Global Warming and Climate Change, What Can Be Done?

zeleiracordero (67)in #self-power • 5 years ago (edited)

In recent times, when we talk about global warming, we see that there are two currents struggling to prevail, and in some ways, both are media-friendly, although their intentions are different.

As I see it, one is the current of life trying to create awareness about the needs, problems, and crisis of our Mother Earth defended from a scientific flank with reliable evidence not only of the galloping change in many aspects of nature, including temperature. The natural environment has been modified and its effects have been feeling and suffering.

Meanwhile, there is another aspect that assumes that climate change is a natural process that does not depend on the influence of man, but rather on nature itself since this is not the first time that the Earth has undergone a radical climate change, such as "the ice age".

Between these two trends, there are, as always, vested interests. But in my view, the reaction is biased towards those who do not give credence to the world's denunciation that our harmful actions on the environment have had an impact on accelerating the destruction of life on earth as we know it. And I say this not because I have authority on the subject, but because I am an observant and clear person that the Power that governs the world makes the majority think what they want them to think.

Smoke by JuergenPM

Global warming is an issue that has come to be addressed in different settings and is not always well received. It is a reality as an issue to be dealt with in large summits, without reaching any conclusive agreements and is a reality that many dismiss, wanting to cover the sun with a finger.

It is a fact that the earth is receiving more heat than it should because of man's abusive impact on the environment. If we look closely, all the "development" that humanity has promoted on the planet has a negative impact on it, because it introduces changes to the natural order. Being friendly with nature is not usually a priority for large corporations that only seek a disproportionate profit with their financial movements aimed at earning the sky with every economic investment.

However, they do not score on reversing the growing environmental deterioration, they participate only as magicians throwing smoke bombs to distract, but in essence, the tipping point is not touched, the most offensive actions as polluters are not discussed and the voices of environmentalists are stifled.

According to numerous published studies, "the greenhouse effect causes the atmosphere to retain more infrared radiation and return more heat to the earth's surface" and, for scholars in the field, this temperature increase is the main cause of climate change.

Rice-field by Quangpraha

But what is the greenhouse effect and what causes it?

Just by googling, we found that:

The greenhouse effect is an atmospheric phenomenon that occurs when thermal radiation (heat) from the Earth's surface, which is commonly emitted into space, is instead retained by greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere due to air pollution. This causes an increase in the planetary temperature since the heat cannot escape, as in a greenhouse. This is where the name of the effect comes from.
Source

It seems that this natural phenomenon has received "help" from man in the race to improve living conditions, food, transport; disregarding the alerts that have been activated for quite some time because it is known at this time that the level of carbon dioxide and other gases has multiplied in the atmosphere thanks to the reduction of forest mass, the emission of pollutants from industries, nuclear plants, gaseous and other wastes from petrochemical energy sources, gases expelled by aircraft and combustion vehicles.

Also: "Rice cultivation is also a major emitter of methane gas which has an effect 21 times more harmful than carbon dioxide (the main greenhouse gas) and nitrous oxide (300 times more harmful) Source

There is evidence that the environmental impact of the greenhouse effect is more serious than is assumed and can be borne by the planet:

In the history of the earth, our planet has lived through unstable periods on multiple time scales with sudden changes in climate. Now, anthropogenic activity is strongly forcing the system due to a rapid increase in the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere that implies an increase in the average temperature of the planet.
Source

Dead trees by Free-Photos

Is there a climate emergency?

It can be considered that there is a climate emergency due to the changes that have been taking place in what was considered normal in various regions of the Earth. The poles are melting, raising the water level in the oceans and seas with the consequent increase in water vapor and concentration of clouds that bring torrential rains that cause flooding. There are very long periods of drought in regions that did not suffer from it, generating large and uncontrollable fires. And so, we observe that it is not necessary to be a scholar to realize that climate change is affecting us and in the long run, maybe irreversible:

Some scientists indicate that due to the increase in the average temperature of the planet, there may be a global tipping point with sudden and irreversible climate change. Source

What Can Be Done?

To improve the status quo of this death sentence that hangs not only over humanity but overall life on the planet, great actions are needed as a species and not as minorities without real power of substantial change.

These days there was a controversy about how it was possible for environmental warriors to use airplanes as a means of transportation knowing that they are great polluters, and it seemed to me so foolish to hit our heads in situations that do not add up to real solutions to the problem. That some to stop flying in protest action will not prevent planes from continuing in the air. It takes the actions of those who have the air transport service as a business, those would rather die than let go of their great economic empire.

Likewise, it is necessary that the countries that are world powers take part in the matter and do not slip through the cracks or deny the evidence in order to continue holding power to maintain their "balance" with that arsenal of nuclear weapons that have also contributed their large portion of pollutants.

On a small scale, I feel that no action is considerably important to reverse the process of damage caused on a large scale over so many years. But, neither can we stay with our hands tied and wait for the guillotine armed by the world's rulers to blow our heads off like the Earth, without caring that she is our Mother and that any damage caused to her is damage that is irreparable because we're connected.

Therefore, one of our immediate actions is to keep the issue alive by creating awareness of the imminence of a climate catastrophe capable of wiping out life on the planet.

To put pressure on the media so that the voice of rejection of the damage is heard more and more maintaining practices that can be substituted by others that are friendly to the environment.

It is a fight of David against Goliath, but we must not be discouraged because what is at stake is the legacy to future generations who will not have the opportunity to enjoy our beautiful planet and will only see deserts, with much luck, because the power of these times took away the right to life for amassing their fortunes.

The Earth is the only planet that illuminates our lives and as children, we must not only love it but unite and defend it, because it is our Mother.

Desert by _Marion

By Zeleira Cordero @zeleiracordero

27/01/2020

In response to @upmewhale in Upmewhale Writing Contest! Global Warming and Climate Change, What Can Be Done? If you're interested, find out here

Thank you very much @upmewhale for bringing us this great challenge. I enjoyed working on my entry, I felt it was good to remember some concepts that we often hear, but we don't know for sure what they are. That's why it is so important to generate this kind of exchange in which each one raises from their own point of view, knowledge, and experience what they know, have heard or lived about the proposed topic.

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