CLIMATE CHANGE

In this article reader will get to know about climate change (its causes, effects, measures and way forward) in easier way. While reading this article all the confusion regarding the climate change will get cleared. So, first look around yourself are you feeling so hot in summers and so cold in winters or seasons of summer and winters are reducing or seeing heavy rains or frequent droughts. All these are happening majorly because of climate change, further I will explain more in this article.

Definition of Climate Change

Climate change is defined as the  long term change in the average conditions of climate such as temperature and rainfall in a region. For example, 20,000 years ago, most part of countries around arctic was covered with glaciers such United States, northern Russia. But today in parts of Russia and the United States have  warmer climates and fewer glaciers.

Now the question arises what has happened over the years that led to so much climate change across the world. So everyone is aware that excessive use and exploitation of something will lead to destruction or mutation of the same.

Similarly, what has happened with our mother earth as well ,whom should we had loved and taken care of. We are doing opposite, exploiting her so much  which is happening now as well when you are reading this article. Lets discuss the causes of climate change and further dig deeper and know what led to so much mess.

 

Causes of Climate Change

There are mainly two broad heads under which we can characterize the causes these are natural and man-made.

• Natural causes: these are occurring as earth is getting older and older with time some of them are:

1. Volcanic activity: with lava eruption the temperature of region changes over the period of time.
2. Solar cycle: it includes sunspots whose one cycle of 11 years and changes the temperature of sun which in turn affect the earth’s temperature.
3. Natural cycle: it includes the gaseous cycle most importantly carbon cycle which includes carbon dioxide for example in photosynthesis.
4. Orbital movement of earth: its relation with the Milankovitch Curve which estimate the shifting of orbital and its effect on climate change.
5. Ocean Currents: these are flowing across the globe hence changing the temperature and rainfall of region such as effects of El Nino and La Nina.

• Man-made causes : the anthropogenic activity are the main reason for this change in climate in such short run. Some of them are as follows:

1. Greenhouse gas emission: the amount gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and methane release is an “eye opening” for the sustainability of earth. This mainly happening due to fossil fuel emission and deforestation.
2. Agricultural activities: the traditional way of farming using excessive groundwater and usage of fertilizers making the land to emit harmful gases. Further livestock is contributing to methane emission at large scale.
3. Transportation and factories: these are one of the worst things which are hampering the temperature and other climatic patterns of the earth.
4. Waste and plastic pollution: this is also measure issue as oceans are becoming dumping yard for plastic waste affecting the corals and under water rainforests which has capability to cool down the earth.
5. Human settlements: it includes urbanization at rapid pace which is making cities heat island which in turn increasing the temperature of the earth which is life changing impact.

Effect of climate change

Some of the broad effect of climate changes are as follows:

• Increasing the temperature of earth year by year.
• Rise ocean and sea levels.
• Shrinking of glaciers of Greenland, arctic and Antarctic region.
• Disturbing natural cycle of flora and fauna for example blooming of flowers, reproduction of animals etc.
• Desertification and land degradation of the region for example Sahel region of West African continent.

What we can do ?

• Renewable energy: phasing out fossil fuels and adopting energy like solar, wind for producing energy is the way to reduce the impact of climate change.
• Adopting sustainable agriculture and food system: we can go for zero tillage, hydroponics type of framing. We can change our deity habits that is consuming millets and dry land crops according the region.
• Ecosystem Restoration: cleaning our oceans, saving land from degradation and conserving wetlands could be some measures for ecosystem restoration.
• Sustainable development: consuming the resources with preserving the same for our future generations. As resources are limited but our desires are not so we need to use wisely.
• Cooperation with international intuitions: we can make our country government to follow the rules and share the talks for preserving our mother earth from the demon of climate change.

Way forward

We should unite and come forward to save our earth we can do so by cooperating institution like United Nations, IPCC and others. One should start from their house then residential area further to cities and then at national level.

If we want to reduce the earth temperature below 2 degree Celsius and restrict it to 1.5 degree, we need to take great steps like reducing the emission and other activities which are triggering the earth’s climate. All these need collective and holistic action otherwise in no time earth will become like sun.