Earth is heating up and fast. Melting glaciers, rising seas, parched lakes, shrinking forests and wildlife scrambling to stay alive. According to National Geographic, humans have caused most of the past century’s warming by releasing gases that trap heat as we power our modern everyday lives. The levels of such green house gases are currently higher than at any point in the past 800,000 years. Temperatures that have remained relatively constant throughout earth’s history have been exacerbated over the past 150 years and nature is no longer able to naturally absorb the sheer volume of unnaturally generated gases. In 1895 Swedish Chemist Svante Arrhenius discovered that humans could enhance the effect of green house gases by making carbon dioxide, which kicked off over a 100 years of climate research that has been crucial in our understanding of global warming and the resulting climate change on our planet.
As earth’s core temperature rises climate change can occur in unexpected ways and weather can become more extreme. Intense storms, increased rains and longer droughts are examples of the effects of climate change. Growing crops becomes a challenge for farmers, changes the landscape in which animals and plants reside and fresh water supplies from underground sources and glaciers diminish in supply. As a majority of the population in Nagaland are dependent on rural cultivation it is crucial to keep natural balances in check to ensure bountiful crop yields each year. Even within the past week The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported yet another heat wave in the northeast region of India, along with deficit pre-monsoon rains. The highest recorded temperature was between 35 degrees Celsius and 38 degree Celsius, two to five degrees above the normal for this time of year, and the States of Nagaland-Manipur-Mizoram- Tripura subdivision recorded a deficit in pre monsoon rainfall of 28 mm. Agricultural officers of the regions said various summer crops are likely to be affected if rain does not occur within the next few days. A major impact of limited rainfall is the effect on drinking water, particularly in hilly areas as reported by the IMD.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Climate state 5 key facts about climate change. It affects social and environmental determinants of health which include clean air, safe drinking water and sufficient food and secure shelter. In 2030-2050, climate change is expected to impact approximately 250000 additional death each year from malaria, diarrhoea, heat stress and malnutrition. Direct damage to health is estimated at 2-4 billion/year by 2030. Remote areas with weak health infrastructure in developing countries will be worst hit, further increasing global inequality. And lastly reducing green house gas emissions through better transport, food and energy choices can mitigate diseases, especially through reduced air pollution. Climate change deniers argue that climate has changed before, models are unreliable and that there is no consensus on it but the effects of climate change are not subtle anymore, it not just the challenges our way of life but is putting the future of the world on unstable grounds. A healthy and stable climate is our most precious natural resource. We must celebrate the natural wonders that remain and learn what we must preserve to ensure people and nature thrive on our earth.
