Environmental Change — Its Effects and Mitigation Strategies

Environmental change is the sad reality of today and the world doesn’t seem to be awakened enough to do something about it. The good news is that some remarkable organizations like Mobius Foundation are actually creating a difference by constantly working towards dealing with the consequences of climate change. It has initiated some efficient & effective projects such as Project Sanjeevni, Eco-toilets, Hydro panels, Living guard filters, Atmospheric water generator, Mobile health camps, and Project Aakar. These projects are helping the society and environment in creating a better eco-friendly space to survive within. The foundation is chaired by Mr. Pradip Burman who is an environmentalist and a philanthropist.

The subject of deteriorating environmental change has been in the news for a long time now. Scientists, governments, the public have become concerned about the threat such change holds in for the future. Interestingly, more & more scientists from different disciplines have been studying the different aspects of this change in order to come up with various strategies for preventing or mitigating the possible catastrophic effects. Scientists are documenting the effects of such climate-related shifts, which largely stem from global warming caused by humans. These effects are already affecting the day to day life on our planet and, in fact, 2015 to 2018 were recorded as the four hottest years ever.

In addition to these issues, global climate change has already had observable effects on the environment. Glaciers are melting, ice on rivers & lakes is breaking up, plant & animal ranges have shifted and trees are flowering sooner. Oceans are getting hotter because they absorb 90 percent of the extra heat in the climate. The ocean is almost 40 percent more acidic than it used to be. The weather worldwide is getting worse with way more frequent heat waves threatening crops, infrastructure, and livelihoods. Habitats on land & in the sea are changing, making them inhospitable for some species, as a result, many are already endangered. Some ecosystems are in fact on the verge of collapsing!

But, when will this all stop? Well, that basically depends on how our emissions continue and exactly how our climate system responds to those emissions. Reducing those emissions seems to be the need of the hour. But since the climate’s already been adversely affected, we need to take the 2 stage approach to respond to this climate change.

1. Mitigation: Reducing emissions and stabilizing the levels of greenhouse gases
2. Adaptation: Addressing the impact of climate change

How do we mitigate climate change?

To tackle the increasing pollutant emissions we can take up some of the following measures:

1. Greater use of renewable energy
2. Electrification of industrial processes to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels
3. Using more efficient modes of transport: public transport, bicycle, carpooling
4. Increasing carbon tax and regulating emission markets

Adaptation to climate change:

There are several measures that can help us reduce our vulnerability to the harmful effects of climate change:

1. Reforestation and landscape restoration (natural landscape)
2. Preparing flexible and diverse cultivation to be ready at times of natural catastrophes
3. R&D on possible catastrophes, temperature behavior, etc.
4. Preparing better preventive and precautionary measures (evacuation plans, health issues, etc.)

For more information on latest news and updated of Mr. Pradip Burman visit: http://www.pradipburman.in/category/blog/