Climate Change: A Civilisational Crisis
Humans, interesting animal of this “Blue Planet Earth” have many peculiar and distinctive characteristics that makes them different from the rest of the species.
One such interesting aspect of humans is that s/he can turn and twist the facts depending on his/her intention that started somewhere below the 4,200 years ago with the beginning of the ‘Meghalayan Age’, contributing significantly to the geological landscape of earth and to human society as well.
Coincidentally I experienced this innate tendency of human psychology recently over a debate discussion. The topic of debate was “The Purpose of Development” and the participants were divided between two groups.
The first group was holding the view that the economic development and growth should be the prime agenda of development and the second group was opposing this view.
During the discussion, one fellow friend to prove his argument that economic development is of utmost priority, notoriously quoted half of the statement of UN Secretary General that the era of global warming has ended.
This statement then followed by another argument from him that since the era of global warming has ended, we need to focus more on the economic prosperity as that would bring more equity in terms of social justice.
This statement instantaneously raised all eyebrows present over there. Instead of checking on the internet to ascertain the validity of this statement, each one of us representing the second opinion that the environment should be the primary concern of growth, were awestruck over the quote.
“How come the era of climate change has ended?” was the doubtful self-ascertain questions we put before ourselves.
This year summer has broken many records including bringing in lots of difficulties,
sufferings and causalities. Name the summer related hazards, the humans society all over the world have experienced it in this year of 2023, irrespective of geographical positioning.
Not only summer, the rainy season is also playing its havoc on the humanity with unprecedented aggregating rainfall within couple of days leading to serious flood conditions in many locations. Increased ocean temperature and the cyclonic storm formation is another coastal vulnerability of this year’s aggressive atmospheric temperature.
So, while experiencing this tropospheric condition upfront, constantly confronting weather hazards having grappling impact on daily lives, how come the era of climate change has ended?
With inquisitive mind I started searching the phrase and could make out the real sense of UN Secretary General’s statement that the “Era of global warming has ended and the era of global boiling has arrived”, which in itself was so terrifying.
This statement he gave after the declaration of July 2023 as the hottest month on record by the scientists of World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
As per the consolidated data of WMO, the summer temperature since the year 2015 are breaking all the high records globally and the year 2023 has broken all the previous records which is being fueled by the ever-rising greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
It is no more a new fact that the humans are unaware about positive marching forward movement of modern-day life style with extravaganza temperament and accumulation of GHG in the atmosphere. However, the common temperament is the minuscule size of individual and its rapaciousness would hardly bring any difference in the aggregation of pollutant element in the atmosphere.
This temperament is remitting tons of GHG in to the air and clearing of forest for economic expansion is narrowing the carbon sequestration process.
The consequence is accumulation of carbon dioxide and other poisonous gases in the airspace and the subsequent maladies for the humanity as a whole.
We all know that we have only one earth and one sky. We might be located at any geographical place but our deeds are having global impacts at present and future as well.
We as humans need to understand this and act now to make the planet a livable place in future. Timebomb is ticking and we need to act very fast to reduce the carbon emission and create conducive environment for faster carbon sequestration process.
In this regard promotion of mangrove forest is a positive way forward as the mangroves turns the atmospheric carbon into blue carbon burring it under its roots for longer period of time.
It also provides a comfortable environment to the aquatic world and boosts the marine ecology, the first sufferer of rise in global mean temperature.
Needless to reiterate that “We are getting closure to the point of no return. The global climate fight will be won or lost in this crucial decade- on our watch- UN
Secretary General”, and this is the time that we should work in unison in faster way and not debating over the issue of whether development is important or environment.
We need to survive first in a suitable environment to enjoy the fruits of development.
Climate change is a civilisational crisis and this can only be changed through our lifestyle and approach towards environment.
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