Climate: the heavy price to play for neglect
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Kerala is once again experiencing extreme heat. Scientists believe that this is part of a climate crisis that the entire planet is experiencing. Even as the crisis worsens each year, efforts to address it are slow. A report submitted to Parliament in December showed that if we look at the temperature data for the past century, we are currently experiencing record heat, and that record is giving way to new records every year. This is not new news. It is also estimated that the maximum daytime temperature in Kerala increased by 1.7 degrees Celsius between 1901 and 2023. But Kerala is not alone in this. The hottest year on Earth was in 2024; before that, that title was held by 2023. Moreover, the 1.5-degree temperature increase, which the scientific community thought would take years, has already happened last year. The most ineffective of the climate summits was also held in 2024 - ‘COP 29’ in Azerbaijan. Extreme weather events (heat waves, heavy rains, severe droughts, storms) are causing major disasters around the world every year. The floods in Wayanad last year are one such example. It is not expected that it will be the last. Previously, Kerala received the highest rainfall in the months of June, July, August and September, but now it has changed. August is getting heavy rains, and other months are getting dry. The state experienced a heat wave for six days in 2024. The fact that last month was the hottest compared to the previous February is also not a good sign.
Man-made national borders do not apply to the entire crisis on Earth. Therefore, the solution can only be found collectively. Meanwhile, the fact that most countries are governed by unwise leadership is another crisis. Scientists are now expressing concern that the goals agreed upon by the world's nations at the Paris Climate Summit will not be achieved. It could have survived if the atmospheric temperature had increased by one and a half degrees above the pre-industrial level. However, the agreement in Paris was that it is only able to keep the temperature increase at two degrees. Now, it is almost certain that even that target will be exceeded. The ice at the poles has decreased by 40 per cent. Sea levels have begun to rise. As the sea warms, marine life is in danger. Other species are also under threat. Habitat loss and climate change are intertwined. As a result, severe food shortages are also becoming a possibility. Scientists are even predicting that we may be reaching a tipping point of no return, and the situation may be getting out of hand. Even at this stage, governments are turning their backs on the truth. The order that Donald Trump signed immediately after assuming office as President of the United States was to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. In most countries, the climate crisis is only a topic of discussion during times of disaster. The changes required to be made in areas such as energy, industry, agriculture, and infrastructure can come only through government policies. In many countries, things are not being implemented as promised. Although a carbon-free economy is on paper, it is being implemented at a slow pace.
It is not even certain that the idea that developed countries should be carbon-free by 2050 will be remembered in the era of Trump with the tariff war he has started. The climate is still not a serious issue in budgets or at the annual meetings of political parties. This indicates that the situation of relying solely on irresponsible rulers cannot continue. The public must realize that waiting for those who are the beneficiaries of the current situation is not enough. A massive action plan is needed, from putting pressure on governments to starting solutions at home.
