It is Our Responsibility to Ease the Climate Crisis

Children living in developing countries like Bangladesh are at a higher risk of being exposed to the perils of climate change, UNICEF says

Safe drinking water has become scarce due to the increase in salinity in coastal areas. As a result, local residents of Satkhira have to walk for more than four kilometers every day to collec

The textbook definition of climate is the prolonged weather conditions of an area for a certain time span, usually 30 to 35 years. If there is a sudden change in the average temperature recorded from that area, we call it ‘climate change.’

Since the onset of climate change in the early 1800s (according to a 2016 study), the world has been roiled by its devastating after-effects.

But to prevent further aggravating climate calamity, scientists have pushed to cut back the rate at which global temperatures are increasing. According to their estimates, we must ensure that global temperatures do not rise more than 1.5 degree Celsius by 2100.

The way I see it, deforestation and the increasing number of factories are two major factors that are heating the planet. Greenhouse gas emissions from factories have brought us dangerously close to irreversible changes in the environment, hinting at more climate-related disasters like tidal floods, wildfires, droughts, hurricanes, heat waves, extreme rainfall, etc.

Unfortunately, we have very little control over how factory owners contribute to climate change.

What we can control, however, are the choices we make as individuals. Scientists believe that small personal changes can, collectively, make a world of difference in curbing the catastrophic consequences of climate change. But for that to happen, we have to set new targets to decrease the overall carbon emissions.

We can start by making basic lifestyle changes like reducing air travel and the use of other transport, like cars, which emit greenhouse gases. A smart idea might be to switch to electric cars instead. Replacing your household appliances with energy-saving ones can also help in protecting the planet. For example, instead of opting for traditional heaters which are fuelled by gas, a conscious individual should instead invest in an electrical heater to save energy.

Per UNICEF, children living in developing countries like Bangladesh are at higher risk of being exposed to the perils of climate change. Our country also holds 15th place in the global index in terms of the risk and impact of climate change on children.

UNICEF has further revealed that 1 in 3 Bangladeshi children, 2 million to be precise, bear the brunt of climate change daily. Their struggles include battling extreme weather conditions, floods, the rising sea level and other environmental crises that are a direct consequence of climate change. Many of these kids have no choice but to live in overcrowded slums in cities, placing their lives and futures at the mercy of nature.

We know that living in crowded cities comes with its own dangers for children, making them prey to child labour, human trafficking and even child marriage.

I am inclined to say we are the people responsible for the climate crisis. It is on us to fix this issue at any cost and the best way to go about it would be to actively partake in reforestation programmes and petition to stop factories from emitting greenhouse gases.

Reporter's Age: 15 District: Sylhet