Students For Development (SFD): 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.