Climate change : An alarming bell

I , like most other people have always loved nature but the only thought that makes me sad today is that, like all the others, I can’t help but prove to be a reason why climate is changing. Should I call it a way of earth to adapt to the conditions we’ve put it into? I don’t know. The only thing that I can assure you right now is that climate change is real and it’s actually happening. We can’t deny the fact that we have experienced it in some way or the other in our lives or have heard about it from someone else in the form of recent mishaps or how the weather has been changing. Climate change to be precise, is the bell that has been ringing over our ears for a very long time now and has become the main reason for global warming, water scarcity, garbage vomits on beaches and even forest fires.

To understand this better let us look at what all has happened across the globe since 2016. ​Disasters were all around us in 2016. Deadly earthquakes, life-depleting droughts, devastating storms, and unceasing wars are some of the worst disasters we haven heard much about. About 194 major natural disasters affected millions of people worldwide in 2016​. Some examples include food shortage in Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, etc. ​From hurricanes to heat waves, 2017 produced countless headlines concerning extreme weather and the devastation left in its wake. Massive flooding in California, Heat wave sizzles in Australia, extreme heat melting the North Pole, Southeast Asia inundated by widespread floods, Western United States’ forests set ablaze are some of these. 2018 and 2019 were no better. Forest fires,droughts and floods were a common phenomena. This is sufficient to prove the misery of our dear earth.

What have we done about climate change? To be true we have only played blame games or denied its existence completely. One of the people in power said that “climate change is a hoax and the concept of global warming was created by and for Chinese in order to make U.S manufacturing non-competitive”. Talking about India here too it was said that “ Climate is not changing, it is we who are changing. If you are feeling cold that is probably because you are getting old.” Governments are controlled by MNCs but we, the general public control the MNC’s supply. They can’t supply more if we don’t demand more. It is not them who we can blame. Everyone keeps their monetary benefits as their priority and completely ignore their long term needs. We as commoners might think that it’s the MNC’s but we forget that the circuit is bigger than that. It exists at both macro and micro level.

Let’s talk about plastic in this case. The most important thing about plastic is that it is non biodegradable because it contains a lot of layers. More importantly plastic takes so much effort to get recycled that also if possible. Next thing it affects the fertility of land as well. Whatever is made out of plastic involves a process which emits high amount of CO2 which is obviously a curse to the nature. Use of plastic has become so widespread that there seems to be no perfect substitute that could replace it soon. Therefore it has to be understood that these companies make plastic because we demand it. Supply of plastic decreases the use of other biodegradable material (because plastic is cheap to produce), and hence keep the society away from sustaining the environment.

If we stop demanding these plastic bottles, drink tap water, refuse straws made of plastic and start using metal or bamboo straws, most of the plastic waste problem might reduce. Not just that. If we plant trees often, if we use recycled paper, it will lead to less deforestation, which is currently a major problem. According to statistics, amazon forests trees are being cut at the rate of 3 football fields per minute. This means around 2.6 billion trees are being cut in amazon rainforests every day, which is shockingly like the entire Indian population. We can start using rainwater for chores like washing plates hands or even flushing the toilet. We might think that what effect will it make if only one person does it. But if each one of us starts doing the same thing it will really have a huge impact on the surrounding environment. Moreover , we should always remember that there is a difference of togetherness between each one and only one.

This is all macro level understanding of the effects of climate change. At individual level also we are suffering. For instance there are problems like rise in temperature, seasons come late, too much rain at one place and too little rain at the other. The city I come from originally is a hill station that used to have high amount of rainfall every year, but now there is hardly any rain happening. This is true even for Bangalore. My grandfather used to tell me “It rains anytime in Bangalore” but can we see that now? Absolutely not. Ironically, it doesn’t even rain at the time it should now. Fresh water is reducing in quantity. We all feel the drift of climate and it is high time we accept our fault and start making up for it before it’s too late. Else the statement that the next war will be over basic necessities might turn out to be completely true.

