Climate change: whose problem is it?

Saumya S.
Pathways World School
New Delhi, India

Climate change is a shift in the ‘average weather’ that a given region experiences. This is measured by changes in all the features we associate with weather, such as temperature, ratios of air composition, wind patterns, precipitation and storms over a period of time. Global climate change means change in the climate of the Earth as a whole. The Earth's natural climate has always been, and still is, constantly changing. The climate change we are seeing today differs from previous climate change in both its rate and its magnitude. As climate is one of the main factors regulating structure and function of ecosystems on Earth, any change in it affects the living organisms.

The changes in climate can be caused by dynamic process on Earth, external forces including variations in sunlight intensity, and more recently by human activities, largely due to emissions of greenhouse gases. The main reason for global climate change today is the rise of carbon dioxide and temperature. If the climate continues to change radically, like present, it will have many negative impacts. It already has spread a fear of danger for many things, for example:

• forests are more likely to catch fire due to the dry climate
• there is a great loss of water due to too much evaporation
• sea levels are rising rapidly
• the weather might change habitats which may not be suitable for animals and plants
• climate change suits only some animals and not others
• many animals depend on each other for survival and thus changes in one species may affect another
• there can be an increase in air and water pollution which can spread diseases
• living species can even die due to heat.

The above facts clearly show that the effects of climate change are a problem for all living organisms. Loss of forests, scarcity of water, floods, changing of normal living places, increase in pollution levels and rising temperatures will affect the entire global ecosystem and not one individual. As another example, it has been forecast that the trends in climate change will increase diseases such as malaria. The causal organism will not choose people to spread the disease - it will be randomly everybody’s problem.

On a different front, recently, ‘climate change’ has also become a debating issue between developed and developing countries. Unfortunately, both sides are busy blaming each other for causes. But blaming will not make any difference. Recent articles in the press say that developed countries have a bigger share in emitting greenhouse gases which are, according to a theory, causing climate change. Nevertheless, regardless of the reasons behind and who is causing it more, the repercussions and problems will have to be faced by the whole world. However, it seems that it will be more of a problem for the developing countries, despite of their claim to be a lesser hand in causing climate change. The developed countries can afford to spend on better new technologies to face the challenges of, and adapt to, climate change. But people in the developing countries will suffer the worst.

In general, every living organism on Earth is biologically adapted to the climate. Thus, any change in climate is every individual’s problem and thus every individual has to contribute to maintain our climate by refraining from such activities that cause climate change.

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