Disability News

Global Warming: A Global Warning

The effects of global warming resulting in climate changes have affected large part of the world in terms of agriculture output health hazards and quality of life.

It has been documented that the global warming mean surface temperature for 2002 is 0.50 °C above 1961- 1990 annual mean value. Year 2002 was seen as second warmest year next after 1998.

Extremely high temperature combined with dry winds has been noticed in many countries while Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria have seen severe winter in the last four decades. Countries like France and Canada have under gone the extreme summer temperature leading to deaths. In the process of fighting this global warming phenomenon, the Kyoto Protocol assumes significance. The International Delegates from all 165 participating countries had agreed to the full set of rules requiring these countries to scale back emission of carbon dioxide and other green house gas by an average of 50% from 1990 level to 2012.

The effects of global warming resulting in climate changes have affected large part of the world in terms of agriculture output health hazards and quality of life. Even coral reefs in the South East Asia Islands have been damaged substantially leading to environmental problems within the ocean.

Environment Transitional Hypothesis which is reflected in the world development report of World Bank (1992) mentions that environmental degradation has led to economic growth but it will again make a case for climbing up strong measures in environmental field. The European Union’s decision for carbon trading programme also reflects the need for maintaining the carbon level by trading of pollutants between the surplus and deficit countries with reference to the pollution level caused by carbon. The instances of droughts, wild fires, dust storms, heat waves and health problems like dengue, West Nile, encephalitis are all various facets and expressions of the global warming process leading to habitats’ degradation, our-land mass distortions. The WHO (World Health Organization), has reckoned the effects of this phenomena and has included environmental health as a part of the state of health.

Experts world over  are continuously  trying to analyze and  study the global phenomena  and in doing so specific area studies about the health problems  and  effects of eco-system  and its implication  like malaria are also being conducted for programme and policy interventions. Concepts of clean energy technologies are gaining ground and studies on air craft cruise altitude and the contrail formation known as vapor trails are also being conducted to reduce green house effect in the atmosphere. The standards of exhaust emission  from the  heavy duty vehicles and using of wind energy  as a  tool of economy development  are also some of the areas  which are  being explored as a result of this phenomenon. 

Unless global temperature is controlled, global warming is arrested, the problems of food security due to reduction in agricultural productivity as a result of elevated temperature are not going to diminish. Already, agriculture has become vulnerable in the Canadian Prairies and Portugal where precipitation and wind movements have undergone radical change. The same impact of climate change is felt in Mexico which relies on rain-fed agriculture. In Colombia, instances of vegetation fires have been reported from the Savanas. All these regions specific experiences and events which have a terrible impact on productivity, quality of life or health have activated the debate now for bringing down this global warming through controls, regulation and programme. Whether it is vector borne diseases like Malaria, Dengue or the drying of crops or rise in sea waves or increase in spells of heat waves; all these have a common origin to carbon accumulation and uninterrupted fiddling with eco-system and, therefore, a link has to be established between global climate contemporary science and the Government policy for effective solutions. 

Renewed interest in Photo voltaic solar energy application has started which may lead to new concept of solar cell market for quality uses and controlling the green house effect.  USA as a leader country needs to put its best efforts in such a gigantic battle against global warming through its day to day actions pollution particularly because it has not subscribed to Kyoto Protocol. At the same time, priority has to be given to the water resources management, agriculture in various resources management, forest resources human health management and eco-system management in order to cope up with climate changes and neutralize the climate impact and also carbon concentration which is contributing to depression of the eco-system formation of green house gas and leading to the process of warming even under the ocean water.

The need for awareness, education and extension among the youth particularly the students has to be stepped up and renewed energies reoriented to new methods, new equipments and new programmes  have to be stepped up  to contain this new  “Frankenstein” which has turned worse than a monster  to the humanity. The message for all & sundry is that, the same human beings who contributed to the warming of our mother earth have to join minds and hands to make this world cool again and make our lives on this Planet, better, safer and richer.

About the Author: Salil Nanda is pursuing Graduation in the field of BioMedical Sciences from a university in USA. He can be contacted at salilnanda@hotmail.com.

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