GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE (Part-I)
GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(Part-I)
The much-talked about 193-nation Copenhagen Climate
Conference held on December 18, 2009 which then generated enormous
curiosity and expectations among the whole world populace in general and climate
aficionados in particular ended with the UN Secretary General, Ban-Ki-Moon
welcoming and hailing it as a US-backed climate deal in Copenhagen and as an
‘essential beginning’.
For some days, it was circumspect, decision-elusive and most
astonishingly stalemated by an unjustifiably rigid, hegemonic
and never-give-in policy adopted by rich nations much to the chagrin of
developing nations including India, all in a never-ending roller-coaster spiral journey. With despair and despondency descending
all over, the path of procrastination, dilatoriness and shilly-shally even on a serious issue
involving the very survival of human life in our planet treaded by developed
countries baffled and gave anxious moments. It was initially about to be called
an almost ‘damp squib’. But at the eleventh hour, thanks to some dramatic
manipulations and manoeuvres coupled with last ditch efforts made,
the conclusion was marked by what was hailed as ‘Copenhagen Accord’ described
as an ‘important beginning’, the significant features being, inter alia, mobilization of $100 billion
as an annual funding for developing countries to meet the ramifications of climate change beginning 2020, pledges of about $30 billion by 2012, limiting temperature level
increase to 2ºC maximum, funding 40 poor tropical countries to protect their
woodlands, shifting to cleaner energy, however bidding adieu to ‘Kyoto
Protocol’ undermining UNFCCC and in the process giving a drubbing to
accountability and punishment for violations. In a nutshell, it was a mixed
bag. However, one heaved a sigh of relief "better late than never!" Since the accord had already been clinched, let us not delve deep into it. One only hoped that major players like the U.N., governments of all world countries
and their agencies would do their best to fulfill the vision.
Much water had flown under the bridge since then. Not much
seems to have happened as per promises with the focus shifting to Doha. The 2012
Qatar climate change conference was the best bet to reach a meaningful,
effective and enforceable agreement for arresting green house gas emissions generated
by rich nations for their prosperity. After all, they are already fully
developed countries and they should make way for developing countries to
economically grow. The Qatar Conference sounded a positive note for developing
countries in extracting an informal commitment of recompense from rich to developing/poor
countries for any possible loss and damage on account of climate change; but what baffled one is wherefrom the funds would flow to discharge the
obligation. But, on the real issue of halting and/or reducing greenhouse gas
emissions, not much headway seems to have been made. Qatar Conference had
unfolded no substantial or significant outcome except for making a parrot-like
statement about the need for control of noxious gasses. Once again, only the summit
venue changed, this time to Paris in 2015 for striking a global climate
treaty to come into force from 2020. Developing countries did benefit a little, but they have a long way to go. Even India has agreed to
20-25% cuts to 2005 levels. Rich nations should self-impose moratorium on
themselves to save the Mother Earth voluntarily. Developing countries should
unite and make a joint effort to make rich nations see rhyme and reason and
honour their promises by liberally contributing to securing a sufficient green cap for the
Earth.
In fact, it was the Cuban President late Fidel Castro, one
among more than 100 world leaders attended the Earth Summit in Brazil in
1992, who forewarned the world by highlighting the pollution related problems and
their adverse consequences possibly triggering global warming and climate change that set the
path for the next two decades of environmental debate and significantly contributed to widespread global thinking on the menace in the offing. It took 23 years thereafter for
the world countries to reach an agreement at Paris (France) in December 2015
where 195 world countries resolved to jointly fight
the Climate Change on the anvil.
The UN agency's Greenhouse Gas Bulletin was one of a series of studies to be published ahead of a UN Climate Change summit at Madrid (Spain) held from 2nd to 13rd December 2019 and was expected to guide the discussions there. It measured the atmospheric concentration of the gases responsible for global warming, rather than emissions. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere hit a new record in 2018, exceeding the average yearly increase of the last decade and reinforcing increasingly damaging weather patterns. Still worse, there was no sign of a slowdown not to speak of a sweeping decline in the greenhouse gases’ concentration in the atmosphere despite all the so-called commitments made by world countries under the epoch-making Paris Agreement.
