If you happen to be a prolific Net surfer, you probably will have sensed the heat picking up once again over climate change – whether it exists! Both sides claim the other is backed by a lobby that stands to gain from the argument, be it oil, biofuel, coal or solar.But for anyone curious to know, the facts are out there. Provided visually by organizations like Nasa and others. Tales of shrinking Arctic ice are facts.
Take for instance the image produced by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) in Boulder, Colorado. The pink outline shows the earlier ice cover, a mere couple of years ago.
The NSIDC has just released a new report finding: "Arctic sea ice extent averaged for the month of February was 14.84 million square kilometers (5.73 million square miles). February extent was 800,000 square kilometers (309,000 square miles) less than the 1979 to 2000 average, and 140,000 square kilometers (54,000 square miles) less than for February 2008."
Already emissions are outside the envelope of possibilities considered by IPCC in its 2007 report. That is how fast and how determined the human race seems to be to consume itself out of existence.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Climate Change is the latest whose study shows temperatures are likely to step up by 5 deg by the end of the century.
In their recent global model simulatations, they have proof that ocean heat-uptake is slower than previously estimated, the ocean uptake of carbon is weaker, feedbacks from the land system as temperature rises are stronger, cumulative emissions of greenhouse gases over the century are higher, and offsetting cooling from aerosol emissions is lower.
And, rather than interacting additively, these different affects appear to interact multiplicatively, say the group.
Still have doubts? Why not do a simple experiment yourself? Check out agri yields, from your nearest farm land. Or the water availability. Not in the cities, which we know is simply decreasing due to multifold increase in numbers of people. But out there in the suburbs.
Chances are you will find a dip in both. What do you think are the reasons? Mismanagement? Perhaps. But what about the yields of grains? The Swaminathan Research Foundation has shown a fall. This is despite all modern inputs. Clearly a sign of rising temperatures.
What should we do? Let us hear from you.
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Policy makers from all countries are in pursuit of growth/ creating opportunities which is only increasing emissions every day and thereby leading to upsetting ecology balance and soaring temperatures. Although all countries, policy makers and public realise that its a big issue with soaring temperatures, they still cast a blind eye to it. Gone are the days where people want only necessities, they want material benefits, comforts and luxuries and which is creating increased demand for commodities, manufacturing goods and energy leading to increased emissions. Also especially in this era of privatised power companies, they do not want power to be conserved by the households/industries as they’re after profits and creating share holder and conserving energy will only dent their profits. All these acts are only leading to increased emissions resulting in changing weather patterns. Another sad thing is that governments are making money even out of carbon emissions by trading them as a commodity on the stock markets.
I think it should be made the responsibility of every individual to follow these practices to leave this earth a habitable place for our future generations.
• Plant more trees - Every person should be passed a mandate to sow atleast 2 plants a year
• Conserve water - Every house should have a pit through which water can seep in, as the ground water levels are continuously decreasing
Also I think it needs concerted efforts from Government, Environmental agencies and Ecological groups to work towards creating emission targets for companies and incentivising them to meet their targets on emissions. Remember, Privatisation is the key for improved customer satisfaction, not the ecology.
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