COMBATING GLOBAL WARMING
Since 1980, the average global temperature has risen by 1 degree Celsius. Earth will experience widespread effects if global warming rises above 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Global warming: It refers to the long-term increase in Earth's average surface temperature due to human activities, primarily the emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane from burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes. This rise in temperature leads to climate changes, including more frequent extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and disruptions to ecosystems and biodiversity.
Rising Temperatures:
Soaring temperatures and scorching heat during summer prompt people to seek cooling methods.
Those with access to air conditioning or ice cream reminisce about cooler days with foliage and marshy puddles.
Others suffer from severe dehydration due to the heat.
Impact of Global Warming:
Average global temperature has risen by 1 degree Celsius since 1980.
Warming beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius could lead to sea level rise, extreme climate change, and biodiversity imbalance.
Air Conditioning and Global Warming:
As temperatures rise, air conditioning is widely used, especially in urban areas, to cool down.
The irony is that air conditioning exacerbates global warming.
Modern air conditioning and refrigeration systems use hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) as refrigerants, which are potent greenhouse gases.
Consequently, the more we use air conditioning, the warmer the planet becomes.
Climate Change Mitigation and Responsibilities:
Framing policies is insufficient without behavioral changes from all stakeholders: governments, businesses, and individuals.
Knowledge of climate change mitigation, resilience, adaptation, and sustainable development is crucial.
UNESCO findings highlight a lack of climate change education in national curriculums.
Importance of Climate Change Education:
In the current era, knowledge and actionable understanding of climate change mitigation, resilience, adaptation, and sustainable development are crucial.
Recent UNESCO findings reveal significant gaps in climate change education:
Half of the 100 countries reviewed had no mention of climate change in their national curriculum frameworks.
95% of surveyed teachers believe teaching climate change is important.
Less than 30% of teachers feel prepared to teach about climate change in relation to their local context.
Around 70% of surveyed youth cannot explain climate change.
Greening Education Partnership:
The Greening Education Partnership was launched at the UN Transforming Education Summit in September 2022.
UNESCO and UN Climate Change have initiated webinars to educate and sensitize people, including teachers, educators, and policymakers, on climate change.
Understanding Ecosystems:
To address climate change effectively, understanding the ecosystem is crucial.
Ecosystems consist of the interactions between living organisms and non-living components like sun, land, sea, forest, and air.
Disturbances in ecosystems can take years to recover, affecting the balance of the environment.
Role of Carbon Sinks:
Forests act as prime carbon sinks, absorbing more carbon dioxide than they release, helping maintain the atmospheric carbon balance.
Earth, sea, and forests all function as carbon sinks.
Challenges of Reforestation vs. Deforestation:
Reforestation cannot fully compensate for deforestation, contrary to popular belief.
New trees require years or even decades to become effective carbon sinks like the mature trees they replace.
Deforestation significantly contributes to global warming, accounting for a 10% increase.
Global Deforestation Issues:
The Amazon rainforest, known as the "lungs of our planet," has lost more than 17% of its area over the past 50 years.
India has lost 4.1% of its humid primary forest area between 2002 and 2023, the second highest rate of deforestation globally.
Assam has lost 17.1 kilohectares of natural forest, resulting in 8.72 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
International Efforts to Combat Climate Change
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has taken strategic steps to address global warming.
The 1997 Kyoto Protocol was an early effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The 2015 Paris Agreement aims to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
This is the first legally binding climate change treaty, adopted by 196 parties.
To achieve the 1.5-degree Celsius target, greenhouse gas emissions must decline by 43% by 2030.
Conference of the Parties (COP) 28:
COP is the decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The COP 28 session was held in Dubai from November 30 to December 13, 2023.
A key decision was made to phase out fossil fuels in energy systems and transition to renewable energy sources like wind and solar power.
Fossil fuels, primarily oil and coal, contribute approximately 90% of total carbon dioxide emissions.
Way forward:
Double-Edged Solutions and the Need for Wiser Actions:
Cutting-edge solutions like air conditioning can exacerbate global warming, turning into a double-edged sword.
The need arises to adopt wiser, nature-based solutions to combat climate change effectively.
Nature-Based Solutions:
Creating and Preserving Water Bodies: Helps maintain natural cooling and ecosystems.
Afforestation and Urban Forests: Planting and preserving large areas of trees within cities.
Trees provide shade, reduce heat, and cool the air through transpiration.
A single tree can transpire several hundred liters of water daily, equivalent to the cooling effect of two domestic air conditioners running for 24 hours.
Collective Actions to Mitigate Climate Change:
Small actions, when taken collectively, can make a significant difference:
Avoiding packed and canned food to reduce waste and energy consumption.
Using public transport instead of private cars whenever possible to reduce emissions.
Opting for online meetings and shopping to minimize travel and reduce carbon footprints.
Eating locally produced and seasonal foods to avoid energy-intensive cold storage systems.
Drying clothes naturally by hanging them outside instead of using dryers.
Working from home when possible and reducing unnecessary travel.
The changes that are occurring in the atmosphere are something we cannot stop. We are also unable to reverse the already-implemented changes. However, we can work together to prevent the change.
