THE REAL PROBLEM OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change has been a persistent issue for the last century, an issue that we have yet to find a solution to. The world is growing warmer by the day, and humankind is expending little to no effort in curbing this. Where we used to have pleasant summers in India at the beginning of the 20th century, scorching midsummers have replaced them in the 2000s.

In a world of falsities, climate change is perhaps the most real issue that we are facing, one that needs to be dealt with immediately.

Climate Change

It is common knowledge that glaciers are melting, rivers are flowing over their boundaries, floods are rampant, ecosystems are displaced and shrinking, the ozone layer is depleting, and the air is polluted. There are increased sea levels and heightened global warming.

Man, however, has not ceased his activities that have caused nature to be so. We have taken and taken from nature and refused to give back. What we are facing today are only the consequences of our actions.

The Dark Side of Development

The development comes with a price. Even though the result is seen as the only medium towards the upliftment of the population, it is not so. Developmental activities, it has been observed, are more often detrimental to both the people and our environment. 

Due to its subjective nature, what development means for one may not mean expansion for the other. This is especially evidenced by the numerous social movements that have come up against developmental projects of the government in different parts of India, most significant of which were the Narmada Bachao Andolan and the Chipko Movement. 

Apart from the general displacement that the people face, developmental projects also tend to adversely affect the ecosystems of that particular area in which they are located. For instance, dams cause the river water to become stagnant and are responsible for killing life in water. Similarly, an industry pollutes the air and water around itself, releasing noxious fumes into the air and sullied water into the rivers. 

One only has to look at the humanmade disasters, such as the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, to understand how the carelessness of man in his mad dash towards development can be destructive to both himself and the environment around him.

Denial of Reality

What is most surprising is the vehement disregard and complete rejection of some people towards climate change. This denial ranges from coming up with increasingly ridiculous theories and reasons for climate change to outright denying that climate change exists. 

What we have to understand is that these statements do not only come from the minds of the ignorant, but also from those who have vested interests. An industrialist would prefer that the state provides him with more land and resources so that he could continue his business freely without having to worry about the environment. 

Climate Change is not an intangible concept. We have felt it. The average temperature in India is 1.2% higher than what it was in the 1900s. Though this may not seem like a considerable number, matters come into perspective when we look at the steadily rising temperatures in summer each year. 

The past decades have seen growing consciousness of the issue of climate change. Industries and developmental projects are now required to submit EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) reports before commencing. India has also joined many climate change conferences to discuss and deliberate upon future courses of action. But these efforts are not enough, and it is high time that we take up immediate, more intensive measures to save the planet.