Climate Crisis: have you heard this term often, lately? If yes, then you can do something if you want to save the planet; if not, then I can only pray to God or you can at least read this article to get an idea.
Just to set the context, here are some of the facts and figures:
- The current warming rate is roughly ten times faster than the average rate of ice-age-recovery warming. Since 2010, the earth has recorded the five warmest years and 2016 was the warmest year on record.
- 1,000,000+ species face extinction. Around 5 species a year is the expected rate of species extinction, but we’re losing up to 10,000 times faster than the normal rate. This implies that 5–6 species go extinct every hour.
- The world’s tropical forests are shrinking at a shocking rate, the equivalent of 1 football pitch in every two seconds. 120,000 square kilometres of tropical forest were lost in the year 2018.
- In the last decade, the rate of Antarctica ice mass loss has tripled. Glaciers are now retreating almost everywhere around the globe — including the Himalayas, Alaska, Andes, Rockies, Alps, and Africa. Antarctica lost about 127 billion tons of ice per year between 1993 and 2016.
- Average sea levels have swelled over 8 inches in the last century, and about three inches gained in the last 25 years. The rate has doubled in the last two decades compared with the previous century, and it is increasing every year.
- There is a 60% drop in average wildlife populations in just over 4 decades. Climate Change is thought to be the third biggest driver of biodiversity loss after changes in land and sea use and over-exploitation of natural resources.
- We are living in a time where there’s more carbon dioxide in our atmosphere than at any time in human history. The same amount of carbon dioxide contained by the earth’s atmosphere was more than three million years ago. Climate scientists have alerted that high carbon dioxide levels will lead to terrible and irreversible changes in the climate.
- 11% of the world’s population i.e. around 800 million people are vulnerable to climate change impacts, such as floods, droughts, extreme weather events, and sea-level rise.
- Our oceans are dying every day. Our planet is only as good as its oceans. The United Nations has warned that marine life faces permanent damage as millions of tonnes of plastic waste ends up in the oceans every year. 50% of the world’s coral reefs have died in just over the last 30 years.
- Climate change could be irreversible by 2030.
It is enough to understand the gravity of the situation if you are still not convinced then wait for some years and you will able to see yourself.
Climate change is real and it is changing our surroundings every day, at a rate that we can’t imagine. If we will not act now it will be too late to come back. 97% of the world climate scientists agree that human activities are the reason for climate crisis across the globe and the burning of fossil fuels contributes maximum to this problem. But the matter of the fact is that common people don’t give a damn about what the scientists are saying, or we are so busy in our lives that we forget to take care of the surroundings in which we are living.
Imagine or you don’t have to imagine, as we will see the disaster which we are creating for our future generations, in the near future, if we will not do anything about this situation. All countries are adversely affected by global warming, but the most vulnerable sections of the society are the biggest victims and the regions which are least responsible for creating this adverse situation.
Temperature rise, untimely heavy rainfalls, sea-level rise, biodiversity loss, strong storms are some of the signs which we can observe, and they indicate that something is not right or changing. We have to respond to this, not individually, but collectively, be it governments, industries, policymakers, activists and most importantly we, the common people.
Limiting the temperature rise to 1.5°C is not impossible but it will only be possible with the extraordinary changes in all the aspects of society and the way we live and lead our lives. Every step to tackle the climate crisis should be appreciated and replicated in every part of the world, if possible. Industries must take climate-appropriate measures proactively, the government must regularise the resources and the implementation of the laws and policy, policymakers should come up with some strict policies for all stakeholders, activists must not stop raising the red flags and be the torchbearers. People should make the government accountable and also bring changes in their day-to-day lives and come out from their comfort zones. Small steps can bring big changes if we agree to do so.
Greta Thunberg is a 16-year-old girl, a student, and a climate activist. Today, She is holding a mirror for all those, above her age and reminding them that this earth is not something which we can use and go. But we borrowed it from our ancestors and we’re liable to give it to our future generations, and our children. We can’t be selfish and close our eyes to what is happening and towards the climate crisis. We must do something and do it now. We should respond to her appeal and strengthen her voice with actions.
To contribute towards the fight against climate change, the least we can do is plant a tree. Trees are some of the cheapest and best solutions we have to save our planet and each one of us can do that. Planting a tree is not difficult, especially in this era of technology. There are several organisations that are helping and running tree plantation campaigns, Grow-Trees is one organisation where one can pledge online to plant a tree with a nominal charge and the organisation will plant a tree on your behalf.
Some activities or habits which we should adhere to and try to inculcate to save our planet are given below. You may think of something different and also follow the link to know more such activities: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/takeaction/
Actions which you can easily take
- Use of refillable water bottles and coffee cups is a good idea to start.
- Bring your carry bag when you go to the shop.
- Take short showers. Preferably 5-minute showers.
- Shop local. It keeps people employed and helps prevent burning of fossil fuels which is required to bring goods from far distances otherwise.
- Take public transport, use bikes and walk whenever you get time to keep yourself healthy and fit.
- Eat less meat, poultry, and fish (completely your choice), but FYI, more resources are used to provide meat than plants.
- Air dry. Let your clothes and hair dry naturally instead of a machine.
- Save electricity by turning the appliances off when not in use, including computers.
- Stop paper bills and pay online.
- Don’t throw away an unwanted fruit or snack. Give it to someone who needs it.
- Try to reduce any type of waste, since most waste ends up in our oceans.
- Inspire and mentor young people. Guide them towards a better and more sustainable future.
- Speak up! Ask your company/organisation and government to engage in initiatives that are green and sustainable.
- Corporate Social Responsibility can play a very positive role, where companies will get an opportunity to work with civil society and find ways to help local communities and the planet to achieve collective goals.
- Take advantage of your right to elect the leaders in your country and the local community.
- Share, don’t just like. Share it so folks in your network see it too.
- Stay informed.
The author has an M. Tech. from IIT Bombay and works as a Manager (Data Scientist) at Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd
References:
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC Report
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC