“If not Earth, what? If not now, when? If not you, who?” (Amitabh Bacchan)

Heat waves, Melting glaciers, Rising sea level….Climate crisis is the ultimate reality… At present, the effects of global warming may not appear very grave in our day to day lives. But in the years to come, the future generation is sure to face the wrath of climate crisis in an inescapable manner.

The ever increasing greenhouse emissions have resulted in the increase of global temperatures, much more than what is required to keep the Earth warm & habitable.

A report recently released by Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency states China to be the biggest greenhouse gas emitters in the world followed by the United States of America. In India, greenhouse gases emission was 1228 million tones, i.e. 3% of the total global emissions (2006)

Melting glaciers has become a serious issue of concern. The melting of glaciers increase sea levels which in turn will lead to floods, more so in the coastal areas, damaging habitat & killing humans & animals.

As revealed in the documentary, ‘An Inconvenient truth’, the number of hurricanes has increased in the last 30 years. Infact, a large species of animals are already responding to the climate changes by moving to the poles. What is disheartening is that if the trend continues, the world will witness a major catastrophic consequence very soon….

If scientific reports are to be believed, we have just ten more years to avert major destructive changes involving extreme weather conditions, floods & epidemic, killer heat wave & extinction of plant & animal species…

Former vice-president of America, Al Gore along with others, is leaving no stone unturned to make people aware about the serious consequences of global warming.

Infact, in an attempt to tackle this crisis & reduce the greenhouse gases emissions, almost 180 countries have signed the Kyoto Protocol, an agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

A few changes in our lifestyle will go a long way in fighting global warming. Here’s how

- Use CFL instead of regular incandescent light bulb
- Regularly clean & replace the filters of furnace & air conditioners that we use
- Use power saving / energy efficient appliances
- Switch to green power by using renewable sources of energy
- Recycle newspapers, beverage containers, paper and other goods
- Prevent wastage of water
- Prevent frequent use of hot water for bathing & washing purposes
- Turn off & unplug electronics not in use
- Grow more plants in the lawn
- Use of recycled paper products
- Buy organic food as much as possible
- Use fresh food instead of frozen ones
- Reduce the consumption of non-vegetarian food
- Make sure the car is well maintained & tyres are properly inflated
- Take a walk instead of driving your car to nearby places
- Share vehicle (carpool) whenever possible
- Always go for fuel efficient vehicles
- Fly less as air travel produces large amount of emissions
- Use the staircase instead of Lift
- And last but not the least, spread the word among your colleagues & friends

Global warming is not a natural occurrence but a result of human activity. Therefore, every individual owes this responsibility to protect the world from deadly consequences. It doesn’t take much to contribute to the cause, just motivation & the will to stand for it…..