Climate Change

Coral disease

Glacier melt

Glacier in Nepal

      Climate is the average weather pattern of certain area experienced over a long time. Unlike weather which is the current atmospheric condition climate changes very little over a long period. So climate is also static and changes due to natural factors but natural factors account for very little and slow changes only. Due to unchecked human activities the climate of the global  is changing much more quickly then it would do naturally. This is climate change, which is one of the greatest challenges the world is facing in our time.

Polar Bear

    The earth gets warm by receiving solar energy. When the temperatures increases, heat is reflected back by it's surface. Some of the heat is re-reflected back by the atmosphere. As the walls of a green house, the atmosphere thus lets in the solar light and absorbs the outgoing heat and keeps the atmosphere heated. This process is called the green house effect. Due to extra accumulation of the green house gases, mainly carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, the heating process has been intensified, polluted air stops heat escaping and extra heat is trapped and makes earth warmer, Which is called global warming. With economic development, more factories are established leading to more fossil fuel use, more vehicles are used and more forests areas are cleared. The factories, all kinds of transport, power-stations and the burning of coal produce vast amounts of gases. It is estimated that over 7 billion tons of carbon dioxide is released each year through fossil fuel used. Because the trees are getting less, they cannot turn it all back to oxygen and this is causing global warming.

Maldives in climate change

    

      Effect of climate change are very dire. Global temperatures have reason alarmingly. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 'the word 's average temperature could rise as much as 6 degree by the end of this century, killing 100s of millions of people and changing all life'. Scientists have warned that if situation don't improve, the whole Arctic Sea ice will melt down between 2050 and 2100 AD. Due to climate change, Sea levels are consistently rising, living low-lying areas such as the Maldives at greater risk of flooding. Pattern of rain fall has changed; some place receiving excessive rain that further triggers landslides and floods while others getting drier, unable to sustain settlement and agriculture. Grassland and rain forests are contracting and desert are expanding. Worse Hurricanes are a commonplace. Over all activities of living beings have been affected and several species are getting extinct.

     It is now all clear that human activities are most responsible for the climate change. In industrialized countries which consume more fossil fuel are more responsible but effect are worldwide. Polluted air travels place to place to cause similar harms. The tasks of controlling the climate change cannot also be left to one or two countries. The world community must be committed to reduce the emission of green house gases. Alternative energy sources should be used. Forest areas should be expanded. At the same time, areas at immediate risk also need help for mitigating the effects.