Predicament of our humble abode
One does not have to be necessarily a climate scientist to understand and interpret the risks the climate change causes to human health and the overall community. Since I was a kid, I used to jumble the two words, Climate and Weather.
Although now I know that Weather is the general description of the atmospheric condition at a given time in a specific location whereas climate is the average weather over a long cause of a period, I wonder how many more little ones are still bewildered of these two golden words. Everything aside, wouldn’t it be great if the Sri Lankan education can change to teach the youngsters, the truly important life changing scenarios rather than asking them to cram and cram the same thing repeatedly?
Climate change is the systematic change in the long-term state of the atmosphere. Why should we bother about Climate change? Sooner or later every single thing on the Earth changes as we believe. We could have left it all if the climate change happened periodically in the natural speed. Why we must panic is because the change of climate is at a breath-taking rate which may eventually lead to our very own extinction.
How do we know that the climate change is happening so fast? The world has already warmed about 0.8 degrees Celsius since 1880. Fifteen out of 16 hottest years have occurred in the 21st century. The average ocean temperatures have risen drastically causing Greenland and Antarctica to shrink. The thickness of the sea ice particularly in the Arctics has declined drastically over the last few decades. The glaciers across the world are retreating at an alarming rate. Oceans have become more acidic due to the high levels of carbon dioxide, the main green house gas which has caused coral reefs to bleach and most aquatic lives to die off.
Dangerous storms around the world, longer droughts, frequent wildfires, changes in the nutrient cycles can be observed. Meteorologists are no longer able to predict the weather nor the climate even with sophisticated instruments. Particularly in Sri Lanka, Meteorologists are commonly considered as jokers. The heat stress has caused the increase of disease vectors and climate sensitive diseases. Agricultural lands are affected by sea level rise, frequent inundations, soil salinization and soil leaching. Fisheries are affected by the increasing sea surface temperatures and increasing intensity of tropical cyclones.
Isn’t it obvious that the weather and climate is harsh since some time? Aren’t you at least a teeny tiny bit of curious why you are so hot and sweaty and stressed? It is stated that over 97% of the climate scientists stress that fossil fuels are driving the climate crisis. We must start acting now.
The world leaders can sign treaties and have discussions and what not. All those striving would be useless until us, the public genuinely start caring about this matter and the rules and regulations imposed in order to protect the environment are not just restricted to the signatures of the world leaders.
Mother Earth has suffered enough. We must act wise. The responsibility on our shoulders as the most advanced primate with the highest brain capacity cannot be just ignored. It is our job to save the Earth because we created this on our own.
Would it help if we cut out all the fossil fuel emitters right now? No. The average global temperatures would continue their upward trajectory for a reasonable time as it is difficult to stop the crisis in right its tracks. What can we really do about this matter? I will call it the MARS. Mitigation, Adaptation, Resilience and Sustainability.
Mitigation is, reducing the amount and speed of emissions or removing of heat trapping gases. Adaptation is taking measures to reduce the bad consequences of climate change. Resilience is the capability to anticipate the threats occurred via climate change and remain the natural equilibrium. Sustainability is the use of resources for our needs but also saving a portion for the future generations.
Together, electricity production, transportation, and industrial purposes account for the most part of the Climate crisis, via emission of great deals of green house gases. Like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), Particulate matter, Fluorinated gases. Therefore, it is high time we start using clean energy sources as a mode of MARS.
Clean energy sources can be simply defined as the green energy or renewable energy sources which produce little or no pollutants to the environment. A few examples of clean energy sources are, hydropower derived from moving water, Biopower derived from biomass, Geothermal power derived from underground steam or hot water from wells, Solar energy derived from the infinite power of the sun, Wind Power derived from the moving wind, Ocean Power derived from the thermal energy of the sun’s heat or mechanical tidal energy from the tides and waves, Hydrogen Power derived from the universe’s most abundant and simplest element, Hydrogen and many more.
Seventh of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) : Affordable and Clean Energy promotes the use of renewable energy and involves ensuring easy access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and renewable energy resources for all.
Use of clean renewable energy and energy efficiency supports stable growth reducing the dependance on fossil fuels thereby reducing the pollutants emitted into the environment. Renewable energy available across the globe may range in their quality. Systems should be well designed in order to ensure the production of renewable energy of the adequate quality.
The current world is filled with greatest of minds, scientists, innovators, and a sensible general public. Taking of necessary steps with regard to the life-threatening Climate Crisis is no Rocket Science. In a world where rockets are being sent to Mars, how hard can it be to save Mother Earth from this devastation?
I will always be there battling against the Climate Crisis as much as I can. Will you be there too?
References :
Arnell, N.W. (2000) Thresholds and response to climate change forcing: The water sector. Climatic Change 46 (3) 305-316
McMichael, A.J. et al (Eds). (2003) Climate change and human health: risks and responses. Summary. WHO, Geneva.
McMichael, A.J., Campbell-Lendrum, D, Kovats, R.S., Edwards, S., Wilkinson, P, Edmonds, N, Nicholls, N., Hales, S., Tanser, F.C., Le Sueur, D., Schlesinger, M, Andronova, N. (2004) Climate Change.
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