The Impacts of Global Warming
Global warming is creating an imbalance in the climate regulating systems and this has widespread impacts. But will it affect you and me? The direct impact of climate change on agriculture and food supply includes 1. grain production shortages, resulting in less availability of food items, particularly for the economically poor; 2. changes in agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides; 3. shifts in crop planting dates; 4. crop genotype preference due to adaptation to changing climate; 5. soil erosion; 6. lower fertility level; and 7. the incidence of pests, weeds, and diseases in India contributes to about 5.6 million child deaths due to hunger every year, more than half the world's total Half of children in India are underweight, one of the highest rates in the world and nearly double the rate of Sub-Saharan Africa. In the short term, increased melting of glaciers can cause floods, and in the long term, glaciers will disappear, causing rivers to dry up and drought to occur. The Chorabari glacier has retreated at the rate of 9 meters a year in recent years The Dokriana has lost 20% of its volume over the past 3 decades. The famous Gangotri glacier has also been in retreat at an astonishing rate of 17 meters a year between 1971 and 2004. Added to these glacial melts, increased snow cover melting could also be expected to change water flows in the rivers originating in the Himalayan region. According to the IPCC, rainfall patterns are likely to be modified, with some regions becoming arider and others experiencing more rainfall. Globally, the frequency of heavy precipitation has increased, drought events have intensified, have been more frequent, and have taken place in wider areas, especially in the tropics and subtropics. Many parts of India are flood-prone, and extreme precipitation events, such as flash floods and torrential rains, have become increasingly common in central India as well as many urban centers over the past few decades. In 2009, one of the worst flash floods in decades in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka affected an estimated total of 2 million people. Thousands were marooned without food and drinking water. On the 26th and 27th of July 2005, Mumbai city received 994 mm of rainfall over 24 hours. The previous record high rainfall in 24 hours for the city was 575 mm in 1974. October 2005 was recorded as the wettest month in Bangalore in over 50 years. Assam saw its worst flooding in 50 years in July 2003. The Central Water Commission has compiled the damage figures due to floods from 1953 to 2004 based on which the yearly average loss of life is reported to be equal to 1590 with damage to public utilities of Rs. 806.78 crore. Apart from the above, there has been damage to standing crops, dwelling units, livestock, etc. There have been intangible losses as well. Water availability in any region or country is reflected by the ‘Water Stress Index’ (Falkenmark and Widstrand 1992), which is based on a minimum per capita water requirement. An area is said to be water stressed if the annual per capita availability of water is below 1700 cubic meters. Water scarcity is a scenario when the annual per capita availability reduces to below 1000 cubic meters, and absolute scarcity is when it goes below 500 cubic meters. Floods and droughts put India’s food security at risk. Human life is at stake. When water resources are affected, people may not have access to clean water to drink. This can increase water-borne diseases like cholera and diarrhea. It can also cause an increase in water-related insect-borne diseases like malaria. Not only is the economic activity of the region affected, but crores of rupees are also spent on relief measures. The reduction in per capita water availability in India is leading to an increase in water conflicts between states, between rural and urban areas, and even between neighbors. • Water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery River•Krishna - Godavari water dispute •Ravi – Beas water dispute •rioting and protests by farmers in Mandya district of Karnataka against water being supplied to Bangalore or by farmers in the Sabarmati basin against water supplied to growing urban areas. The potential impacts of a one-meter sea-level rise include the inundation of 5,763 km2 in India. A sea-level rise of just 400 mm in the Bay of Bengal would put 11 % of Bangladesh's coastal land underwater, creating 7 to 10 million climate refugees Between 1940 and 1990, the world’s population more than doubled from 2.3 billion to 5.3 billion people. Between 2005 and 2050, the world's population is further expected to increase by 2.7 billion people. More people, but the same natural resources are clearing more forests to make space for increased agriculture. This is required to feed the growing population. Not only is the area under agriculture increasing, but the way we do agriculture is also changing. Increased use of fertilizers and pesticides ensures better yields in the present but harms our soil and water resources and increases the amount of nitrous oxide released into the air. Both these will have adverse impacts in the future. The population is increasing, and so is the purchasing power of people. A use-and-throw culture now pervades our lifestyles. Municipal solid waste generation is increasing in every place. If burnt, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere along with a range of toxic gases. If left to decompose in a landfill, methane is generated due to anaerobic decomposition. Methane is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. The passenger vehicle industry in India is growing steadily. We blame the industry for the climate problem today, but little do we realize that we drive industrial production. It is our demand for goods and services that industries are trying to meet. Electricity generation is increasing year by year, yet it cannot satisfy the growing demands from domestic consumers, the industrial sector, and the farmers, who require electricity for irrigation, apart from various other activities. Our demands are the root cause of this growing demand since our demands drive industrial and agricultural production. Little do we realize that the flick of a switch in our homes also contributes to increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Most of the electricity in India is generated in thermal power plants, which burn coal. The process of electricity generation releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The number of units one household consumes in a month can be found in the electricity bills. That is approximately the amount of carbon dioxide emissions that one household is responsible for in a month. This does not include the electricity used to produce and bring our food to our table or the electricity required to produce and transport the various things we buy. When demand reduces, production from thermal power plants also reduces, hence greenhouse gas emissions reduction. With an increasing population, growing urbanization, and changing lifestyles, we are seeing a sharp increase in the use of all kinds of fossil fuels. There are so many simple changes we can make in our day-to-day lives to help the Earth. Reducing the use of electricity and cooking fuels; using more energy-efficient transportation; reducing waste generation and managing the waste better; nurturing trees that absorb carbon dioxide; etc. are different ways in which we can make a difference. The water that we use is pumped to our homes from underground aquifers or surface water sources. The wastewater that is generated is pumped to a treatment plant and purified before it is let back into streams and rivers. Increased use of water implies increased use of electricity. The paper industry is high water and air pollution industry. One of the raw materials for the industry is wood, which involves the cutting of trees that absorb carbon dioxide when alive. Paper is transported across long distances, and this activity produces greenhouse gas emissions. If not recycled and thrown along with mixed waste, paper decomposes to release methane, which is 21 times more harmful than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. The responsible use of paper is essential in a low-carbon lifestyle. Simple changes in our lifestyle can make a significant difference.
Enjoyed this article? Stay informed by joining our newsletter!
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Subscribe our newsletter to stay updated.
You must be logged in to post a comment.