Climate crisis: Our reality

The Earth is not just a treasure house to be ransacked, plundered, and to be profited from. It is our home and a place of beauty and mystery.

As far as we know, Earth is the only planet that has life. Amidst the pandemic, over 200,000 individuals have lost their lives and the death toll continues to grow.

But Something we can’t see with our own eyes is wreaking havoc all around the world.

Mother Nature appears to be mad.

We can be certain that this is a penalty for our transgressions, but we ought to know what the Earth requires to calm down.

“Climate change is no longer some far-off problem; it is happening here; it is happening now.”

But what causes climate change?

Climate change is primarily caused by human activity. People use fossil fuels and transform forest land into agricultural land. People have been burning more fossil fuels and converting enormous swaths of land from forests to farms since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is produced when fossil fuels are burned. Because it causes a “greenhouse effect,” it is called a greenhouse gas. The world is warmed by the greenhouse effect, much as a greenhouse is warmed by its surroundings.

Human-caused climate change is mostly caused by carbon dioxide.

It lasts a very long period in the atmosphere.

In the shadows of our daily lives, a new global menace capable of killing life itself is brewing. It’s fueled by our insatiable desire for material goods. And, ironically, it is a result of human existence.

Look around us — we are inextricably surrounded by material objects, whether or not they are required in our life. For every ounce of this material we consume, a rising network of global behaviours is eroding our emotional health, depleting Earth’s resources, and destroying our planet’s habitats. Is there a possibility that if human consumption continues unchecked, the Earth will become uninhabitable?

Over the years we have seen that unprecedented flames have wreaked havoc around the world this year. Australia just saw its worst inferno on record, while sections of the Arctic, Amazon, and Central Asia have also seen extremely prone to catastrophic fires. Wildfires have a wide range of effects on individuals, wildlife, and the economy around the world. According to a study, wildfires are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and are responsible for 5–8 per cent of the 3.3 million premature deaths caused by poor air quality each year.

With the increase in flooding, it will continue to be concentrated in areas where people have developed on floodplains or in low-lying coastal areas. Risks will grow beyond the high-risk areas identified today as global warming increases the chance of more extreme weather events. Flooding will become more extreme, and for towns and cities where flooding has previously occurred. Did you know that the immediate damage produced by a flood isn’t the only thing to be concerned about? Infectious infections, chemical risks, and injuries can all be spread by standing floodwaters. Flooding kills more people each year than any other thunderstorm-related disaster. When a car is driven into dangerous floodwaters, the most likely cause of fatality is drowning. Fortunately, there are precautions you can do to safeguard yourself, your family, and your home.

A man had a healthy relationship with Mother Earth before 500 A.D. The modern lifestyle, however, has evolved since humans built cities and industries. Man has pushed natural resources to their limits by overusing and exploiting them. Now, in search of crude oil and coal, we are destroying remote parts of the globe, and our forests and wild animals are vanishing. Our environment is completely polluted.

And if this trend continues, truly catastrophic consequences are likely to ensue from rising sea levels to reduced water availability, to more heatwaves and fires.

Climate change’s effects on various aspects of civilization are intertwined. Drought can have a negative impact on food production as well as human health. Flooding has the potential to transmit illness and cause harm to ecosystems and infrastructure. Human health problems can lead to an increase in mortality, a reduction in food availability, and a reduction in worker productivity. The effects of climate change may be observed in every part of our lives.

Human health is already being impacted by climate change. Weather and climate patterns can put people’s lives in jeopardy. Heat is one of the most dangerous weather conditions. Hurricanes are becoming stronger and wetter as ocean temperatures rise, posing a direct and indirect risk of fatality. More wildfires occur as a result of the dry weather, posing numerous health dangers. Flooding can spread waterborne infections, cause accidents, and expose people to chemical risks. Because of the compounding effects of climatic elements, the most vulnerable groups, such as children, the elderly, individuals with pre-existing health disorders, outdoor labourers, people of color, and people with low income, are in even greater danger. This will continue to have a significant impact on ecosystems and organisms. But these changes are happening too fast for many other plants and animals as increasing temperatures and changing precipitation patterns stress ecosystems. Climate change is seriously disrupting the natural balance between the ocean and the atmosphere. The ocean absorbs over 90% of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases, thus shielding us from even greater temperature increases that would otherwise result from climate change. But this comes at a heavy price as ocean warming, and changes in ocean chemistry, are already disrupting marine ecosystems and people who depend on them.

Everyone has a role to play in Ecosystem Restoration and each of us can make a difference. Our actions in the next decade will shape the health of the Earth for centuries to come. As we are rapidly approaching irreversibly tipping points in our natural environment, we must use every means to halt the rapid loss of biodiversity. It is still possible to avoid the worst impacts of Climate Change and return to the safe zone of our planetary boundaries. But for the protection of our forests, our oceans, rivers, and other ecosystems to succeed, we need everyone on board.

As the climate continues to change at an accelerating rate, everyone — governments at all levels, businesses, civil society, and individuals — must be prepared to meet more extreme weather occurrences. Climate science must be seriously considered in the construction, adaptation, and protection of our homes, communities, businesses, and infrastructure. Most importantly, greenhouse gas emissions must be decreased as soon as possible so that rising global temperatures can be managed.

WE HAVE A CHOICE

We can go back to where we were, or we can invest in a better, more sustainable future. We can invest in fossil fuels, whose markets are volatile and whose emissions lead to lethal air pollution. Or, we can invest in renewable energy, which is reliable, clean, and economically smart.

Let’s double down the solar energy, let’s be more energy-efficient, let’s weatherize our homes. We can build a better, healthier economy based on good-paying, clean energy jobs. Clean, renewable energy is the key to fighting the climate crisis and reducing global emissions.

• More trees should be planted. Allow no one to cut down trees.
• Save the creatures in the wild.
• Speak out against polluting industries and write about it.
• Solicit the usage of non-conventional energy sources from the government (wind, water, sunlight, and biomass )
• Make students and communities aware of the importance of environmental preservation and the various measures that can be taken to safeguard the environment, forests, and wildlife.
• As much as possible, ride a bicycle.
• Don’t squander valuable resources like water and electricity.
• When possible, avoid using plastics.

Climate change is not a hoax, Climate change isn’t about countries: it’s about the world we want to live in for generations to come and the species we share it with. In other words, it’s far too important to leave just to world leaders -this crisis requires all of us to step up and it is upon us now. Mother Earth is in jeopardy, and life on the planet is in grave danger. Let us all join in safeguarding our life-giving and life-saving Mother Earth.

Climate change is knocking on the front door and demanding to be let in. But we’re not going to let that happen. We know a lot about the climate crisis and we know how to fix it

“They say it’s darkest just before dawn.

These are dark days

But they are not days without hope.

We have a short and rare opportunity

To change our world for the better.”

-Vidhi Patel, Khushi Agrawal