Climate Change

The world faces a lot of global challenges but perhaps the most significant and the one demanding immediate attention is that of climate change. Climate change refers to the set of periodic modifications in weather patterns that create long term shifts from natural patterns. This can happen either due to natural causes or due to anthropogenic factors influencing the overall climatic landscape.

Lately, anthropogenic factors have emerged to be the most significant and poignant causes of climate change. These include power generation entailing fossil fuel combustion which in turn releases hazardous emissions. Emissions from manufacturing and industrial goods are also a major cause. Release of emissions from mining and/or construction activities further add to the emissions.?

Forests act as major carbon sinks that store carbon and prevent it from being released into the air or atmosphere. Hence rampant deforestation is one of the major contributing factors to climate change. Deforestation has been on the rise owing to an increased number of developmental projects ranging from those related to infrastructure as well as this related to industry.

An amalgamation of this points out to the greenhouse effect which is single handedly the most significant contributor to climate change as well as global warming (rapid rise in temperatures of the Earth's surface that is warming of the Earth.) The Greenhouse effect essentially means trapping of the heat close to the surface of the Earth due to certain gasses such as carbon dioxide, methane etc. Human activities also contribute to the greenhouse effect as appliances like refrigerators release harmful CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons). Furthermore, increased energy consumption has played a major part in increasing emissions from buildings.

The reason climate change has become of grave concern is because of the increasingly detrimental impacts the phenomenon has on the environment.?

One of the most prevalent effects of climate change manifests itself in the form of rise in temperatures or global warming. The temperature on the Earth's surface has been rising rapidly, even faster than initially predicted. Increased temperature further results in increased heat related illnesses, intense heat waves making it harder for organisms to adapt and survive in harsh conditions which might be elevated due to higher frequency of drought. Furthermore, intense temperatures might hinder the capacity of people to work, hampering the productivity of the economy. In cases where organisms might fail to adapt to the heated conditions, there might lead to loss of crucial biodiversity potentially driving some species to the brink of extinction. Due to loss of crops, there could be global concerns related to food scarcity. Furthermore, rising sea levels is another devastating impact of climate change that might alter the nearby surroundings in the event of frequent storms. Due to the same, climate change may push and cause people to permanently stay in poverty owing to the increased harsh illnesses, weather conditions, displacement due to storms. On a larger scale, this could also lead to thawing of permafrost and melting of glaciers.?

With climate change progressing at an alarming rate, it is crucial now more than ever to gear up and accelerate all endeavours to combat climate change. But the task at hand is easier said than done, the fight against climate change requires all of the world combined fighting as a single unit. Global challenges today require global stakeholders to spearhead a strategic and collaborative effort to make even miniscule changes that might eventually help undo, most if not all the negative impacts of climate change.?

A key to this is also undertaking sustainable development seriously. Sustainable development means qualitative and quantitative improvement in the present while also conserving the environment and biodiversity for the future generations. On a basic and miniscule level, this can be done by adopting more sustainable practices in one’s lifestyle in the hope that when each individual does so, it will create a ripple effect and lead us closer to achieving the larger goal. For this, it is also imperative that nations abide by existing international conventions, treaties and frameworks and approach them with a disciplined outlook making the requisite modifications in policymaking.

In addition to that, energy consumption and power generation collectively should be aimed to transition from fossil fuels to cleaner and renewable energy resources that are better suited for the environment.

Climate change is already like a dagger hanging over the heads of all peoples, which continues to alter the status quo of weather patterns every now and then making them highly unpredictable. This in turn poses a myriad of challenges when it comes to preparedness and disaster risk reduction strategy formulation jeopardizing the lives and households of many people as well as surrounding biodiversity. The only way forward is to act fast and act strategically in an aligned manner so that collective action can undo the damage done by anthropogenic activities.