Climate Change Impacts on Environment: Do We Have More Time or Should We Act Immediately?

Human interventions have always alerted the courses of natural system especially after the industrial revolution. Since 1850, there has been an abrupt change in the climatic system with the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) which has driven the atmospheric CO2 level from 280ppm to 413ppm. Already we are experiencing extreme heat waves, erratic precipitation patterns and increased intensity of cyclones and floods. The extent of different forms of pollution have increased tremendously and started showing adverse impacts on natural ecosystem and biodiversity. Scientists have generated enough evidence about the changes in climatic systems and its negative impacts on the environment over the past century. However, we hardly became aware of the consequences and continued to damage the environment.

So now the question comes, how bad things can get? Increasing average temperature of the Earth is degrading the health of the planet. Temperature changes influence the flowering pattern of many plants. If we cannot keep the average global temperature below 2 degree Celsius, grains such as rice, wheat and maize are expected to see reduced yield. Biological ecosystems like forests, savanna, mangroves are more vulnerable due to heat waves, erratic rainfall, drought, seal level rise and salinity intrusion. With business as usual scenario, the Earth might lose a large number of its animals and plant species which might damage the proper functioning of many ecosystems. Increased temperature in the oceans can create a shift in species richness from tropical region to higher latitudes away from the equator. Ocean acidification is also impacting the marine ecosystem badly by interfering the formation of shells in marine creatures and corals. Moreover, higher temperatures increase the outbreaks of different diseases and pests.

Now, we might think that GHG emission is the cause of global warming; so if we stop producing greenhouse gases, use renewable energy instead of fossil fuels and take other mitigation measures then we can stop climate change. But the thing is, the impacts that we are facing today is caused by the accumulated CO2 in the atmosphere during the past hundred years. Although land, ocean and forests absorb a good amount of CO2, a large percentage of the gas gets trapped in the atmosphere for a long time. Even if we stop emitting CO2 now, we are likely to face the climatic catastrophe in the coming decades. We have already delayed to take actions against climate change; the future projections are even worse than what we are facing today. We need to take climate change seriously and take actions to reduce GHG emissions immediately before it is too late. For this we need to reduce usage of fossil fuel and switch to sustainable energy options; reduce air, water and soil pollution, change our behavioral pattern and consume in such a manner that emits less GHGs. Most important, we need to understand that all the elements of natural environment are interlinked and any alteration in one element can adversely impact the system as a whole. So, we should act responsibly and conserve the environment for our own good.

References WMO (2019). Statement on the State of the Global Climate in 2019. Geneva, Switzerland: World Meteorological Organization. Link

UNEP (2019). Global Environment Outlook, GEO6: Healthy Planet, Healthy People. Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations Environment Programme. Link

IPCC (2019). Climate Change and Land: Summary for Policymakers. Geneva, Switzerland: IPCC. Link