From then on we are still talking about bringing the global warming to ‘below 2º C’ as against the ultimate desired level of 1.5º. Even to achieve this level, there have been obstacles. The EU was considering declaration of emergency and the U.K. Parliament passed a resolution. Though the President Donald Trump dumped the Paris document, even in the U.S. there is increased sub-national awareness and support for the ‘Save the Mother Earth’ cause.
The current status is that the annual increase in methane - a greenhouse gas that is more potent than CO2 but dissipates faster - was the highest since 1998, said the report, which included data from dozens of sites as well as naval and aerial measurements. For nitrous oxide, which helps to erode the atmosphere's ozone layer and expose humans to harmful ultraviolet rays, it was the biggest increase ever recorded.
Of course, a majority of European Union lawmakers were hoping to
symbolically declare a "climate emergency", a week before the U.N. Climate Conference in Madrid. The idea or aim was to increase pressure on the incoming EU
executive expected to start work on December 1 2019 to take a stronger leading role in the global fight
against climate change.
That the upping Global Warming 3 to 4 degrees Celsius (compared
to pre-industrial levels) resulting in Climate Change all across
the world including water territories might possibly lead to colossal decrease in
biomass of oceans and in the process eliminate one-fifth of the living
creatures in them, as predicted and forewarned in a report of the US
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Paris (the
present level being up 1 degree Celsius) was rather petrifying and mind-rattling. The effluents and other wastes dumped by humans into the oceans
would complicate and precipitate things and worsen the state of affairs in the
water territories rendering them increasingly difficult for the marine living-beings to sustain themselves and survive in the face of the fast brewing
inhospitable and hostile conditions in the water territories too. The Earth is
currently on course to be around 4 degree Celsius hotter by 2100.
Be all that as they are, as common people let us try to earnestly get down to business right now without allowing any blame game or time lapse. Let the world citizenry ponder over the seriousness of the issue and kick-start to implement the best options for arresting and reversing the environmental degradation, global warming and resultant climate change. We do have awareness. So let us stop indulging in clichés, rhetoric, sermons and slogans. Even rural populace is in the know of gravity of the situation. It is time we stopped doing lip service and started acting sincerely. There is need only for ‘deed’ and not ‘word’. Already, signs, symptoms and syndromes have started showing up. Fissures and cracks appear transparent. Hence there is urgency in the matter which needs no over-emphasis.
Every simple act counts and that is the way to begin with
immediately. Energy saved is energy produced. Avoid switching on lights during
daytimes. Even at nights, have minimum lighting, fans and AC. Keep consumption
to the barest minimum by using energy saving bulbs and lamps. Shun decorative
and dazzling lights including round bulbs. Economize kitchen energy
consumption. Avoid heating food items too often. A reliable public transport
facility is a sine qua non. Four-wheeler owners can pool up their vehicles such
that they use theirs in turns so as to avoid or minimize more than half empty
vehicles plying on roads. Wherever possible, use public transport facility. One
can stretch his/her legs for short distances instead of using two-wheelers. Don’t
burn stubble or bonfires. Minimize or completely avoid plastic items. If you
are individual house owner, sow as many trees/plants as possible and nurture
them. Avoid felling trees. Minimize e-waste. Economize use of paper and
paper-made products. Encouraging the children to play games that involve physical exercises and exertions instead of video/online games. Gamboling and hopping help children enjoy a nice time and also stay fit
and healthy, both physically and mentally. To reduce the fuel-induced air pollution, let us
use bicycles on a large scale instead of fuel-driven vehicles, as far as
possible.
Let everybody be a doer instead of being just an adviser. If we don’t
act swiftly, we will betray our future generations and hand over to the posterity
a hell in the name of heaven. Even with myriad scientific advancements, still
living conditions would become increasingly difficult and suffocating if we
allow the global warming and climate change to play havoc. Let us turn a new
leaf and take part wholeheartedly in the joint endeavour to retrieve the world
from a possible extinction. The earlier we start
acting in right earnest the better!
R.SAMPATH
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