The Next Pandemic: Climate Change
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The world is burning. The fire is causing an economic recession, people are afraid to get back to their daily lives, and the number of awful deaths is reaching a grim milestone. The growth of this generation will be affected. Its effects are exploding like the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and sending shock waves across the world. Yes, you heard it right. I am talking about the Covid-19 pandemic, but this is just the beginning of our mass extinction. Another global emergency is knocking at your door: climate change. You either open the door or close it, the fire will soon reach your home. We’re all aware of the Earth Day, which is celebrated on 22nd April every year. But are you aware of the earth’s deadline? The Doomsday Clock is ticking and life is ticking away. All we have some seconds, minutes, hours and days to save the mother earth.
According to the climate clock in New York, 94 days left before global warming reaches unsustainable levels in the earth. The last five years were the hottest five years of the Earth. Interestingly, we are in the sixth mass extinctions of the Earth and the human driven climate change is working as the catalyst in this mass murder.
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| Photo by Brent Olson from Pexels |
A study published in Nature magazine last October showed that over the last quarter-century, the oceans have absorbed 60 per cent more heat annually than estimated in a 2014 IPCC report. In the next 40 years, increases in global temperatures are projected to raise global mortality rates by the same amount—14 deaths per 100,000. By the end of the century, if emissions growth stays high, climate change could be responsible for 73 extra deaths per 100,000 people. In a lower emissions scenario, the death rate drops to 10 per 100,000. In other words, by 2060, climate change could be just as deadly as COVID-19, and by 2100 it could be five times as deadly.
According to the Fourth United Nations Environmental Assembly, UN Environment’s sixth Global Environment Outlook (2019) calls on decision-makers to take immediate action to address pressing environmental issues to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals as well as other Internationally Agreed Environment Goals, such as the Paris Agreement. However, on June 1, 2017, the United States President has withdrawn its participation from the Paris Agreement. Climate change cases are growing and have been brought in at least 28 countries around the world, and of the recorded cases more than three quarters have been filed in the United States. Most defendants are governments, but lawsuits are increasingly targeting the highest greenhouse-gas-emitting companies. Brazil had promised to restore more than 12 m hectares of forest, which is about half the size of the United Kingdom or one third the size of Chile, it could reduce its emissions by 37%. But the new Brazilian government, elected in 2018, supported the industrialization in Amazon Rainforest, rather than honouring its commitment.
The need of this era is innovation, and innovation is the main driving force of sustainable development of humanity and economic society. It is the perfect time to adapt ‘Green Governance’ and innovation with sustainable development can only be achieved through ‘Green Governance’.
Denmark is one of the countries, it has long profiled itself as a leader in sustainable solutions within energy, climate adaptation and environment. Denmark focuses on the “brand of green space” strategy, combining the power of the government, enterprises, and the public to promote green governance. On the one hand, the Government formulates relevant environmental protection laws and regulations to provide external guarantee for the construction of green space; on the other hand, the Government also promotes its environmental protection measures to the outside through international environmental protection cooperation”.
The Greta Effect :
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| PHOTOGRAPH: PABLO BLAZQUEZ DOMINGUEZ/GETTY IMAGES |
"You lied to us. You gave us false hope. You told us that the future was something to look forward to. And the saddest thing is that most children are not even aware of the fate that awaits us."
– Greta Thunberg
Mother Nature tell your children to grace like Greta. “The Greta effect” has brought a new ray of hope to humanity, 17-year old teenager Greta Thunberg is inspiring the world to make a change for the future generation. She was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, OCD, and selective mutism, but nothing has stopped her. Greta and her movement have had trolled by World leaders like the President of U.S Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emanuel Macron and many more. Recently, on October 8, Greta Thunberg was honoured with a Lakota name-Mahpiya Etahan hi wi, which means: “Women Who Came from The Heavens”. The story is, however, bigger than the twitter wars and Thunberg. The world is facing a global environmental crisis. And even then, issues related to the survival of flora, fauna, and the earth itself remain matters of least importance. In the USA, in 1962, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring alerted the government to indiscriminate use of harmful chemical DDT by multinational companies. Just like Greta, Rachel Carson’s lone vigil continues to be supported and acknowledged by the world even today. Thunberg is inspiring the youth all over the world. She is breaking the barriers as well as gender stereotypes.
We would be amazed to know that in India, too, teenagers like Thunberg are demanding action to protect the earth. One of the youngest petitioners to the National Green Tribunal, Ridhima Pandey urged the Government to limit carbon emissions and a national carbon recovery plan in 2017. Valentina Elangbam, she is just 9 years old and she is the Manipur’s green ambassador. She has participated in many tree plantations programmes to make Manipur completely green. There is one common complaint among all the environmental activist that they all feel betrayed by global leaders.
Is climate change being a feminist issue?
My observations assume that women are more environmentally friendly than men. Most of our world leaders are men, it shows gender imbalance in the political world. The word “nature” means birth, we unknowingly call her “mother nature”. Policies or projects are implemented without women’s participation it can create gender inequalities and differences in the decisions.
Majority of the world's poor are women; it is important they participate in all prominent decisions. Greta Thunberg was nominated for Nobel Peace Prize, her love for nature has resulted in a revolution, people rallying and the trending hashtag: Fridays for future. Thunberg is a modern world figure of ecofeminism.
The Contribution of Media in Climate Change :
The word humanity has evolved into a devil. God does exist; the 1%, they will be watching the world burn from space cities. God is power. Let me tell you about the weak: the weak ones are just scapegoats. They are just eagerly waiting to get sacrificed in the name of God. For instance, the world’s most powerful newspaper “Wall Street Journal” denies climate change and promotes the policies of the fossil fuel industry. One 2015 study by Media Matters revealed that at critical times, CNN viewers watched 5 to 10 times more advertising from the oil and gas industry than climate change-related reporting.
Air pollution particles have been found on the foetal side of placentas, children are dying of Asthma attacks, people who have never smoked are getting lung cancer. Climate change, Global Warming and Pollution are not merely an index of a state, it determines the state of our earth. The anthropocentric desire of human has prompt us to take care of nature and innovate it accordingly to our needs. But it had always proved as double edge swords and innocent people suffers the consequences. Sustainable Development is the only development, we must look forward to. Mass medium controls every medium of our communication.
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| Credit: @CC - How Energy Efficiency costs Businesses and Governments NOTHING! by Somar International Ltd. |
In the California wildfire briefing, Donald Trump, the ex-US President, said,“It’ll start getting cooler. You just watch”. California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot replied, "I wish science agreed with you." Trump: "Well, I don't think science knows, actually".
Most of the world leaders do not care about the real consequences of climate change. Because their average age is 50 to 65 years. They will not be alive 70 years from now to face the consequences of their actions. The political world and the media need a radical change to counter climate change.
We act like spectators when it comes to taking actions, Climate Change is the biggest threat that humanity has ever faced.
Author:
Abhishek Bhattacharyya
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