Climate change – causes, consequences and control measures

 

                   World meteorological organization of UNO, the other day informed through a press release that the period 2023 to 2027 is going to be the hottest period in the annals of history. The main reasons for this high temperature as per the report is  green - house gases and El nino

effect in Pacific ocean. The  other day  a very senior citizen from a remote village remarked that the temperature is shooting up and is becoming unbearable. Discussions are going on at various levels in the national and international levels the seriousness of the problem and the steps to be taken to mitigate the sufferings.

Climate is the long term weather pattern in a region over a period of thirty years. Weather can change from hour to hour, day to day, month to month or even year to year. Weather is the state of atmosphere at a particular place, at a  particular time with respect to heat, wind, rain,  sunshine etc.

Climate change refers to long- shifts in temperature and  weather pattern. The change may be natural ; but since 1800, it has been observed that human activities have a very important role in this  aspect.

The causes for climate change are:

Green hose gases-

 

          Carbon dioxide

          Nitrous oxide

          Methane

          Chlorofluorocarbon

          Water vapor

The green house gases are emitted due to human activities like burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, gas; cutting of trees etc. Green house gases are transparent to  incoming (short wave) radiation from the sun but bloc infrared (long wave ) radiation from leaving the earth’s surface. The green house cover traps radiation from the sun and heats the earth’s surface.

The main effects of climate change are:

Rise in temperature

Rise in sea level

Severe storms

Increased droughts

According to a study conducted by scientists in Odissa (India) the sea level of Odissa coast rose by 0.19cm each year. The study also revealed that if  sea level rose by 1 m in future , It could submerge 29% of the district Kendrapara. It has also found that the sea level rises over the whole world due to global warming. The warming melts the ice and the thermal expansion of ocean water increases the volume of water leading to rise in sea level.

It is high time that the society as a whole and also the governments at the national and international levels have to take necessary steps to reduce the effects of climate change.

Control measures

To have a suitable climate to live, the  average emissions per person per year will have to drop to a reasonable level.

The suggest actions to tackle the climate crisis are:

          Save energy at home

          Switch to electric vehicle

          Use  more public transport

          Reduce, reuse , repair and recycle 

          Switch over to wind, solar energy

Inter government panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a UN body to assess the facts related to climate change. It provides information for various government agencies so that they can formulate the polices

with respect to climate change.

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