By Santhi Prabha

So what is the big deal? Shall we have to fret about a possible mount of a few insignificant degrees in the earth’s average surface temperature? Is it like the change we often experience between cool morn and hot noon or between March and June or even between yesterday and today? Mind! We are dealing not with usual swing in local weather but the factual deal over millennia-the projected Global Climate Change!!!. Time has brought the issue out from the corner science columns of inner pages of daily broadsheets world wide and shrieked out for consideration. Something among the mass have been set in motion and now the war has begun in right earnest. Santhi Prabha writes-

Suffocated and lethargic, our globe (now sweaty) stands wrapped in the blanket of green house gases (GHGs). These GHGs spewed mainly by a group of developed, highly consumerist countries while its catastrophic impacts are going to be endured by another set of dependent, poverty striken third world countries which are mostly the vulnerable communities, with the least capacity to withstand the stress.

The world has adopted the path of development with least concern to sustainability, from where the problem of climate change and global warming stems. Any way it is high time and the dilemma has bounced out from our hands. In order to stabilize the fluctuations of earth’s climate systems, with exigency we have to opt effective easing measures in no time. Let’s consider this as a challenge to our present race and hence needs a collective movement in the grass root level touching individuals, houses, villages, districts, states, countries thereby becoming the real big deal! The world scenario- global climate change.

At the outset, prioritization would be to amalgamate modern science and technology and the ever valued traditional solutions and approaches; as the history illustrates effective in meeting numerous challenges. For the better implementation of solutions we should muse over the real issue, in our normal terms in regional levels which can later be simulated to that big deal issue.

A little bit about the big deal- IPCC (Inter governmental Panel on Climate Change) - the big brother in this deal is founded and fostered by United Nation and World Metrological Organisation, is a network of about 2000 of the world’s leading climate experts from about 70 nations. Their evaluations and findings on present and future climate change has taken the world by storms. As they predicted time sketched the observations; increase in global average air and ocean temperature, melting glaciers and ice caps, rising global average sea level, marked regional climate change impacting agriculture, water and energy scenario, human and environmental health. They reported and warn GHG emissions as the rate of spewing increased alarmingly since pre- industrial time.

In the midst of all these burning issues a small minority of scientist disagree with this general scientific consensus as we are not well versed regarding normal climate variations that could change these assessments. For them, glaciers may shrink and grow as it disposes over years of which reason is unknown. As per them the most appreciated GCMs (Global Climate Models)- from where the predictions and frowns stems!!!- are in the infant stages and not much reliable. So stay cool with fingers crossed- let’s see the fate of this big deal.

So let us retrieve to our comfort zone with our common thoughts- will the earth continue to get warmer? So far, for the past twenty years, the mercury is kept on increasing. But we have hope because science (mere models!) can only establish probability levels; not absolute certainty. There are factors that which can induce a cooling/ rather soothing effect on earth’s average global temperature too, so relax man!!!

Dealing with the threat of this big deal what are our options? There are mainly four schools of thoughts regarding our role in this deal. 1. The do nothing philosophy- stay cool; consider this only as a hoax; fingers crossed, let time decide on earth’s matters. Keep on munching with maximum utilization of nature and soldier on the usual plundering. 2. Think before you leap theory – this advocates intensive brain storming sessions on research activity regarding the implementation of reforms or development activities like phasing out fossil fuels and sharply reducing deforestation. 3. The precautionary strategy principle- we have the choice ie act now to reduce the risks of climate change. This school belive the safest course is to take informed preventive action before overwhelming scientific evidences justifies acting. Lastly, the small deal for the big deal – 4. The non- regret strategy- this advocates get on your heels, act now as a part of non- regrets strategy. Seize pace in your actions to curb emissions even if it may turn out not to be a serious threat for the time being. So our little deeds of carelessness and apathy culminate towards the big deal. Realize the GHGs and CO2 emissions that have suffocated the earth are our own making and we are the sole culprits behind this scary scene. For that increasing every degree, you and me are responsible. So wake up to climate change. The time we realize that every tap we left to drip, every plastic bag we tossed uncycled, and every bulb we forgot to turn off will hit back as a big deal in future. Leaving it to you-shall we frown on the big deal? Your choice.