, however, we need to
pacify this advocacy campaign in every single nook and corner of the world as climate
change is the biggest and equal threat to all the countries of the world.
Conclusion
Climate
change is without any doubt the biggest challenge and threat to the entire
humanity including animals, plants, and other forms of life. We need to address
this severe issue before it’s too late otherwise we will not be able to
preserve our planet for the coming generations. For this noble cause, the world
needs to come up with full enthusiasm as it is our responsibility to make this
planet a green and better place to live on not only for ourselves but for our
coming generations as well.
Note: The writer Raja Bahar Khan Soomro is a professional teacher, analyst, and keen observer of current issues of the
world.
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