“At present, we are stealing the future, selling it in the present and calling it gross domestic product. “- Paul Hawken
Global warming isn’t a prediction, it is happening. Don’t you think climate change is affecting all of us as we all have a common thing called earth also regarded as “Mother Earth"?
CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Such shifts can be natural, But since the 1800s, human activities have impacted the environment most, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.
Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gas emissions that act like a blanket wrapped around the Earth, trapping the sun’s heat and raising temperatures. The main greenhouse gases that are causing climate change include carbon dioxide and methane. Deforestation can also release carbon dioxide. Agriculture, oil and gas operations are major sources of methane emissions. Energy, industry, transport, buildings, agriculture and land use are among the main sectors causing greenhouse gases.
IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Temperature rise - Global surface temperature has increased faster since 1970 than in any other 50-year period over at least the last 2000 years. Every fraction of a degree of warming matters. With every additional increment of global warming, changes in extremes and risks become larger.
Food and agriculture - The unsustainable use of land, soil, water and energy for food contributes to greenhouse gas emissions that cause rising temperatures. Higher temperatures in turn affect resources to produce food. Up to 811 million people in the world faced hunger in 2020, as many as 161 million more than in 2019.
Health - Climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity. The impacts are already harming health through air pollution, disease, extreme weather events, forced displacement, food insecurity and pressures on mental health. Every year, environmental factors take the lives of around 13 million people. Over 90 per cent of people breathe unhealthy levels of air pollution, largely resulting from burning fossil fuels driving climate change. In 2018, air pollution from fossil fuels caused $2.9 trillion in health and economic costs, about $8 billion a day.
SIGNIFICANCE OF INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE ACTION DAY
International Climate Action Day, observed on October 24th each year, a global call to address the significant issue of climate change. It is a day dedicated to raising awareness, advocating for climate-friendly policies, and encouraging individuals and organizations to take concrete steps to protect the environment. This day has a power to unite the people across the globe in fighting to save “Mother Nature”. It acts as a reminder that for most history man has had to fight nature to survive, in this century beginning to realize that in order to survive he must protect it.
By observing this day, we acknowledge that climate change is not a distant problem—it’s a present challenge that requires collective responsibility and swift action. STEPS TAKEN BY UN AND HOW WE CAN CONTRIBUTE
Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs) Goal 13: "Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts." This agenda emphasizes the interconnectedness of climate action with poverty reduction, gender equality, and ecosystem protection.
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
Established in 1992, the UNFCCC provides the framework for international cooperation on climate change. It guides negotiations and actions by countries to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations and limit human-induced climate change.
Reduce pollution through using local and public transports, preferring cycles and walking.
Practice the 3Rs—Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Cut down on single-use plastics, opt for reusable products, and properly dispose of electronic and hazardous waste.
Afforestation is the most simple and effective measure. Donating and volunteering in organizations also helps a lot in saving the environment. Lastly spreading awareness in the community is the most needful thing right as “What's the use of a house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on?”
The biggest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it. This planet takes care of us we live and experience everything because nature is supporting us but we take it for granted. We have to power to make a difference at individual and collective level aiming towards sustainable life and economy. We are the first generation to experience the climate change and last generation to save it – Barack Obama. This International Climate Action Day, let’s pledge to take meaningful steps toward healing our Earth.
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WRITTEN BY:
Tashvi Gupta
B.A. (H) Philoshphy 1st year
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