Article | Few Goals In New Year For Healthy Climate | Dr (Ms) Sharad Singh | Central Chronicle

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Few Goals In New Year For Healthy Climate

          -    Dr (Ms) Sharad Singh

Writer, Author & Social Activist

Blogger - "Climate Diary Of Dr (Ms) Sharad Singh"

        We know that climate change is the most worrying topic in the times we are going through. Rapid changes in climate are now becoming visible to us in the form of changes in seasons. Somewhere there is drought, somewhere there is flood, somewhere there is forest fire or tsunami, and many serious consequences are coming to the fore. But it's not too late. The whole world is making efforts in this direction. If we also set some few goals in the New Year by which the pace of climate change can be slowed down, then it will be good for our future and our earth. So let us decide some goals which we can adopt in our daily life and achieve them easily.        

 

According to leading scientists the world could see another record-breaking warm year in 2024 as global temperatures are on a path to continue rising due to increase in emissions and the impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon that peaks in winter and pushes up global mean temperatures to their peak. Actually, the global climate system is made up of 5 parts: the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere and biosphere. Global climate is influenced by many factors, including the sun, Earth's position in space relative to the sun, and human-made factors such as greenhouse gas emissions. To keep global warming to no more than 1.5°C – as called for in the Paris Agreement – emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. While the effects of human activities on Earth's climate to date are irreversible on the timescale of humans alive today, every little bit of avoided future temperature increases results in less warming that would otherwise persist for essentially forever. So the Climate Pledge is a commitment to reach net-zero carbon by 2040.

These efforts seem to be of a very large scale but in reality our small individual efforts can play an important role in implementing them. How is that? Let's see.

First of all we should refuse to use plastic bags and bottles. In fact, the use of plastic has become an integral part of our life and to get rid of this harmful part, we have to change our habits. Plastic is cheap and durable and has revolutionized human activity. Modern life is addicted to and dependent on this versatile substance, which is found in everything from computers to medical equipment to food packaging. Unfortunately, an estimated more than 8.5 million metric tons of plastic waste dumped up in our oceans every year. Oceanographers have warned that if we keep dumping plastic waste in the sea like this, by the year 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish by weight. This will be harmful to marine life. Coral reefs in particular will suffer the most. The question arises that without going near the ocean, how are we filling it with plastic waste? The simple answer is that we are not doing it directly but the garbage dumpers are dumping the garbage thrown by us which cannot be disposed illegally in the rivers, ponds and oceans. Plastic waste gives rise to pollution not only in water but also on the ground, which is affecting the climate. This is the reason that now the weather pattern is not the same as before. This year 2023 summer was started in the month of February itself. The faster the weather is changing its pattern, the faster we cannot correct it. However, we can slow down the pace of this change if we make our lifestyle eco-friendly. Let us reduce the use of those things which are harming the climate. Reducing the use of plastic would be the most meaningful step in this direction. Of course, we have started trying to reduce the use of plastic, but the pace is slow. We have to accelerate our efforts so that the damage caused by plastic waste can be minimized.

Food-related emissions are also having a negative impact on the climate. Our food is becoming our enemy. How can food-related emissions are reduced? Indeed, reducing emissions from the food sector requires changes at all stages, from producers to consumers. By including more and more vegetarian foods in our diet, we can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Consuming higher amounts of low-emitting substances—beans, chickpeas, lentils, nuts, and grains—as opposed to high-emitting substances—meat and dairy products such as butter, milk, cheese, meat, coconut oil, and palm oil. We can significantly reduce our environmental impact by making small changes in our eating habits. This change will be beneficial for both health and climate from every point of view. In the last decade, the trend towards being vegetarian has increased in developed western countries like America and Britain. There is no religious reason behind this but the desire to reduce the carbon footprint. That is why even those people who have been eating meat for generations are becoming vegan. Such efforts make a lot of sense towards reducing the carbon footprint in the climate. Therefore, we should also pay attention to the behavior of our food so that we too leave at least a carbon footprint.

we should take steps to reduce pollution in our daily life. How is it possible? No big deal, only a few steps can reduce the pollution. Best ways to reduce pollution are using public transports, turn off the lights when not in use, recycle and reuse, say 'no' to plastic bags, reduction of forest fires and smoking, use of fans instead of air conditioner, prefer the renewable energy as air, water, solar, thermal, biomass energy. Remember that every human being needs breathable pure air and not everyone can afford an air purifier.  That's why it is important to keep the air clean! Every human being needs to drink pure drinking water and not everyone can afford a water purifier. That's why it is important to keep the water clean! So, it is important that we change our habits against pollution and adopt cleanliness in daily life. Only by adopting and meeting these goals can we slow down the pace of climate change, and thus give a healthy climate to our future and our planet.

If we see in summary, our goals for the New Year should be - pollution-free, possible reduction in the use of fossil fuels, healthy changes in our eating habits, protecting forests and greenery, loving nature and minimalizing our needs so that we reduce our carbon footprint. Do water conservation too. It is more necessary. Only by adopting and meeting these goals can we slow down the pace of climate change, and thus give a healthy climate to our future and our planet.

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Thank you Central Chronicle 🙏

 (31.12.2023)

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