Climate Change in India and the Impacts of Global Warming. Are we too late?

Better late than never is a famous proverb that we are all aware of, but sometimes never late is better. Caught in the daily grind of our busy lives, we come across climate change every once in a while. But do we really know what is happening around us and to the world we live in, the only one we have? Let’s find out.

[the_ad id=”488″]

What is climate change? Do we really need to care?

Everyone who has watched the movie 2012, funnily enough, released in 2009 would be aware of the planet toppling around like in a grinder. Worry not, that is just a work of fiction, imagination and some impressive CGI. Climate change does not work in a sudden manner but slowly works its deadly pace affecting every living thing on planet Earth.

Some of the facts you need to know about Climate change are:

  • Greenhouse Effect: The Greenhouse effect refers to the way the Earth’s atmosphere traps a part of the Sun’s energy. But the solar energy radiation back into space is absorbed and reflected back into our atmosphere, in short making the Earth’s climate stable and not uninhabitable. Now we have increased the emission of these Greenhouse Gasses thus trapping more energy and leading to an increase in the temperature of the earth. This is the Greenhouse effect that we hear all around which is one of the common enablers of  Climate change.
  • No more chocolates: Most of the crops and natural irrigation channels would be irreversibly affected by the change in global temperature, that means no more Chocolates, Ginger would become extinct and many other common food items. A rise in temperature would mean that the weather systems would become unstable and unpredictable hence changing the water flow, soil maturity and nutrition, light intensity and so forth.
  • The Arctic could melt away: The arctic tundra is under threat as the temperature increases, and when we melt the Arctic, we change the way the Earthworks. The fact that ice reflects light back is changed into dark seawater that absorbs light.
  • Melting Ice: Melting Ice means rising sea levels, which would mean that in a few years the Maldives would be undersea.
  • Unpredictable rain: Unpredictable rain is going to ruin the crop cycles that has been practiced for decades. These are some of the points in the whole cluster of reasons on how Climate change may change Earth. Recently a report was put forward by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change(IPCC), states that we are at the stage of the final call to save the Earth from a ‘Climate Catastrophe’.

Climate change a real threat for India

Imagine sweating all night. Imagine drought-like scarcity of water. Imagine agonizing heat and barren lands. Imagine air so polluted it is similar to smoking a 15- 20 cigarette a day. Even though it may be a hard pill to swallow, these are the realities that Indians would face going forward into the next decade. Climate change in India is real and so is the case everywhere else.

Scientists have given the warning, with the extensive projected rise in the global temperature. A single degree increase in the total global temperature can have a catastrophic ripple effect on all living organisms in the world. Now the dramatic rise in temperature that was estimated to be kept under at 1.5 degree C is completely off the track, heading towards a critical 3 degree C. This proves to be an impending threat caused by the rapid human-induced global warming, thus forever crippling the stability of the planet.

[the_ad_placement id=”content”]

What can we expect if we work towards the future?

We as the people hold as much responsibility as the government for climate change. The combined effort of the Governments, people and other private organizations will bring in favorable change by reducing the carbon emission and footprint left on the planet.

The major five steps to reverse climate changes are:

  • The global emission of CO2 would need to decline by a staggering 45% from the level it was in 2010 to lower levels in 2030.
  • Renewable energy sources to give about 85% of the global electricity by 2050.
  • The use of coal is expected to reduce to a figure close to zero.
  • A landmass of seven million sq miles would be needed for the cultivation of energy crops. ( the size of Australia)
  • Global zero-emission to zero by 2050.
  •  Wide adoption of electric vehicles on a global scale. – Rent Electric Vehicles from Zoomcar

What happens if we ignore the changes?

If we don’t keep the temperature below 1.5   C, we are in deep trouble.

  • 100 percent of the coral reefs to be wiped out at 2 degrees C of warming.
  • Global sea level rises by 10cm at an increase of 2 degrees C of warming
  • 10 million people at the risk of flooding at these levels
  • Significant impact on ocean temperature and acidity
  • Impossible to grow rice, wheat, and maize
  • Ancient trees are dying and both the poles drying at an accelerated rate
  • Unbearable summer and forest fires

It could as well be the end of the world as we know it.

What will it cost to reverse climate change?

$2.4 trillion every year, between 2016 to 2035 as estimated by the scientific community. Which would primarily go towards the energy requirements, where the benefits outweigh the costs.

What can you do?

The majority of the changes are to be made directly to the four systems

  • Energy, Land, Cities & Industry

But on an individual level, you can help reverse climate change by:

  • Buying less Meat, Butter, and milk
  • Locally sourced foods and stop throwing or not wasting them
  • Using electric vehicles or cycling short distances – Rent Now from Zoomcar!
  • Taking trains and buses instead of planes – Book your tickets 
  • Using video conferencing instead of Business travels and personal meetings
  • Drying using a washing line instead of a tumble dryer
  • Insulate homes and using less air conditioning
  • Demanding low carbon output in every consumer product – 
  • Using products that do not need animal testing, but are organic

Get the best Organic products exclusively at Bodyshop.

Our everyday activities involve these points mentioned above, and when we take a responsible step it becomes a movement to save Earth. You don’t need to have control over land, but you can have control over what you eat that determines the usage of the land. This happens from our homes and will eventually distill into all of our activities.

How long have we got?

We have not got much time and as per the report by IPCC, we cannot delay the decisions down the road. If the nations fail to act soon, they will have to rely on luck and unproven technology to suck out carbon from the atmosphere, Difficult and costly!

400 million people will be directly affected in India, and the quality of living in most of the Indian cities would drastically fall in the coming decades. A clean and sustainable lifestyle is the answer to this puzzle, and we have reached the point where we decide.

The further impact of global warming can be avoided with decisions and can help make the Earth livable for future generations.

 Still not convinced? see this video below!