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29 Mar 2024, Edition - 3181, Friday

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Columns

Global warming – Mother Earth’s alarm call!

Uma Ram

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As Danah Zohar puts it in his compilation on SQ -investing in spiritual capital, global warming is one of the primary reasons for the unsustainable nature of business. Though superficially there might not be any coherence between commercialised business and environmental damage, it is our reliance on harmful technologies to promote materialistic comforts that has made flood holes in ozone layers, polluting the atmosphere, affecting climatic patterns and creating health hazards.

Global warming is the rising of average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere and oceans since the 19th century and its projected continuation. Since the early 20th century, temperature has increased by 0.8`c (1.4`F) with about two-third of the increase since 1980. Scientists attribute the excessive concentration of the so called Greenhouse gases emitted by fossil fuels and deforestation as the main reason for this heat produced, threatening the meltdown of the glaciers in the poles, especially in Antarctica.

This universal heating is a major threat to the flora and fauna, especially penguins, polar bears and other fauna, confined to the snowy regions which if not conserved could be seen only in Wikipedia museums and documentary films by our successors just like how we see the dinosaurs today. Man being a mettlesome animal would somehow formulate methodologies to postpone the extinction of his species. Thus only the flora and fauna on this earth would be the first to become extinct. But, we fail to realise that once the pyramid collapses mankind too is bound for extinction simultaneously.

Scientists estimate the increase of this warming by the end of the 21st century at 1.4-2.9`c (2-5.2`F) with lowest emission scenario of the greenhouse gases concentration and 2.4-6.4 `c (4.3-11.5`F) with the maximum, as water vapour has the power to double the warming caused by carbon dioxide alone. The alarming news is that parts of the US are getting warmer faster, and thus north-eastern parts of the US are expected to reach the threshold temperature of 2degrees increase before other parts of the globe.

The UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) is trying its level best to bring down the increase and prevent the devastation. But as children of earth it is everyone’s duty to preserve her health for future generations, with simple countermeasures that can bring down her wrath and keep her cool and happy like

* Afforestation

* Strict fuel consumption and replacement of motor vehicles by manually run bicycles which are healthier

* Renewable power

* Alternatives for greenhouse gases

* Carbon sequestration

* Sustainable technology

* Encouraging plankton and fish growth

* Less meat consumption and organic food

* A simple life style

It is a bane and not boon if a country is technologically more advanced as it is more prone to natural hazards due to intense warming. In a nutshell, a back to square one lifestyle of our ancestors can alone prevent catastrophes like Tsunamis and Katrinas and preserve her blessings for our heirs. It does not mean that we need to return to lifestyle of stone age, but effectively use natural resources and prevent further damages using countermeasures. “Each one plant one” is the call of the time. So have you planted your quota?

(The author of the column is Uma Ram, freelance writer from Coimbatore)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author’s own.

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