How Global Warming is Affecting Our Earth?

by Arun Malik Sharjah Indian School, Sharjah International Schoo

Climate change is one of the biggest threats to our Planet Earth. More species have gone extinct just in the last two decades, than the entire 20^th century. Recent studies have shown that, based on the amount of pollution we emit on a yearly basis, the average temperature could increase by 2 degrees Celsius by 2050, which might not have such a big impact immediately, but maybe enough to drive many more species to extinction, possibly even humans in the long run. With only around 30 years left, we need to take action fast.

The Greenhouse Effect, the main cause of climate change, was first theorized long ago in 1824, by a French mathematician Joseph Fourier, but his theory was met with much scepticism. It was first observed in the 1930s when the average temperature seemed to have risen, but the people then attributed it to a natural temperature cycle. It was G. S. Calendar, who insisted that the greenhouse effect was responsible for the rise in temperature. It was only in the 1960s when the first readings were recorded, scientists discovered that it was the assimilation of carbon dioxide and other harmful types of greenhouse gases that were warming up the air. They observed that these gases trapped the heat from the sun in our atmosphere heating up the earth. Since then, this has been confirmed over and over again by various scientists from all over the globe.

The wrath of global warming has even more direct adverse effects on humanity, plants, and animals. They render us susceptible to cardiac and pulmonary diseases, various types of cancers, etc. An argument can be made on the food security facing our world and the population increment. Due to these factors, there has been mass production of Genetic modified foods to meet the demand. Its known antibiotics and other harmful biochemicals have been used in the food industry. Compounds of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur cause acid rain which seep into aquifers and pollute them. These polluted aquifers, in turn, affect the soil quality and hinder the growth of crops and vegetation. The acid rain also contaminates smaller bodies of water like lakes, rivers, and ponds, hence affecting the aquatic creatures.

Some countries around the globe are doing their part to mitigate this issue. The United Nations has included Climate Action, among its 17 sustainable development goals. Also, corporations like HSBC and Microsoft have added sustainability into their corporate social responsibilities (CSR). Microsoft urges its employees to travel by cycle or walk it down to work and they have also recycled around 10 million kilograms of electronic waste. They have also directly purchased around 1.6 gigawatts of renewable energy. HSBC has pledged to provide 100 billion USD of sustainable financing and investment by 2025. In August 2014, the Government of India passed legislation that mandates corporations with an average net profit of at least 50 million rupees to spend at least 2 percent of their profits every year on CSR. Major corporations, like Infosys, Mahindra, Tata Consultancy Services etc., have made combating climate change, an integral part of their CSR. Only recently, Infosys has won the UN Global Climate Action award.

Saving our planet should be everyone’s responsibility. Students should be taught healthy sustainable practices. ASPAM IIS, our one of the best CBSE Schools in Sharjah, organizes students exchange programs with students from around the world. Recently we had an exchange with STEM Charter Academy – USA, on sustainability.

Little drops of water make the mighty ocean, so if every individual does his or her part to combat climate change without leaving it to the NGOs and the corporates, we can save our planet.

Ashank Kaimal

Grade 9

ASPAM Indian International School Sharjah