It is not that we aren't doing anything about it . We have a whole set of deals that have been going on from the past 15 years. Starting from the kyoto protocol in 1998 to green new deal in 2019 many attempts are being made to bring the world together to work for the planet and its dying health. 143 months was the time given to us by the scientists to start the process of saving the earth or it would be too late. Climate change is a very serious issue and environmentalists all over the world are protesting and striking to make the people in authority to understand the same. Malika Vaz, marker lutin ​Hans Cosmas Ngoteya, Bertie Gregory, Alyssa Adler, David Lama, ​Julia "Butterfly" Hill​, Greta Thunberg are some amazing and inspiring people who are the real heroes for the earth and who are constantly working to make the change happen.

While concluding, I would just like to throw light upon how we can improve the conditions at occupational level. Scientists can come together and find solutions to remove plastics. Geographists can predict the conditions of earth and calculate the extent of improvement. Teachers can spread awareness among the students about the harm we are doing to the climate and what we can do to protect the earth from that harm. Entrepreneurs can make and sell products that are sustainable. Social workers can spread awareness. Politicians can influence people to work towards this common goal. Legislative bodies(lawmakers) can make laws to protect the environment. This is how by small contribution from every sector, we will be able to achieve what once seemed unconquerable- Revival of mother earth.

Image Source- https://www.volkswagenstiftung.de

By Yashika Tyagi

CHRIST(deemed to be university), Bangalore

Climate Change; An Alarming Bell

Climate change is nature’s alarm to human civilization. It can be defined as the statistical changes in the Earth’s climate system which leads to a change in the weather pattern. The term climate change is generally referred to as ‘global-warning’. Global warming is the warming of Earth’s temperature due to various reasons man-made or natural. This leads to the change in all the 5 elements of Earth’s composition that are the atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and cryosphere. Climate change is a very complex issue that can’t be ignored. The statistical data has shown there is being already 1degree rise in Earth’s average temperature from the 19th century. Research and studies have shown that it would take only 2 degree’s rise in Earth’s temperature for us, that is the human civilization to lose the race against climate change and the consequences would be destructive and most importantly irreversible.

“THE TIME IS RUNNING OUT”, the causes of the global warming occurring on Earth leading to climate change are many and only our civilization cannot be blamed for this enormous problem standing right in front of us but as of now, we play a major role. there are various factors contributing to the problem such as: 

●       Changes in the solar radiation which means a hike in energy received by the Earth from the Sun could alter with Earth climatic conditions, the heat from the Sun gets distributed throughout the Earth’s surface by the ocean currents which by that means that more heat will get distributed on the surface and temperature would go up.

●       Variations in the Earths orbit around the Sun.

●       Changes in the reflectivity of Earth’s heat by the continents, oceans, atmosphere.

These causes are just the major natural causes; however, natural causes like the above mentioned have always existed and played there role in altering Earth’s climatic mechanism, also long before the existence of humans.

Therefore the main cause so far detected for global warming is the significant increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since the industrial revolution.

Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide(CO2), methane(CH4), CFC’s(chlorofluorocarbons) and HFC’s(hydrofluorocarbons) including few other gases, are such gases which have a certain property to trap and radiate heat, this phenomenon is known as the greenhouse effect(the basic principle of keeping plants in a greenhouse as the glass walls of the greenhouse traps the heat from the Sun inside the greenhouse).

These greenhouse gases trap the heat which is reflected by the surface of the Earth into the outer space and thus rise in temperature and climate change is observed.

The rapid increase over such a short span of time in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, released by the industries and vehicles and other man-made activities has been an obstruction for the Earth and the nature to heal itself, as plants and some other biological species such as some kind of microorganisms consumes the major greenhouse gas that is carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and give out oxygen which is the necessary element of life form.

