CLIMATE CHANGE- Earth’s Slow Trek Towards Annihilation
If you had the rare privilege of growing up in Nigeria, you’ve probably heard someone use this phrase before, “Dirty no dey kill African man”. It is a Nigerian euphemism that assumes all Africans are somehow resistant to dirt and bacteria and the kind of statement you would hear a person make before they proceed to intentionally repurpose contaminated material. I once had a friend prepare tomato stew from moldy tomatoes and pepper. I could see the well-fed flies buzzing around. When I confronted her, all she had to say was, “Chill Glow! Don’t worry, the heat will sterilize it!” That same night she was down with terrible diarrhea, and needless to say, Hannah rarely ever eats out anymore; she loves to be sure of the integrity of her food now. Must we always wait till the consequences are dire before we take precautions? Then again, maybe It’s just human nature to play with fire and get burnt before we learn our lesson.
For several decades, many scientists and researchers have consistently cried and warned global leaders of the dangers associated with climate change and man’s unsustainable use of the planet’s resources. Many of these predictions fell on deaf ears that refused to believe in the possibility of a presumptuous phenomenon their eyes and current reality could not categorically justify. “Seeing is believing,’’ they said. The economic benefits of fossils and the many sources of Greenhouse gas emissions were too lucrative in the short term for a trade-off that would presumably only be experienced in the future. We can say that our past leaders chose immediate economic gratification over the safety of future generations.
Once more, there is a cry from scientists all over the globe. This time their voices are backed by irrefutable proof. The polar ice caps are melting, global temperatures are higher than they’ve ever been, increased drought and famine, desertification, etc are plaguing our planet. Unfortunately for us, many of these effects are now largely irreversible within the foreseeable future of any of us alive because an entire generation chose the path of selfishness and naivety.
According to current reports of the IPCC, we only have a little window as a planet to limit the temperatures of the earth to below 1.5℃ above preindustrial temperatures. One would expect many world leaders to be panicking and doing so much more to consolidate efforts. However, one of the greatest deceptions is the belief that global warming will be most detrimental to certain aspects of the globe while others would be left out. It is a deception that has fueled laxity and crippled the ability of global climate policies to effectively trickle down to the common man. How can those at the grassroots do their bit to save the environment when they have no idea it is threatened?
The consequences of climate change are not localized but ubiquitous, this means that the disadvantages felt at one location can be the consequence of actions taken at another location. Our world is also one giant ecosystem that relies on the premium balance of several interacting conditions across the globe such as our water and nutrient cycles. Principles like diffusion and flow ensure that we can never be independent of one another.
If you’re asking, “Can this prophet of doom called climate change affect me?” The answer is yes! So don’t just start taking action, encourage others to take action too! Cut your greenhouse gas emissions, do something! Recycle where you can. A little effort from every single one of us is what we need to save our planet from what appears to be its imminent annihilation.
