The Challenge Ahead

20/10/2019

Dhriti Banerjee*

      "No challenge possess a great threat to future generations than climate change." 

                          - Barack Obama.

People across the world are struggling with the everyday realities of climate change. The poor in developing countries are hit hardest and face difficult challenges. Climate change occurs when changes in Earth's climate system results in new weather patterns that last for at least a few decades to millions of years. The climate consists of 5 interacting parts: ~

• The atmosphere (air)

• The hydrosphere (water)

• The cryosphere (ice and permafrost)

• The biosphere (living things)

• The lithosphere (earth's crust and upper mantle)

The climate system receives nearly all of its energy from the sun, with a relatively tiny amount from Earth's interior. The climate system also gives off energy to outer space. The balance of incoming and outgoing energy, and the passage of energy through the climate system, determines Earth's energy budget. When the incoming energy is greater than the outgoing energy Earth's energy budget is positive and the climate system is warming; if more energy goes out, the energy is negative and the earth experiences cooling.

Scientists worldwide have observed and documented a wide range of changes in the temperature, precipitation, sea level rise, melting of glaciers and increased variability in extreme events, such as hurricanes and cyclones, droughts, etc. These changes are occurring in the present climate, are affecting countries worldwide and should be featured in to developmental activities.

Global climate change has already observable effects on the environment. Glaciers have shrunk, ice on rivers and lakes is breaking up earlier, plant and animal ranges have shifted and trees are flowering sooner. Effects that scientists had predicted in the past would result from global climate change are now occurring. Loss of sea ice, accelerated sea level rise and longer and more intense heat waves are the immediate effects. Scientists have high confidence that global temperatures will continue to rise for decades to come, largely due to greenhouse gases produced by human activities. Scientists forecast a temperature rise of 1⁰-3⁰C over the next century.

• CHANGE WILL CONTINUE: 

Global climate is projected to change over this century and beyond. The magnitude of climate change beyond the next few decades depends primarily on the amount of heat trapping gases emitted globally and how sensitive the earth's climate is to those emissions.

A carbon footprint is historically defined as the total emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent. Greenhouse gases (GHGs), including carbon dioxide can be emitted through land clearance and the production and consumption of food, fuels, manufactured goods, materials, wood, roads, buildings, transportation and other services. 

• TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO RISE:

 This is because human induced warming is  superimposed on a naturally varying climate, the temperature rise has not been and will not be uniform or smooth across the country or over time.

•SEA LEVEL WILL RISE:

 Global sea level has risen by about 8 inches since reliable report keeping began in 1880. It is projected to rise another 1-4 feet by 2100. This is the result of added water from melting land ice and the expansion of seawater as it was. 

In the next several decades storm surges and high tides could combine with sea level rise and land subsidence to further increase flooding in many regions.

•ARCTIC LIKELY TO BECOME ICE-FREE:

 The Arctic Ocean is expected to become essentially ice free in the summer before mid century if this rate of global warming keeps up.

Since humans are the most advanced spices on the planet, the onus lies on us to arrest the devastating effects of climate change. Having said that we should also note, quite some positive actions have been initiated on this issue by various countries of the world in recent times, e.g.: Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement, Montreal Protocol, Ramsar Convention, Vienna Convention, etc. However the goals have not yet been achieved. We are still dealing with carbon footprints from developed and developing countries. In order to achieve the goals quickly more concerted efforts are required by governments of all countries. Special awareness campaigns among the populace should be undertaken. With a more assertive global coalition against climate change positive outcomes are what we can expect in the near future.

*Student, General, Third Year