CLIMATE CHANGE

INTRODUCTION

Climate change is the long-term alteration of a location's temperature and typical weather patterns. Climate change can refer to a specific place or the entire world. Weather patterns may become less predictable as a result of climate change. Because expected temperature and rainfall levels can no longer be relied on, these unexpected weather patterns can make it difficult to maintain and grow crops in farming regions. Climate change has also been linked to an increase in the frequency and intensity of hurricanes, floods, downpours, and winter storms.

In the polar regions, rising global temperatures caused by climate change have hastened the melting of ice sheets and glaciers from season to season. This leads to rising sea levels in many parts of the world. Along with the expansion of ocean waters caused by rising temperatures, the resulting rise in sea level has begun to harm coastlines through increased flooding and erosion.

Human action, such as the usage of fossil fuels such as natural gas, oil, and coal, is largely to blame for present climate change. When these materials are burned, greenhouse gases are released into the Earth's atmosphere. These gases trap heat from the sun's rays inside the atmosphere, raising the average temperature of the Earth. This rise in global temperature is referred to as global warming. Global warming has an impact on local and regional climates. Climate has altered constantly throughout Earth's history. This is a slow process that has occurred organically over hundreds of thousands of years. Human-caused climate change is occurring at a significantly faster rate than previously thought.

What Exactly Is Climate Change?

Long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns are referred to as climate change. Such changes can occur naturally as a result of variations in the sun's activity or massive volcanic eruptions. However, since the 1800s, human activities have been the primary cause of climate change, owing primarily to the use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas. The combustion of fossil fuels produces greenhouse gas emissions, which behave like a blanket wrapped over the Earth, trapping heat from the sun and raising temperatures.

Carbon dioxide and methane are the primary greenhouse gases responsible for climate change. These are caused by using petrol to drive a car or coal to heat a building, for example. Carbon dioxide can be released when land is cleared and forests are cut down. Agriculture, oil and gas enterprises are important methane emitters. Energy, industry, transportation, buildings, agriculture, and land use are among the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.

Humans are responsible for global warming

Climate scientists have demonstrated that humans are to blame for nearly all global warming over the previous 200 years. Human activities such as those stated above emit greenhouse gases, which are warming the earth faster than at any time in the last two thousand years.

The average temperature of the Earth's surface is now roughly 1.1°C higher than it was in the late 1800s (pre-industrial revolution) and higher than it has ever been in the last 100,000 years. The most recent decade (2011-2020) was the warmest on record, and the last four decades have been warmer than any prior decade since 1850.

Many people believe that climate change mostly entails higher temperatures. However, the rise in temperature is only the beginning of the story. Because the Earth is a system in which everything is interconnected, changes in one area can have an impact on all others.

Climate change is now causing severe droughts, water scarcity, severe fires, increasing sea levels, flooding, melting polar ice, catastrophic storms, and dwindling biodiversity.

People are reacting to climate change in a variety of ways

Climate change can have an impact on our health, ability to grow food, housing, safety, and employment. People living in small island nations and other developing countries are already more vulnerable to climate impacts. Conditions like as sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion have forced entire villages to evacuate, and prolonged droughts are putting people at risk of hunger. The number of "climate refugees" is anticipated to climb in the future.

Every degree of global warming is significant

Thousands of scientists and government reviewers agreed in a series of UN reports that limiting global temperature rise to no more than 1.5°C would help us avoid the worst climate impacts and maintain a livable climate. Nonetheless, current policies point to a 2.8°C temperature rise by the end of the century.

Climate change emissions come from all throughout the world and affect everyone, although some countries create far more than others.In 2020, the top seven emitters (China, the United States of America, India, the European Union, Indonesia, the Russian Federation, and Brazil) accounted for roughly half of all global greenhouse gas emissions.

Everyone must take climate action, but those who cause the problem have a larger obligation to act first.

We have a massive challenge, but we already have numerous solutions

Many climate change solutions have the potential to provide economic benefits while also improving our lives and protecting the environment. Global frameworks and agreements, such as the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Paris Agreement, are also in place to steer progress. There are three basic types of action: reducing emissions, adapting to climate impacts, and financing necessary adjustments.

Switching from fossil fuels to renewables like solar and wind will lower the emissions that are causing climate change. But we must act quickly. While an increasing number of countries are pledging to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, emissions must be cut in half by 2030 in order to keep warming below 1.5°C. To achieve this, massive reductions in the usage of coal, oil, and gas are required: more than two-thirds of today's proven supplies of fossil fuels must be maintained in the ground by 2050 in order to avoid catastrophic levels of climate change.

Climate adaptation safeguards people, homes, businesses, livelihoods, infrastructure, and natural ecosystems. It addresses both current and potential future consequences. Adaptation will be necessary everywhere, but it must be prioritised immediately for the most vulnerable people who have the fewest means to deal with climate dangers. The rate of return is potentially high. Early warning systems for disasters, for example, save lives and property and can provide benefits worth up to ten times the initial investment.

CONCLUSION

Climate action necessitates enormous financial investments on the part of governments and corporations. However, climate inaction is far more expensive. One crucial step is for developed countries to fulfill their commitment to pay $100 billion per year to developing countries in order for them to adapt and transition to greener economies.