Arresting climate change within grasp; it needs concerted efforts
Climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 deaths per year between 2030 and 2050.
What you need to know:
- There many causes of climate change, including deforestation, destruction of the ozone layer, and volcanic eruptions.
- The World Bank estimates that climate change could drive more than 120 million people into poverty by 2030.
Let’s talk about climate change, a crisis that is threatening humanity. In simple terms, climate change is a change in global or regional climatic patterns, in particular a change apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards.
There many causes of climate change, including deforestation, destruction of the ozone layer, and volcanic eruptions. But the prime reason is the emission of carbon dioxide and other gases.
Carbon dioxide is mainly produced by human activities, including burning fossil fuels like coal and oil to power our vehicles, industries and houses.
The world population has boomed and we are consuming more animal products than ever which produce another pollutant called methane.
When such gases are released into the air, heat from the sun is trapped within the earth’s atmosphere, causing the planet to become warmer.
Scientists call this the greenhouse effect. But why should we be concerned? High temperatures are causing bush fires, heat waves, floods and mass extinction of species.
Climate change has also worsened already existing problems like food insecurity, water scarcity and flooding. The World Bank estimates that climate change could drive more than 120 million people into poverty by 2030.
The World Health Organisation has termed climate change “the greatest threat to global health”.
Climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 deaths per year between 2030 and 2050. To curb climate change, climate action plans were put in place. In 2016, world leaders came together to sign the Paris Agreement targeting to cut carbon emissions by seven per cent every year for 10 years to keep the global temperatures at 1.5°C.
Three years after the agreement was signed, the carbon dioxide levels are going up because governments are not making enough effort to implement the policies.
There are many solutions that could be put in place like consuming less animal products, using renewable energy and improving public transport. Hopefully, it is not too late.
Bansri is a Form 3 student at Saint David's Secondary School, Thika.
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