Climate Change Has Become A Serious Concern For Humanity

Some Basic Facts About Climate Change

Climate change encompasses both human-caused global warming and its long-term effects on weather patterns. Climate change has occurred in the past, but the current changes are more rapid than any known event in Earth’s history. The main contributor is the release of greenhouse gases, primarily methane and carbon dioxide. The majority of these emissions are caused by the use of fossil fuels for energy.

Steel production, Agriculture, cement production, and forest loss are all significant contributors. Climate feedbacks, such as the loss of sunlight-reflecting snow cover and the release of carbon dioxide from drought-stricken forests, also influence temperature rise. These, taken together, amplify global warming.

The Report of National Intelligence Council of the United States

According to the National Intelligence Council of the United States, these risks will heighten as nations respond to the intensifying physical effects of climate change. The report said that India and China will play integral roles in determining the trajectory of climate change and temperature rise, putting China and India at the center of such climate change provoked security risks to the United States.

It went on to say that geopolitical tensions are likely to rise as countries argue about how to accelerate the reduction of net greenhouse gas emissions. While China has not made a clear commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a US intelligence report stated that India almost certainly will increase its emissions as it develops economically. Indian officials have not committed to a net-zero target date, instead, they are urging larger economies to reduce emissions. Both countries’ total and per capita emissions are increasing. On the other hand, the second- and third-largest emitters, the United States and the European Union (EU), are reducing their emissions.

Both India and China Incorporating More Renewable Energy Sources

The report further said that both India and China are incorporating more low-carbon and renewable energy sources, but several factors will limit their displacement of coal. They need to modernize their grids, have sunk costs that make coal relatively cheaper to use compared to other energy sources, want to reduce reliance on fuel imports for national security reasons, and are trying to appease domestic constituencies that rely on the coal industry for jobs, the report continued.

The first of its kind report, National Intelligence Estimate – Climate Change and International Responses to Increasing Challenges to US National Security Through 2040, also mentions possible transboundary tensions between India and Pakistan over water insecurity. The report stated that Pakistan relies on downstream surface water from heavily glacier-fed rivers originating in India for much of its irrigation and that the country also relies on Indian data on river discharges to provide flood warnings.

In other references to India, the report suggests that a large number of people may migrate from Bangladesh to India as coastal flooding increases due to rising sea levels. Afghanistan, Burma, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Colombia, and Iraq are among the countries whose conditions are changing as a result of climate change and should be considered as potential security concerns by the United States.

Climate Change Solutions: Possible Measures to Prevent Climate Change

It is widely acknowledged that human activity has an impact on the Earth’s climate. From air pollution to modern society’s proclivity for throwing things away, humans are not the best stewards of the planet. However, with a little effort, each of us can contribute to the reduction of climate change. So, what can you do on an individual level to protect the environment and help prevent climate change?

• Plastic must be avoided
• Use Renewable energy sources
• Switch to Electric Vehicles
• Reduce food waste
• Stop cutting trees
• Grow more and more trees
• Save Resources