Climate Change

Climate Change is the record of change in weather patterns over a long period, often over several years. Therefore climate change will typically refer to seasonal weather patterns and rainfall over several years. Climate change can indicate the average local pattern of the weather or that of the earth compared to a few years ago. Compared to pre-industrial levels, the average global temperature has increased by about 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels. This increases more towards the North Pole, while this is less so for the South Pole. Such uneven rise in temperature is already making weather patterns less predictable. This disrupts crop planting, growth, and harvesting because the weather can no longer be relied upon. The last 2 to 3 years have already witnessed prolonged droughts, hurricanes, floods, downpours, winter storms, and fires. Fires have ravaged California, Canada, Nordic countries, Australia, and Brazil since 2018 and, more recently, Greece, Spain, and North African countries. The extreme weather events are attributed to Climate Change according to a recent report by IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), 2021. The warmer temperature is causing massive ice sheets and glaciers to melt accelerated in the Polar Regions. This excess water is also expanding due to the increased temperature, causing sea level rise and enhanced seawater intrusion in coastlines and soil erosion. This is particularly dangerous for low-lying regions like the Maldives and other islands. Climate Change is occurring very rapidly than in any previous recorded history of the world, mainly due to human activity. This includes burning fossil fuels like natural gas, oil, and coal. [Zeba Islam Seraj]