Arguably the phenomenon of global warming and the consequent climatic change is known to all in simpler terms yet there are certain aspects of this process which the humankind is yet to come face to face with on a wider canvas.
As we continue to industrialise more and emit more and continue to manufacture more fossil fuel driven vehicles the emissions into the atmosphere is increasing with each passing day…with each minute we pile up the particulate matter.
Even the air travel and therefore the air traffic has increased rapidly and what about the toxic emissions of these Aircrafts which are deeply placed into the atmosphere much little to our notice.
Add to this the increased space missions and the satellite launch vehicles at global levels where countries are competing to take lead in spying upon one another with regular placement of newer satellites into the outer space.
And all these missions are run on fuels to create that competent force to leave for upper orbits. Therefore the increased levels of unaccounted emissions of toxic substances and particulate matter into the space.
Simply put the vehicular emissions on the surface nowadays is increasingly matching the aero-emissions of air traffic above. But yet unnoticed.
Decades ago there was a very low air traffic and even the surface modes of motorised travel was far less for that matter.
While we know that our regular modern day activities are increasingly leading to global warming and irregular weather patterns at all places yet we are able doing very less for its mitigation. Perhaps thinking that the problem may be dealt better by the generations yet to come.
Although much control lies in our hands today than what maneuverability the future generations may have in this matter. We are a better match provided we act fast. Even some simpler steps may lead to better and faster results. Take the instance of popularisation of battery driven vehicles and the good effects it necessarily will have without disturbing the ease of living and comfort. Such welcome steps into the automobile sector are a boon and provides a win-win situation for all.
No corrective step is ever a waste.
Further…the impositions of global lockdowns had one concrete result atleast in the mitigation sector that we have seen a positive change in global climatic conditions by cutting down the human emissions suddenly. We are breathing a cleaner air and Air Quality Index is much better than the pre-covid world.
Therefore it infers that more the nasty activities we carry…we are being more unfriendly with nature to bear the consequences either here or later in immediate or distant future.
It’s true that our activities lead to widespread nature chaos where forests are depleting…earth is warming….temperatures are on the constant rise and glaciers are melting and the consequent sea level rises. This much may be simpler to imagine.
But there are certain more phenomenons occuring which even simply put may be out of our comprehension preliminarily.
While melting glaciers may not cause more harm upon melting other than losing permafrost at macro-levels and creating water scarcity too.
But the other side is this that the vast “ice-melts” of polar regions of our planet are having much higher cascading effects there which may create havoc with the fragile equilibrium.
Consider this that polar ice is melting faster due to the lesser phenomenon of reflection occuring there….
Earlier more ice caps used to be there in polar regions…. And whatever incident rays from the sun used to fall on these vast ice sheets would be returned or reflected back instantly. Therefore the thermostat occurance and a natural status quo prevailed…
But due to global warming impacts reaching the polar region too… It has a cascading effect there. A different case scenario.
Once the ice melts there in these regions….obviously it turns into water and more water….therefore less incident rays of sun are reflected back as more water absorbs more sunlight and it’s incident rays therefore produce more heat in the immediate atmosphere of these regions like Antarctica and Greenland for instance. As lessened reflections….is the main cause.
This has a cascading effect…
The more ice melts and the more water is produced…. The lesser sun rays are reflected back…therefore greater sunrays are absorbed by the vast surfaces of water acting as sink…..consequently created by melting of ice…
The more the ice melts…. More water is produced there….
More the water…. More the absorption of sunrays…. Therefore more heat retention….
More heat retention there leads to more melting of ice in return….
This is an emergent cycle. And the consequences of the disappearance of vast ice sheets and their melting into water may lead to much graver consequences for the life in all forms in those regions and in general.
So while we move on with life with all its modernity aided living we may be moving quickly towards a point of no return.
And with this post modern lifestyle we may be definitely up for some issues for future like we may hazard some biodiverse hotspots and also extinct certain species with the further alterations in global climates.
 (Author a Gold Medalist in journalism and can be reached at [email protected])