Carbon dioxide is the major player in heating up the Earth it constitutes almost 75% of all the concentration of greenhouse gases. The carbon footprint of us as a civilization is massive. Carbon dioxide is formed when carbon is being burnt in the presence of oxygen and we as of now majorly depend on fossil fuels as a source of energy. Burning of these fossil fuels results in the spike of carbon footprint throughout the course of time.

“THE Earth IS BURNING;" The consequences of climate change may not be as fast as to be observed by civil people busy in their daily activities, but are present and definitely worth paying attention in order to survive and save the planet. Some of the results of that is already happening and will happen because of human ignorance are:

●       The most devastating effect of climate change is the melting of polar ice caps which would eventually result in the increase in the average water level in the oceans all over the world resulting in disastrous tsunamis.

●       Hurricanes would also be more frequently observed as the atmosphere would be warmer as of now resulting in faster air and ocean currents.

●       There is no need to mention that Earth would hotter itself which would make the existence of some of the current species difficult or maybe impossible completely.

●       Also the maximum and minimum temperature throughout the planet would increase making life really tough to adjust and hard.

●       The changing of seasons, the rains, summer, and winter have shifted their timelines across the globe and if we go with this pace at some parts of the world in the near future winter wouldnt come.

●       Some if not all biological species would go extinct or endangered as they would not be able to adjust with the climate system in such a short span of time.

From analytical data, the temperature of the Earth is predicted to rise by 8 to 10 degrees in the next century with assuming our carbon footprint to be growing at the same rate as of know. 

IT’S HAPPENING HERE AND IT’S HAPPENING NOW;  The race against climate change can only be won by firstly excepting the fact that this issue exists only then can we solve the issue. There is more than one way in which humans contribute to increase the carbon footprint, dealing with these human activities happening both knowingly and unknowingly can significantly help the planet to recover itself, along with some helpful boosting measures to increase the pace of recovery of the planet.

Some of the effective measures are given below:

●       Reduction in the consumption of fossil fuels. This idea is very conventional and also very significant but fossil fuels make up for two-third of our energy requirement. So the real catch is to shift to an alternative energy source which also convenient and practical.

●       Consumption and utilization of energy, goods, and services with efficiency is the key to reduce the carbon footprint.

●       Population control; with less populated planet there would be enough resources for everyone on the planet and these resources can be efficiently distributed and consumed.

●       Planting more and more trees: as discussed above trees and plants are very efficient in lowering the carbon footprint and providing oxygen.

●       More practical and efficient methods of agriculture should be practiced as deforestation for agriculture increases the carbon footprint as trees are cut down but also destroys the biological diversity.

●       Investing in technology; that is to invest in new ideas about the alternative and new fuels such as using hydrogen as fuel which would be pollution-free and not lead to rise of planets temperature also technologies of geo-engineering to alter Earth’s geology to recover itself from climate change such as shielding it from Sun’s heat to some extent.

Climate change is a serious issue that is to be dealt by all of the world and the people together. The concern should be raised as immediately as possible and actions must be done in order to survive and save the home planet. We are definitely much slow on this to react but still the race is not completely lost but the clock is ticking fast.

Image Source: blog.sciencescore.com

By- Swapnil Bagde,
Student of Engineering,
School of Engineering and Technology,
Jain Deemed to be University, Bengaluru

WHAT IS THE VALUE OF WATER IN BENGLAURU?

Some experts claim that the next world war is going to happen for the possession of water and water bodies, what the public who extensively share this through social media fail to understand is that war never means a border line conflict involving weaponry and genocide.

War can essentially be any hostile situation that results in the damage of everything around it. It can be in a stock market or with a dealer or just the driver who brings the water in a tanker. The truth is that we are too afraid to accept the fact that we have dug our own grave and that too a large one in the same place where once there were lakes, and so we wait for a war to start in order to understand the value of water.

