UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s comment a few days back terming climate change as ‘the battle of his life’ and the one which the ‘world is not winning’ has created a flutter. A visibly perturbed UN chief also went to the extent of  suggesting that governments around the world should tax carbon emissions instead of people’s salaries to limit the damage caused by climate change. He has also lamented that political will to fight the threat is fast fading away at the juncture when the situation is getting worse and the countries who were parties to the 2015 Paris Agreement  are not living up to their commitments. UN chief’s  disquiet can well be understood  since during the last few years a string of apocalyptic reports on the state of the planet has poured in, all clamouring for concrete steps to tackle climate change and the impending environmental catastrophe.
The words ‘climate change’ have really turned out to be the ones inciting fear and are frequently termed as the biggest challenge facing the global community today more formidable than averting a nuclear war or a third world war. Earth’s climate is now changing faster than at any point in the history of modern civilization, and it’s not the handiwork of any aliens that has caused it, but it’s the humans themselves who have digged their graves. Thousands of studies conducted by researchers around the world have documented increases in temperature at earth’s surface, atmosphere and oceans, caused due to emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases from fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, land-use change etc. And the world is feeling the pinch everyday as the devastating impacts intensifies over the vitals of human existence such as health, agriculture, food security, water supply, ecosystems, and many others.
And to fight the challenge, a landmark environmental accord better known as the Paris Agreement was adopted by nearly every nation in 2015 to address climate change and its negative impacts. India as a signatory to this has committed to reduce its carbon dioxide emission intensity by 33-35% below 2005 levels by 2030 and is trying best within her capabilities with the constitution of climate change cells in each states.
But even after so many wake-up calls, the most depressing aspect seem to be the continuing callousness of the developed nations who have contributed the most to this problem. There are also frequent and open threats from them to walk out of the agreement, the only ray of hope for the planet to avoid the looming cataclysm.
Their slumber is only comparable to that of Rip Van Winkle and as of now, there are no signs of an immediate end. Perhaps, by the time they will awake, it will be too late to make amends. 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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