Dhananjay Kumar Singh writes about climate change and the adjustments that need to be made to reverse current conditions and to protect our only planet.

The worsening conditions of climate change are a matter of great concern. Don’t believe those who dismiss the cautions and think that nature is bountiful and boundless. For years now, humans have been constantly engaged in depleting nature’s resources in every way possible, regardless of the consequences.

The time now demands us to think seriously over the issue of climate change, because everything is not fine. Haven’t we already wasted enough time discussing the issue of climate change? Aren’t further delays to address climate change risking the human race of even worse situations? The words sound harsh, but the fact is we are already too late and any additional postponement will lead us to face grave consequences.

Experts say that the consequences would be devastating if concrete steps are not taken in time over the issue of climate change right now.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year. 7,000,000 people every year! Also, per the data released by WHO in the year 2019, 99% of the world population is living in places where the air quality guidelines level set by WHO are not met.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year. 7,000,000 people every year!

Global warming, climate change, and pollution are closely interlinked. Industrialization and development are generating more and more greenhouse gases and pumping extra amounts of pollutants into the atmosphere. And the worst thing about pollution is that it spreads everywhere and does not obey any boundaries, feeding further into the vicious cycle of global warming and climate change.

Global warming can also be tracked through the impact of wildfires in California. In 2021, California experienced an unprecedented rise in wildfires and outpaced the previous year’s records. This sudden increase in cases of wildfires is directly linked to global warming, though experts have differing opinions about these deadly rages that have engulfed many acres of forests. But out of several factors responsible for global warming, pollution is believed to be a key one.

The unique thing about pollution is, once it enters the atmosphere, it traps heat around the earth. Increases in greenhouse gases have changed the earth’s atmosphere and, consequently, a difference of temperature is seen close to the north and south poles; this is called polar amplification. The melting of Arctic sea ice is the outcome of increases in greenhouse gases.

Undoubtedly, climate change has badly impacted the Arctic more than any other place in the world. It has been found out that, during the past thirty years, the Arctic has warmed at roughly twice the rate as the entire planet. Since the Arctic helps regulate the world’s temperature, as more ice melts there the warmer our planet becomes.

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Over the past century, the global average sea level has risen four to eight inches. Some experts even estimate that the oceans will rise as much as 23 feet by 2100, which would flood many coastal cities and even submerge small island countries.

The worst effect of climate change is environmental migration. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that weather emergencies have forced, on average, about 21.5 million people to move every year since 2010. In 2018, The World Bank estimated that three regions (Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia) will generate 143 million more climate migrants by 2050.

The research and data reflect grave consequences for our future if we do not develop a different attitude, an attitude that enforces to protect our environment at any cost.