Bengaluru, the garden city, has been under rapid growth since the 90’s and has tripled in size, area and much more in the number of people living there. It is also called as the Silicon Valley of India and it is said that silicon does not react to water but this city and its people do. People who can’t pay their way out have to stand in long queues and wait for the tanker. But recently, even the people who could pay for it are facing problems as borewells have reached around depths of 1500 feet and have started to dry up, creating a rift between demand and supply, which makes the students living in Tavrekere, HSR Layout and Whitefield worried.

The fact that Bengaluru expects an increase of about 8 million in the next 10 years raises
serious infrastructural problems. Firstly, it starts with finding a suitable place to live in the city with basic amenities. Providing these facilities is another problem but finding the resources to carry out these building projects is tough as the steel and cement industries are the most water intensive ones. Secondly, the city not been planned in the greatest manner and the Cauvery river which provides water for two-thirds of Bengaluru also has limits on its
usage as per the Supreme Court. Moreover, this river also provides to other states like Tamil Nadu and Telangana which makes it even more difficult to accept it as our primary source for water.

On one hand our neighbouring state Kerala is in floods and Bengaluru is facing a water crisis despite of 970mm of rainfall a year which is a significant amount. The obvious solution to this fact is ‘rainwater harvesting’ and the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewage Board (BWSSB) has been collecting around 12 crores in taxes from 1.2 lakh households as a penalty for not installing a rainwater harvesting system, but still 80% buildings in Bengaluru don’t have such a system. This is not about giving time to the public to implement such a system otherwise it would have been more than 6 lakh households harvesting water which
can get them through at least four to five months a year, but it is about prioritising their focus on a sustainable system rather than fighting to draw water from a dam 425km away which costs exactly 1000 times the fine that the households are paying right now. This is the same authority we are talking about which was successful in putting a helmet over every two-wheeler driver and a seatbelt on every four-wheeler one.

Speaking of four-wheeler, most of the new societies or buildings that are coming up are
solely responsible on water tankers for their supply. This raise a thousand questions of the reliability of the system but the biggest problem is still the human element. This circumstance gives the dealer of the tanker service complete autonomy to set higher prices where an average household spends about Rs.3000 monthly on water. These dealers can cut off their supply anytime, discriminate amongst the buildings and give excuses which the people have to accept because they have no other choice. This also implies that even though fossil fuels, which are much higher on the scarcity scale compared to water, we are ready to use up huge amounts of petrol to run the trucks here and there to ensure water supply which again speaks to the opportunity cost of the solution.

The truth is, we might find the most ideal solutions of all but it would still do no good if we are not trying to implement it. Rainwater harvesting is an excellent solution and the step by Govt. to fine for not using this system is also relevant but they should do this on a larger scale city-wide. 

The pipelines installed by Govt. for crores of rupees should be maintained as there are leakages during transportation which not only is a wastage of water but also the pressure inside the pipes to pump water to the required places reduces, rendering it completely useless.

We might think of temporary solutions like cloud seeding which is essentially how Saudi
maintains at least 100 cm of rainfall, but the state is not a victim of lack of rain but one of

lack of initiative to tap it. We just think about harvesting rainwater as tapping what falls from above but due to heavy infrastructural development water does not seep in the ground but actually goes through the drainage out into the rivers and lakes, dirtying the source as well. So, on the one hand we are using up all the clean water and on the other, dirtying the other potential sources. One of the solutions to this could be installing nets at the mouth of the concrete pipes just before the water is let into open spaces. This will help to collect all the

trash and garbage in the net which could be used for composting after segregation and this also simplifies the process of cleaning the rainwater that runs through these pipes.

These were the larger and more expensive solutions which can prove to be long term but what about the neglected ones which we see but don’t get alarmed by like the water that is leaked out of the trucks during transportation. If the Govt. is fining customers then it only makes sense that they cap both ends of the business transaction, that is, the dealers of thesetankers. They should include hefty fines for not maintaining the hygiene or the condition of
the tankers. It is evident that they will get some way around these penalties but it will be a start and would help to understand and develop the regulations.

