Climate Change
Climate change is no more a doomsday prophecy, its a reality.
-Astrid Nøklebye Heiberg
Time is changing, and so is climate. There used to be an era when the earth used to follow the seasonal cycle. But now, the sequence is getting disrupted. Frequent floods, droughts, untimely rains, the birth of hazardous diseases are all the symptoms of climate change.
The phenomenon of climate change isn’t an event; instead, it’s a gradual process. In the short term, there weren’t any remarkable disasters by the same, but when we look upon now, we see a lot of its effects. And if not checked, then a lot is about to come.
Critical Causes of Climate Change
- Pollution
- Population
- Deforestation
- Greenhouse gases
Rescue
As soon as people have started gaining awareness about climate change, many organizations, at national as well as international levels, are coming together for the cause. A few of them are:
Earth System Governance Project (ESGP); Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI); International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Everything can’t be done at a global level, and minor steps have to be taken at regional levels as well. Steps like saving electricity, using renewable resources, limiting the use of plastic, minimizing the use of fossil fuels, etc. can make a huge difference.
The key reason for climate change is greenhouse gases. Hence we would be briefing about a couple of them.
Causes and Cures
Let us list down the reasons one by one and then possible solutions simultaneously.
Increasing rates of greenhouse gases like:
CO2 -The causes of its emission are
- Natural sources – decomposition, ocean releases and biological processes like respiration.
- Human sources – exploitation of forests and combustion of fossil fuels.
The following graph shows the carbon dioxide emissions, continent wise, across the globe. As can be seen, the highest one is the pink plot which shows the emission of Asia, whereas the lowest one is in Eastern Europe. And the alarming situation indicated is that by the year 2025, Asia would contribute to 1400 metric tons of CO2.
The steps that can be taken to reduce these numbers is to switch upon sustainable alternatives strictly. Burning of fossil fuels has a significant role in CO2 emission. We can reduce it by going Solar. This clean form of energy can lead to a drastic decrease in pollution. Opting for electric vehicles can too contribute a lot.
Nitrous Oxide- Considering CO2 as the only major pollutant isn’t true. Instead, nitrous oxide has a more significant impact as far as polluting is concerned. It is 300 times more harmful than CO2. Not only that, but N2O is also depleting ozone.
The causes of its emission are:
- Oxides of Nitrogen are emitted during lighting.
- These are also generated as a by-product of combustion of fossil fuels.
- Fertilizers too are turning out to be a significant source of Nitrous Oxides.
As seen above, this greenhouse gas is generated from fossil fuels. Hence it can be reduced by opting for clean alternatives only. Proper management of fertilizers can surely reduce the emission. Right formulation (fertilizer type), the right timing of application, correct placement are the management factors.
These were the two key factors responsible for the greenhouse effect, including methane. It isn’t too late for us to realize that it’s too late! Immediate tiny day to day steps may lead to a considerable change.
