OUR PALE BLUE DOT

Let us understand what stress humans are putting on our only home planet, Earth aka the pale blue dot (Shout-out to Carl Sagan)

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WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE / GLOBAL WARMING?

The unequivocal shift in global weather patterns, commonly referred to as climate change or global warming, has become unmistakably apparent since the mid to late 20th century. This significant transformation is primarily attributed to human activities involving the generation and release of substantial amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. This surge in CO2 emissions is predominantly driven by the utilization of fossil fuels, including coal, petrol, diesel, kerosene, LPG, and other human activities.

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HOW DOES GREENHOUSE GAS SUCH AS CARBON DIOXIDE AFFECT THE WEATHER?

(Image Credit: NASA)

Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and water vapor acts as a thermal blanket for the Earth by absorbing heat and warming the surface to a life-supporting average of 15 degrees Celsius. There was a perfect balance of these gases until the Industrial revolution where humans started generating large amounts of CO2, which has been increasing exponentially, causing a major imbalance in the composition of the atmosphere.

The first law of thermodynamics, also known as Law of Conservation of Energy, states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; energy can only be transferred or changed from one form to another. The amount of heat energy that is being trapped by the Greenhouse gases is tremendous and we see that energy in the form of intense weather systems and other adverse effects.

The CO2 absorbs a large amount the heat from the sun and does not reflect it back into space. The total energy (heat) of the atmospheric system has been rising causing polar ice caps to melt which leads to rising sea levels and change in composition of sea water to due influx of fresh ice water. This in turn changes the sea currents which affects the temperature of a region, which in turn changes the air temperature of the region. This directly affects local weather patterns, rainfall abnormality (which our affecting our Indian farmers tremendously), storms and cyclones/hurricanes. The effects are endless and we have been witnessing these huge climate disasters in a frequent manner in the last few decades.

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LEVELS OF CARBON DIOXIDE

In the mid-20th century, the Industrial Revolution marked the beginning of a remarkable trend. Humans started releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere at an unprecedented rate, a phenomenon unparalleled in the planet's history for at least 400,000 years.

Data from ice core carbon dioxide analysis. The deeper the Ice Cores are extracted from the ground, the older is the ice. (Image Credit; NASA)

A CALL TO ACTION: SHAPING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

The scientific consensus is unequivocal – human activities are the driving force behind climate change, impacting nearly every facet of our planet's natural systems. Alarming signs point to another mass extinction event, with sensitive species losing their habitats and existence due to abnormal weather patterns.

Failure to curb and reverse these environmental changes spells an ominous fate for humanity. The choice is clear: we must be architects of the solution, actively working to shape a more sustainable future. The blueprint for this future starts with each individual. If you envision this better world for future generations, remember: IT STARTS WITH YOU.