The effects of global warming and climate change are alarming and we blame machines and deforestation for it but water also has a significant role in temperature regulation. More the number of water bodies that evaporate and more the number of buildings that come up subsequently are directly proportional to the amount of heat as metal heats up quickly and without enough moisture to cool it down, the temperatures around start rising.

Desperation and necessity is what gets people running and a threat to the economic status gets the world leaders running. Water is a requirement in each and every factor of business may it be man, machine, raw materials, land or even printing the green paper. Rules and regulations may make people retaliate but the threat of an economic loss is what they can neither resist nor do they want to face one. If they can understand the value of water themselves, then we can correct the human element of this disaster.

India is moving towards a paperless society, I think as the IT hub of this country, we should be the first and the most successful ones to embrace this idea. “Water is the elixir of life”, it is true but is incomplete. “Water is the elixir of all life”, is more appropriate as in theory sea creatures were one of the earliest known beings and although we haven’t even explored even 50% of our oceans but ISRO, sitting right here in Bengaluru launched the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) which had one of its objective to trace out water in Mars. If that doesn’t tell us the value of water, then in my opinion nothing can. No piece of fact, evidence or literature can convey the urgency of our situation, but if we can find a reason to make it urgent for us, then maybe this situation will improve over time.

Image Source: www.kannadigaworld.com

A Write Up by,
Jaideep Jayaprakash,
Christ University, Hosur Road

Namma Bengaluru- Traffic congestion seems to be Increasing!

‘ Let us pause the cause of traffic congestion.’

In today’s world where everyone is so busy in their own life; they don’t have time to even wait in traffic for signal to get cleared. But that’s not where the problem is. As we Indians are famous to get adjusted with everything; if the problem would be just waiting in traffic then we would be ready to wait there but the actual problem starts with the traffic by making it as their root problem. There are several problems which are directly linked with the traffic congestion and they are like noise pollution, getting late in the emergency situation, several health related problems, etc. The city like Bengaluru which has people not only from all over India but also from the foreign countries is expected to have problem of traffic but it’s not the right sign when it’s just not remain as a problem and become issue over the small period of time. There are many government plans to control the traffic and to get the control over it but the net result seems to be null. Getting the continuous hawking noise of vehicles has become the everyday routine of Bengalureans which not only affect the health but also make us irritating daily. But apart from all these, the thing which is the consequence of traffic congestion and which makes us feel disgusting is the Ambulance getting stuck in traffic. We all can wait and it’s completely okay to be late too but what about the patient who is  there in the ambulance and whose one second delay can take away his life. There is also a rule to give the way to ambulance and fire brigade; and the defaulters get punishment by the law. But the solution for this problem is ‘Humanity'; if we will understand this problem then we will get out of this problem easily.

These all are the problems which get raised due to traffic congestion but the causes which leads to the problem are the human behaviour. Everyday, we used to see the overtaking on the roads actually not everyday but every second; this is quite common on the roads of Bengaluru. Even overtaking on the one-way is the matter of prestige and pride. When there is a one-way , some extra innovative people make it two way and they do it with lot of confidence. The roads of Bengaluru seems to be the race track more than the roads and people assume themselves as the competitors in that. Most of the time, we blame the government for the drainage system which we think are the cause of problems but according to me, these things are not the problems alone. We all have seen the people making the traffic get congested by letting their vehicles to come through the wrong way, by not showing their patience instead contributing in it by blocking the other’s way. These attitudes of citizens are also the major problems for the traffic congestion. They block the way without thinking that it may lead to the severe traffic congestion again.

The worst outcome of this traffic congestion is the accident. Well it’s very shocking but though it’s true. Some of the youngsters do the red light jump to get rid of this traffic wait and as a result, they meet up with the accident. This is not only the reason but our impatience also lead to the accident. 

