FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE
Imagine living in a big beautiful House that you bought many years ago. It has greenery all around it and the surroundings are very clean and healthy. Now imagine, years go by and you make important inventions that were necessary for your daily life. You cut a few trees and dig a hole beneath the ground to extract oils that you thought were necessary for your survival. Further many years go by and you realize that the house is getting warmer and warmer, and it is harder to breathe in there. You can’t leave because it’s your home but you can’t end your harmful routine either. We are planning to make Mars, earth like, but before that we would make earth, mars like.
The House is our Earth.
Temperatures are rising, water level is rising, birds and animals are becoming extinct, essential crops are being abandoned from being grown due to unsuitable environment. That’s Climate Change. Or as we now say its Climate Emergency or Climate Crisis.
It’s a crisis considering that we now only have 11 years to stop this from reaching the tipping point. The point from where reversing it would be impossible. JUST 11. Sounds many? No. Hell no. These 11 years will pass so quick. Each day we pass without doing nothing, we are inviting a disaster. Idk if you like them or not, but I don’t.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 C has stated that “Human activities are estimated to have caused approximately 1.0°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels, with a likely range of 0.8°C to 1.2°C. Global warming is likely to reach 1.5°C between 2030 and 2052 if it continues to increase at the current rate.”
Every one of the past 40 years has been warmer than the 20th century average. Globally, the average surface temperature has increased more than one degree Fahrenheit since the late 1800s.
The major cause of it all is only one: We, Humans. Emissions from burning of fossil fuels for energy releases CO2 into the air, cutting down forests for our own greed, hence more CO2 in atmosphere, the temperature of the Earth keeps on rising. We see the facts and figures in all the articles, about how many tons of pollutants has been emitted by which country and how the emission trend has been increasing year by year, but we do not seem to take any action against it. In this article, you will not see any chart or any statistical data because we do not relate to the data, we relate to what we see and what we would believe. We believed that climate change is here when we started realizing that summers in India are hotter than they were ten years ago, we realized that climate change is here when air quality of Delhi, The National Capital of India, became so poor that people had to wear masks when they got out of their house, we believed Climate Change is here when we realize that Monsoon rainfalls are declining and we only believe Climate Change is happening when we, on our own, feel that the world is changing. I remember wearing sweaters at time of Diwali in my childhood, now it doesn’t feel so till December end.
India has lost 1.2L hectare of forests in last 5 years!!!!
According to a study (sorry I lost link) in 2013, earth was heating up at rate of 4 Hiroshima per sec. You got that? 4 Hiroshima! That’s scary. And then to scare more its per second. That was in 2013!
We think that we have time left but the truth is that if we do not reduce emissions now, humanity will be in a great danger. And it already is in danger. What to do? Reduce the emissions. Now let’s talk on how to do that.
Lets first talk what can be done on bigger scale i.e. by govt, businesses. Shift to renewable. Close the coal powered plants. Britain is running coal free from last two weeks. That’s an amazing feat showing that it can be done. Yes, we already knew that it can be done, but still many govt’s didn’t do this. And some are still slow.
All govt’s world wide need to stop subsidizing coal, oil and gas. Countries spend billions of $ subsidizing them. Why? What’s the point? Just that those companies fund your political parties! USE that subsidy to incentivize renewable. They are the ones who need it. Use that subsidy to strengthen the infra. Factories should be ordered to use green energy. All businesses should plan together to go green. It’s in benefit of all. For them, for humanity. I think there is no greater cause than saving earth. Forget profit making. Renewables may sound costly when you install them, but are cheaper than fossils in long run.
Govt should encourage people to have solar installed on their houses. Incentives should be provided. India is leading in Solar today. We are lowest cost producer of Solar Energy. Good to see large projects being put out of solar, wind. But people can also help themselves by having solar. Where our govt has lacked is that educating people about its solar roof top scheme. Our govt spent crores in advertisement, but I never saw one about Solar Roof top scheme. Under this you get 30% rebate on the total cost. Which is I think good. But someone told me it takes few months to get that subsidy. Hope our govt will improve on that.
One thing we all need to focus is our garbage. We need proper garbage collection and disposal. Govt should open recycling plants. Recycles everything. Was watching news of Gajipur Land fill in Delhi. How it is being compared to Taj Mahal.
What can we do? We can do lot:
1. Getting solar on roof if possible. Don’t think much about spending. Cost will recover in few years and its FREE about that. You can decrease that recovery time by selling excess energy you generate. Or store it to use on the day generation is low. Someone complained that we Indians are hesitant in spending. Evan collecting funds to get a small work done in a society invokes fight. I kinda agree. But I think if educated enough people would be ready to spend. Savings are not at time of installation, but in long term. Hopefully cost of solar installation will keep decreasing as companies do more R&D.
2. Use your ICE car less. Take public transport as much as possible. Do car pooling. Ride sharing is great. Cars sales are in decline in India in last couple of months, which I think maybe due to ride sharing facilities.
3. Don’t buy fuel cars. Ask companies on Electric Vehicles. The more you ask, more they will be pressured to bring out good EV.
4. Ask your politicians. Question them. Ask what they doing on environments. Ask what’s their next step. Ask even if are they concerned. Choose them on their views, not on sentiments. Choose young leaders. We need young minds who can think of future.
5. Try to use less AC. Keep it at an optimal temperature.
6. Use 2 wheelers instead of 4 wheelers if you can. Get E bike and E scooters. And yeah you can charge it via your solar. Even if you charge via grid, its still cleaner. You will never visit fuel station ever.
7. Use your legs for nearby errands. I see people starting their bikes even when they have to go nearby which can easily be done by walking. Walking is healthy also. I see people here going to morning yoga classes by their bikes/scooters while living just 1 km away. I think people can walk 1-2 km in morning. USE CYCLE at least.
8. Use greener products. Don’t buy clothes just because you have money or there is a sale or discount. Buy only when needed.
9. Don’t buy anything unnecessarily. Live a simple life style. Don’t think of status. It’s BS.
10. Plant more trees. Don’t just plant, take care of them properly. Even if half of world plant a tree and take its care, I think problem can be solved to a greater extent.
11. Bring awareness in your surroundings. Hold events in your locality explaining benefits of solar, ev. Telling the danger of this climate emergency.
This climate disaster will cost us Trillions of $. More than the world’s economy. Stop it before it become impossible to do so.
Problem with us is that we think someone else will solve it. Who will when all think that someone will. No one. We all have to do together.
We are bound to make this an emergency and take immediate action, after all the House is burning.
(Article may be further updated. You are open to give suggestions. Pic used in SEO is from nasa)
Please sign the petition asking govt to reduce/remove import duties on EV in India for few years.
BY-- Nikhil Chaudhary and Twinkle Dixit
Tesla Club India
Building a Community For Future