EARTH HAS ENOUGH FOR NEEDS BUT NOT FOR GREED (CLIMATE CHANGE)
” MATA BHUMI PUTROHAM
PRITHIVYAH ”
(Earth is mother and I am her son)
The human civilization in 21st century , A tale of world conquest, in terms of knowledge and merit. The scientific innovations in one hand, enriched our civilization , on the other hand, the unrestricted application of these innovations in our daily life endangered our life directly and indirectly. The main cause of this extreme situation is – ‘CLIMATE CHANGE’.
Nowadays the term ‘climate change’ is mainly used to indicate the rise in temperature on the earth surface, that is – ‘HEAT WAVE’.Unseasonal rain is also a aspect of climate change.
Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of 21st century, which disrupted normal life in India. In the Global Climate Risk Index – 2024 India ranked 7th in the list of most effected economies.
The main causes of these extreme weather events in India, are – Overuse of A.C ( Air conditioner), Cutting down of trees, modern buildings of glass in Delhi and Mumbai, the copy of western technology, carbon emissions, greenhouse gases ( Co2, CFC, O3, Methane, N2O) , global warming etc.
Significant risk not only to the environment, human health and food security, but also in economic development. The impacts of climate change, are – Reduced agricultural output ( Due to water scarcity, soil erosion, droughts, floods and unseasonal rain), Disruption of fisheries sector, Severity of the human diseases, such as – Malaria, Cholera, Dengue, Heat strokes, Respiratory infections and Mental stress, Damage infrastructure like – Roads, Railway, Bridges, Buildings ( Due to sea level rise), Energy crisis, Reduced industrial output, etc.
According to recent studies, India could contribute to 34 million out of 80 million global job losses, due to heat stress associated productivity decline by 2030. According to WHO, between 2030 and 2050,climate change is expected to cause approximately 2,50,000 additional deaths per year. According to a report of International Energy Agency ( IEA), the electricity demands for A.C in India will exceed Africa’s overall consumption. In all, the shortfall in productivity will lead to – ‘ INFLATION’ and will spot a impact on India’s GDP by 2030.
The GOI ( Government of India) took several steps to check heat wave and climate change. These are, ‘PANCHAMRIT ‘ , CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN ( CCPA)-2014 , SUSTAINABLE CLIMATE FINANCE etc.
We the humans have the supreme power to bring a change. What more we need to do to combat the impacts of climate change, are – 1. Enhancing carbon sequestration, 2. Building climate resilience, 3. Driving India’s green transportation revolution, 4. Climate smart agriculture, 5. Mango tree plantation, which produce more oxygen, 6. 3R ( Reduce, Reuse and Recycle ) and the most important is that, we need a – ‘ GREEN REVOLUTION 2.0’.
Ayantika Sasmal
University/College name : Raja Peary Mohan college ,Calcutta University