The article begins with the theme of the busiest world and hence ,it’s the reason too for us to get into the accident. We people used to be in so hurry that we don’t even care for our safety and hence, it cost our life for our carelessness. The serious issue of traffic congestion is getting increased day by day just because of our behaviour, the improper government plans and the population.

Now there are schemes getting started to control the population too to solve one of the minor problems like traffic congestion which arises due to this. Even in the 2019 budget, our government has announced no tax on the eco- friendly vehicles ( electronic vehicles and solar vehicles). Even our government understands the seriousness of this issue and that’s why they keep saying that we should use public transport instead of the private vehicles, which not just stop the increasing pollution but also help a lot in controlling the increased traffic.

Now all these are the individuals' approach more than the governmental to overcome this issue of traffic congestion but this doesn’t mean that the government has no responsibility over this. Actually, it’s the government who can eradicate this problem by the means of their effective schemes. We all have seen the construction of roads during the rainy season which not only block the roads but also led the traffic to get raised to its height. These construction works should be done before rainy season to avoid the drainage overflow and disruptions caused on the roads but this is the laziness of our politicians that they don’t awake at time. This problem is stick to the particular season but apart from this, due to the improper roads, the traffic problems continue to be there for all the 12 months of the year. The politicians make the road with such a low quality cement that it just get improper over the span of 1-2 months. This improper road is the problem to drive and also acts as the cause of the accident. In addition to this ,it also cause a lot of problems to the patient who travel from one place to the another by car or bike.

The traffic gets congested and so as our life. It’s totally difficult for us to go out sometimes as we feel irritated to tolerate this traffic. So much of noise, so much of traffic, so much of delay and so much of tensions. There is a urgent need to overcome this problem as it is getting increased day by day. Before it become so late for us to take over this problem and before this problem take over us, we have to solve it at any cost. We all should start developing the habit of using public transport instead of the personal ones as it will slow down the increasing rate of traffic congestion and also reduce the increased rate of the usage of non- renewable products like petrol and diesel. As more the vehicles, more the traffic. Along with this, it’s the prime duty of traffic police to control the traffic by doing his best and even we should follow all the traffic rules in order to avoid the traffic congestion. We should not block the way and also not overtake the other vehicles ,even we should have that courtesy and humanity to let help the others by giving the way to the ambulance, fire brigade, etc.

Right now, many traffic rules are getting published daily in the newspaper for our awareness along with that the administration is getting so strict to punish the defaulters. The slow moving traffic is also affordable but completely wasting so much time in traffic is not tolerable and if something is in our hand in order to reduce it, we should definitely do it. Because this will not only improvise our life but also help us to grow as a better individual in life as we have become so uncontrollable, angry, disgusting and feel irritated all the time, these things also affect our personalities as continue growing up with this turn us into the bad person. Hence, we should stop being adjusted and help to control the traffic congestion by both individually and through government schemes as well.

Bengaluru Traffic. Image Source: www.fakingnews.com

A Write Up by,

Aakriti Sharma

BMS College For Women, Bengaluru

The Amazon is on Fire! Why it's not just Brazil's problem?

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed!

The recent catastrophe in the Brazil's Amazon rainforest is a testimony to the fact that man has taken nature for granted. The "Lungs of the Planet" which produces 20% of our planet's oxygen is burning incessantly today. It's high time that we realize that, not just Brazil, but the entire planet is at stake due to the carelessness of we human beings.

The Amazon rainforest also called as the Amazonia is a tropical rainforest in the Amazon biome which spans over nine nations including a large part of Brazil. The forests contain millions of species of plants and animals. More than 30 million people, including 350 indigenous and ethnic groups, live in the Amazon area and depend on the forests for food and shelter. The Amazon is vital for storing carbon and slowing down global warming.

