We can reverse climate change!
By: Mohana Naidu
Tags: Climate Action, Climate Protection, Climate Change

The world changed significantly in 2020, and a small virus has brought the civilised world to a halt. The cities which were said never to sleep took the back seat. Taking this opportunity, we have to look back, understand our mistakes, learn from them, rectify them, make them right and then move ahead. I am addressing the global climate & the natural system, which we have been neglecting so long (Climate Change Evidence: How Do We Know?.2020).

Retrieved from Climate Change (2020)

Questioning, “why is it so important to save the planet?” We have to understand some things before addressing the big picture of “Planet in danger”. Climate change is not “Destroying the Planet”, but it destroys the human habitat that has nurtured human civilisation. We are disturbing natures balance with our activities, which is pushing a climate to the extreme that it will not support life(Planetary boundaries. 2020). Our planet has witnessed five mass extinction in its lifetime of 4.54 Billion years (National Society), and the 6th mass extension is going on, and we are a part of it, called Holocene extinction or Anthropocene extinction. The mass extinctions in the past were caused due to natural causes or a meteoroid (“Why are their mass extinctions?”. 2020), but the Holocene extinction is caused because of extensive human activities (Anthropogenic activities) such as industrialisation, commercial agriculture,land-use change, mining to name very few of them. These activities, if continued, is estimated to wipe out 30% of the currently existing species from the face of the earth by the end of this century ( “A Current Mass Extinction?”. 2020). And if continued, I believe that this climate will become life-threatening, possible resulting extinction of humans. Even though we have an equal chance of surviving, the world might not be the same (“Will Humans Survive The Sixth Great Extinction?”. 2015). Imagine a world with extreme climate events, such as strong hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, sand storms, more life-threatening diseases and so on. “A world where a year like 2020 is pretty much a very normal year.” This thought scares me. Every human currently living on the planet has been in some or other way affected by the virus and cannot wait to go back to the normal life as before. But life back to normal be enough to change the inevitable? The scientists say by the year 2030, things can be changed. Is this possible? And will that happen?

And the answer is, “YES”, we can bring a change, as an individual, each one of us can change the inevitable future we have in front of us, for our future and the future of the coming generation. We have to do it, and we can. Ten (approx 9) years from now is not a lot of time to bring the change we want.

So what can be done?

Being conscious of your actions (or being a conscious being :) )

If you want to change the world, the change should start with you. Creating a perspective of “nature/ environment first” will promote you to make more sustainable decisions. Self-analysis of the impact of your everyday activities on the environment will help you to achieve a more sustainable lifestyle. Reflecting on your actions should be your first step in bringing the change you want to see. Being open to change is the first and the most critical step in becoming climate positive. I will be discussing more about human activities & their environmental impact in upcoming blogs.

This blog intends to be optimistic concerning climate change & other environmental impacts and inculcate a sense of responsibility and an attitude of “ we can do it together” in the readers.

Climate Change (2020). Available at: http://msbuckleyteaching.weebly.com/climate-change.html (Accessed: 8 December 2020).

Climate Change Evidence: How Do We Know? (2020). Available at: https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/ (Accessed: 15 December 2020).

Planetary boundaries (2020). Available at: https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/planetary-boundaries.html (Accessed: 14 December 2020).

Why are their mass extinctions? (2020). Available at: https://earthobservatory.sg/faq-on-earth-sciences/why-are-there-mass-extinctions#:~:text=Mass%20extinctions%20happen%20because%20of,dinosaurs%2C%2065%20million%20years%20ago. (Accessed: 13 December 2020).

National Society.

Society, N. and Society, N. (2020) Age of the Earth, Nationalgeographic.org. Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/topics/resource-library-age-earth/?q=&page=1&per_page=25 (Accessed: 8 December 2020).

“A Current Mass Extinction?”. 2020. ete.Cet.Edu. http://ete.cet.edu/gcc/?/biodiversity_curr_mass_extinction/ (Accessed: 8 December 2020).

“Will Humans Survive The Sixth Great Extinction?”. 2015. National Geographic News. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/06/150623-sixth-extinction-kolbert-animals-conservation-science-world/. (Accessed: 8 December 2020).

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Thank you so much.