The Paris Climate Summit: Our last chance to save the planet
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The Paris summit that began on Monday is yet another attempt to reach a global agreement on tackling climate change and its disastrous effects and to save the planet.
More than 150 world leaders including US president Barack Obama would be attending the 21st United Nations Conference for two weeks of intense negotiations aimed at finding a solution to the crisis that poses a risk to the whole of humanity. Addressing the climate change and its consequences and adopting effective steps to save the Earth is what is anticipated by 11th of this month. The option left is to cap the rate of global warming at 2 degree Celsius compared to the current 2.5-3.76 degree Celsius by curbing greenhouse gas emissions. The world nations are anxious over the fact that a 4-5 degree rise is certain by 2060 if the temperature increases at the present rate. Beyond the estimated threshold, there will be devastating effects. Even though the policies to cut down the emission of greenhouse gases that increase the rate of global warming gave some relief, the countries have embarked on their own strategies seeing the 3.5 degree rise that’s likely to occur. The agreement formed in 2010 was futile as the rate of global warming crossed 2.7 degree by 2010, despite all the efforts. This year, the planet has already warmed about 1.7 degrees. Nine out of the ten most hottest years reported in history comes after the year 2000. According to the reports, 2015 is the hottest global year on record beating the record set in 2014 with several natural calamities and unnatural phenomenon indicating the gravity of the impending danger. Whether the world would be able to overcome the effects of this peril and the rate of global warming would be limited to 2 degree are yet to be seen. The efforts wouldn’t be rendered futile if there is sufficient political resolve and an authority with necessary foresight. It can be achieved by developing alternative energy sources, turning the science and technology zones eco-friendly and by making small changes in the lifestyle routines.
Only factors that would hinder the efforts would be selfish interests and narrow-minded outlooks. The unfair stipulations put forward by the developed countries remain unresolved. The developed nations that have a vital role in polluting the environment and contributing to global warming and climate change issues are throwing the burden of finding solutions on poor and developing nations. The developed nations are also unwilling to recompense for their mistakes. There is currently no agreeable leadership to remind the nations and guide them to steer clear of all the petty and meaningless obstinacy that would be rendered suicidal. The consequences are grave and would have to be endured by all. The countries and their political interests have fallen so low that even possible solutions seem unattainable. Different virtues and values that have sustained the world so far are surely capable of saving the planet in this critical scenario. But a selfish few continue to exploit the people all across the world risking their lives. The 70 lakh people killed due to environmental pollution, 5 lakh people who lost their lives due to the climate change issues and the crores of stranded refugees are victims of this exploitation. Growth and development beyond a limit have endangered the environment and the reason for this insanity has been the ravenousness of the perpetrators. War and invasions that destroy the world, the living things, resources and nature, do not come in the discourses about climate change. Estimates reveal that Pentagon, the US Department of Defense, stands first in polluting the planet and not China. Pentagon which occupies 2 crore 8 lakh acres of land, has 6000 bases in the US and over 1000 bases in more than 60 countries around the world and burns 3.5 lakh barrels of fuel every day. Neither the discourses nor the estimates take such aspects into account. Pentagon has earlier been exempted from reporting about pollution. Corporates, which are yet another source of pollution, are capable of influencing the decisions and might hamper the efforts. In fact, there is no dearth of solutions for the present crisis. The lack of an overall management that is capable of reining down the corporate and the war traders is the problem. Whether the 12-day summit in Paris would be able to overcome the crisis, that put the future of billions as well as the planet at stake, is yet to be seen. It may probably be our last chance.
