Daily Times

“Sri Lanka will cease to exist in the next 20 to 25 years if all of you do not switch off your lights before you leave your room for dinner,” declared my geography teacher. At the time I, along with the rest of my classmates, thought that our teacher had gone berserk. How could one so confidently state that, just a few years down the road, a country would just cease to exist? Be gone, just like that? Obviously, none of us paid attention to what, at the time, seemed to be nothing more than a ridiculous momentary tirade from our teacher. However, as time passed and I began to learn more about the Earth, I understood and lauded the reasoning behind what I once conceived to be nothing more than wild accusations by a worn out middle school teacher.

Since the gaping hole in the ozone layer was discovered above the Arctic Circle, the term ‘global warming’ has become a familiar one. However, many of us do not understand the true magnitude of the situation. Some scientists believe that this phenomenon is responsible for the sharp rise in diseases such as skin cancer, melanoma, cortical cataracts, skin photo ageing and cold sores, over the last 40 years. Although these claims have proven to be accurate, scientists have been trying to draw attention towards a theory they have coined the ‘domino effect’.

The domino effect is complex but, once understood, it guarantees that you will make sure to do everything in your power to contribute to the battle against global warming. It is vital to understand that global warming harms us in a multitude of ways. There are a number of chain processes that further put the survival of the human race at risk as a result of global warming. The first process is the greenhouse effect, which causes the melting of the ice caps present in the North Pole. In the likely scenario where significant steps are not undertaken to reduce the greenhouse effect, ice caps will completely melt causing an alarming rise in sea levels. Countries such as New Zealand and Sri Lanka will be entirely submerged under water. There will be an increase in floods in Europe and a shortage of fresh drinking water in North America, Asia, Africa, as well as Latin America. Also, countries like Pakistan, which experience an equatorial climate of very hot summers and cold winters, will experience at least a one to three degrees celsius rise in temperature. It is hard to imagine that a chain of events that originate from an act as minute as littering, or taking the car instead of the bus to work, can cause famines, shortage of drinking water and death on a large scale.

Despite joint efforts by leading nations in the past to find a solution to global warming, such as the ‘clean air act’, Kyoto Protocol, UNFCCC, REDD and the Montreal Protocol, we are not much closer to addressing the issue since all these endeavours have either failed or been discontinued. Also, we see that countries, like the US, which themselves lead initiatives such as the Kyoto Protocol, have failed to keep their carbon emissions in check. This sets a negative precedent for the general public as well as the global community.

Such casual and nonchalant behaviour necessitates a different approach. Governments should undertake initiatives to educate the general public about the impacts of global warming and how making simple changes in our daily lives can help put a stop to the problem altogether. Even in possibly red zone nations such as Sri Lanka, the public is just now realising that, unless some immediate action is taken, they will lose their homes and their lives.

In many cases, for people who live in developing nations such as Pakistan, these changes can benefit the country in numerous ways. Encouraging recycling, the usage of energy efficient products, non-aerosol sprays and reducing the amount of heating and air conditioning can all help to reduce the greenhouse effect, and hence to an extent global warming. Furthermore, by encouraging carpooling and the use of public transport, problems associated with traffic and congestion in major cities in Pakistan, such as Lahore and Karachi, can easily be solved. Passing laws that ensure catalytic converters are fitted in motor vehicles to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide produced can also help improve the ambiance of our beloved nation.

By buying energy efficient products and reducing the amount of electricity used we can help conserve energy. Conservation of energy will result in a reduction in the amount of fossil fuels that are used, which would be beneficial as the amount of greenhouse gasses and pollution released into the atmosphere will be decreased. For Pakistan, where load shedding is a major issue, this policy can be beneficial not only for the environment but also for the conservation of Pakistan’s resources.

Additionally, the Pakistani government can use funding and invest in green technology, as opposed to struggling with the rising oil and gas prices. Pakistan’s equatorial location makes it an ideal place to harness solar energy. Although the startup cost is high, solar energy is cheap and affordable once it is up and running. It turns out that my geography teacher had not gone insane — she was right. We all should understand the magnitude of the situation, and realise that we still have time to make a change for the better, and improve our nation for future generations.

The writer is a student at Aitchison College and can be reached at mazenloan@gmail.com