Global climate disruption

A disaster-in-progress, induced by human actions in the wake of achieving massive economic success, is at the verge of making Earth even more fragile in the 21st century.

The burden of actions of some states has to be borne by other states too. Earth is ailing and needs care to be able to provide a safe living place to the next generations. Climate has already changed. Before the effects of this change become irreversible, immediate and stern actions are required to protect the planet from becoming hell.

The shackles of climate change are strong and have the power to change the course of history. Neither the rich nor the poor can escape its clutches. Moving from agrarian to industrial societies, the end goal of the economic boom was followed while the dysfunction of its impact had constantly been ignored. Resultantly, the climate turned where the human race pushed it to.

Industrialization 2.0 can fairly be considered the most important cause to it. Industries have always remained the modus operandi of the capitalists. As the industries boom, so do carbon dioxide emissions. Actions have consequences. Greenhouse gases are being entrapped and the temperature is rising. Higher temperature also increases the risk of wildfires.

As a result of the rising global temperature, sea levels are rising across the globe. It is primarily because of the melting glaciers and also because the water in seas and oceans expands a little when it warms. Antarctica has lost three trillion tons of ice in the last 25 years. With the increase in sea levels, many cities and even countries might submerge in coming decades. The Maldives, Bangladesh and Indonesian capital Jakarta are critically threatened by rising sea levels. The industrial hub of Pakistan, Karachi, also faces acute dangers posed by rising sea levels.

Climate change sees no boundaries and borders. The Philippines faces typhoons and Pakistan faces both floods and heatwaves. Even though the combined contribution of both of these countries to the GHG emissions is less than one percent, they are paying the price. It is because the effects of toxic emissions reach other regions too. Thus, economic development in one state puts immense burden on neighbouring states.

Though climate change has many devastating effects, it has benefitted some states too. For instance, the melting of glaciers in the Global North can create new sea routes and save huge shipping expenses as well as time. Similarly, with the rise of global average temperature, some areas that were once too cold to live in will acquire moderate temperature and become habitable. Moreover, new energy resources will be explored in regions that were once too difficult to explore and exploit. However, these benefits of climate change when compared to its threatening role seem to be no more than salt in flour.

In order to make Earth a livable place, three As need to be focused on: Attention, Activism and Action. The Kyoto Protocol provides the pathway for a climatically less endangered world. It was an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It places a heavier burden on developed nations to control the greenhouse gas emissions. G-20 countries account for 78 percent of the global emissions. The Doha Amendment 2012 to the Kyoto Protocol calls for reducing GHG emissions by 18 percent below 1990 levels in eight years.

The average global temperature is increasing at a rapid rate. The global temperature is projected to rise by 5 degree Celsius by the end of this century. A lot of casualties are occurring worldwide due to heatwaves. The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement aims to limit the planet’s warming to well below 2 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels. However, the Paris Agreement on climate change is not legally binding upon member countries and may not serve as an instrument to combat climate change.

The developed world has a big hand in disrupting the global climate. Their economic growth has contributed much to climate change. The role of these states should now be focusing on fixing the problems rather than running away from climate agreements like Trump did from the Paris Climate Agreement. The US is one of the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases in the world.

Another important element of climate change is deforestation. Millions of acres of land have been cleared in order to accommodate the exploding population and growing human needs and wants. Franklin D Roosevelt rightly said: “A nation that destroys its soil destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land.” Countries like Pakistan with much less green area than the world standard of 33 percent are particularly vulnerable to impacts of climate change. Trees help stabilise the composition of air by purifying it. According to the UN, a quarter of all premature deaths and diseases are due to human-made pollution and environmental damage.

Pakistan is ranked among the top polluted countries in the world with respect to air quality. Pakistan’s neighbours, India and China, are the potential emitters of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases. Air does not follow borders. Climate change is a structural problem. Apparently, it cannot be resolved by individual states for a global transformation. Systemic change needs a lot of time and effort for consensus building and international implementation. However, the impact can fairly be minimized within a country by taking some required actions. Tree plantation in Pakistan in recent years is one of the few areas where Pakistan is doing good. The country needs to focus on population growth too. Malthusians are concerned that a rise in population increases demand of resources – which is hardly met without affecting the climate. A low population growth rate and planned cities can also help reduce pollution and effects of climate change.

The writer is a freelance contributor.

Email: abdulbasit0419@gmail.com