The current fires in the Amazon are not wildfires. They are mostly set illegally by people who are clearing the forest to raise cattle and crops. Some of the blazes are started by farmers aiming to clear land, some by illegal loggers trying to cover their tracks, and some by negligence. Scientists warn that if enough of the forest is lost, it could enter a spiral of collapse. This is an outcome with global consequences, and if we cross this threshold of deforestation, it could be a point of no return. The main cause of such devastation is that the Brazil’s policy has changed under President Jair Bolsonaro. The new president has limited the power of forest protection agencies saying they get in the way of developing land. The number of fires is increasing because people think law enforcement won’t punish them.

The Amazon rainforest plays an important, complicated role in the regional and global climate. The towering mahogany, kapok, and Brazil nut trees of the Amazon play important parts in the orchestra of the region’s water system. The trees take in rainwater through their roots, move it up into the canopy, and release it into the air, a process called evapotranspiration. The trees also release volatile organic compounds that react to form tiny particles. These particles serve as nucleation points to form clouds and eventually lead to more rainfall. Multiply this pattern by the hundreds of billions of trees in the rainforest and you get a powerful mechanism for recycling water and generating rainfall that keeps even the thirstiest of trees quenched in hot tropical weather.
This rainfall pattern helps sustain agriculture throughout Brazil and top up reservoirs that hydrate major cities, feeding and quenching the thirst of millions. But these trees are rapidly disappearing, along with the shrubs, grasses, fungi, and soil bacteria that work alongside them to circulate moisture. The rate of deforestation in the Amazon has picked up again after years of decline, with roughly a soccer field-size area lost every minute.Once the rainforest loses a certain amount of area, this orchestra will fall out of tune. There will not be enough remaining tropical woodlands to continually evaporate and condense moisture through the forest. That flora in turn will weaken and move less moisture through the air, resulting in less rainfall for the forested areas even further downwind. These parched trees will become more vulnerable to pests and fire. The mighty stalwarts of the Amazon will shrivel up, and a wave of death will start at the periphery and propagate throughout as much of it degrades from a dense tropical forest into a sparse savanna. The cycle will continue without our input. And there will be little we can do to stop it. This is a scenario known as a forest dieback.

Scientists now think that all the stresses humanity is placing on the Amazon rainforest — agriculture, logging, global warming — mean that we’re closer to such an event than we realized before. “We believe that negative synergies between deforestation, climate change, and widespread use of fire indicate a tipping point for the Amazon system to flip to non-forest ecosystems in eastern, southern and central Amazonia at 20-25% deforestation,” wrote researchers Carlos Nobre and Thomas Lovejoy in an editorial in the journal Science Advances. But the fires in Amazon is an international crisis. Wealthy nations have offered Brazil at least $22 million to fight the fires. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio also offered $5 million for efforts to save the forest.

Fires are a major issue for our rainforests and planets. These fires are intensified by many factors, including the climate crisis and deforestation. Loss of habitat through illegal logging and development, exacerbates the intensity and duration of these fores, helping to create situations like the one in Brazilian Amazon today.

Nature is incredibly resilient, but the loss of our biodiversity is an absolute tragedy. we need to spread information, resources and inspiration to encourage all of us to create a world where biodiversity can not only survive, but begin to thrive again. While we may not be able to help effected areas directly, there is great value in being conscious of our individual impact. Little changes in our own lifestyle and mentality can go a long way.
Some of the changes that we can bring about in our lives are- 

1. Reducing meat/dairy consumption
2. Using eco-friendly products 
3. Avoiding plastic bags at grocery stores by using reusable bags
4. Efficiently utilizing the precious natural resources 
5. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. 
6. Print as Little as Necessary
7. Save Electricity! 
8. Save Water.
9. Avoid Taking Cars or Carpool When Possible                                             

If we inculcate such small steps in our life then we can certainly retain what is left in our hands and bequeath it to our next generation.  

Image source: www.preview.ph

A Write Up by 

Aishwarya S V

BMS College For Women, Bengaluru