Editor,
Global warming has no longer remained an issue to be discussed only in our free time. Each degree of rise in the world’s temperature is a stark reminder that the environment is deteriorating rapidly . The scorching heat of every summer brings the apprehension : will the sun be more mighty next year or can our body tolerate this abrupt climatic change . Seasonal heat increase has transformed from an individual worry to an international concern today . It now demands global commitment to fight the climatic disruption. From general public discussion , matters of global temperature rise have already entered the parliamentary debates, demanding sustainable measures to be included in the government policies for dealing the climatic ordeals ,specially during the periods of heat waves .While we are often concerned with searching for solutions to global warming, the broader question still remains open: who are the ravagers of the environment? Obviously, it is we the human beings who are responsible for this celeritous climatic destruction. Our burgeoning human demands have led to rapid industrialization , ignoring the reality that each product that comes to the market from the factories to meet our needs has a significant environmental cost. Tonnes of greenhouse gases are released in the atmosphere from the industries while producing the items, which finally contributes to the global heat hazard. . Along with deforestation, the continuous release of carbon dioxide gas from fossil fuel burning , has now made the “greenhouse effect” inevitable in the cities. Growing hypertension and heart attacks are very much the results of an environment that has become abnormal now. Unbearable summers have brought economic consequences too ,as people are compelled to spend extra money buying AC’s , which was thought to be a luxury until a few years ago. Increasing glacial meltdown and rising sea level are not just the symptoms of global warming, but they are warnings of an impending disaster.
The irony is that while common men are buying electric vehicles to reduce the carbon emission , big nations are wrecking the environment by waging missiles. 15000 tonnes of explosives were released in the first 40 days of the West Asia war which polluted the air drastically. And since nations cannot be penalised for higher Carbon emission, treaties like the Paris Agreement were signed among them to restrict the greenhouse gas emissions. While 194 participating members of the Paris agreement have pledged to outline their own “emission reducing targets” through Nationally Determined Contributions ( NDCs), US withdrew from the pact citing that American energy, economic policies and tax payers money should not be dictated by global climate treaties. But by saying this the US has rejected the fact that with power comes the responsibility.Today, dealing climatic ordeals requires overall global cooperation, not contention. Those which are designated as economically privileged nations, are expected to usher the way for climatic resilience through financial contribution and technological support. Since contemporary global leadership is not defined by military strength alone, but also by how one understands the perils of the environment with a humanitarian view.
Today effort from the people is also needed to deal with the heat menace since we are the overall destroyer of the environment. Our evil habits have not only caused global warming, but have also polluted the air and water equally . Rapid urbanization has already reduced the green spaces of the earth and unless burning of fossil fuel is reduced and an alternative energy source is made available quickly , the world is soon going to become an uncomfortable place to live. It is high time to think about whether we will finish everything on this earth now or preserve something for the future generation.
Kabir Ahmed Saikia
Rajabari,Jorhat
Assam
