1

Essay on ‘Climate Change’- How to deal with this

menace?
Mushtaq Ahmad Mahindro
Outline:
1. Introduction (The extent and the severity of the problem world around and Pakistan)
2. Thesis statement
3. Damage caused by climate change (floods, storms, droughts, heatwaves, the rise in the
Sea level on account of melting of polar ice sheets and glaciers, inundation of low-level
islands and deltaic regions, smog, etc.)
4. The impact of polluted air on human health including the smog phenomenon
5. The process of global warming (The greenhouse effect of CO2 and Methane gases, and
the rise of the average mean temperature of the globe)
6. Main Causes (Burning of fossil fuels, less tilt over renewable resources)
7. Large-scale deforestation of the equatorial forests
8. Efforts made to deal with the issue (Kyoto protocol, Paris Climate deal, and UN Climate
Change conference Poland December 2018
9. 2019 UN Climate Action Summit New York
10. The indifference of the major emitters (China, USA, and India)to curb the CO2 emissions
and reluctance to move under the spirit of the agreements, and response by other
countries.
11. Greta Thunberg climate campaign
12. The solution/conclusion
Thesis Statement: Climate change is a human-induced calamity due to the increased emission of
greenhouse gases. Man though can arrest the same by way of switching over to renewable sources
of energy but the indifference of the largest emitters of greenhouse gasses on account of their
commercial expediencies has made it difficult to achieve the desired results towards the end of this
century.
Climate change, which is caused by the excessive emission of greenhouse gasses like CO2
and Methane, is a human-induced calamity. It is believed to be the third-largest concern of
humanity after widening the rich-poor gap, and worldwide aging of the population, particularly in
the developed world. It is not only those who are responsible for creating this peril that is suffering
and going to suffer in the times to come, but it is also affecting everybody on the globe as the
harmful gasses emitted by any country know no border. We know that people of Africa are bearing
the brunt of climate change in the form of heatwaves, droughts, and resultant famines whereas the
largest emitters of greenhouse gasses are somewhere else. There has been unprecedented flooding
in Malawi in 2015 causing 300 deaths. The average person in Malawi emits around 80 Kg of CO2
per year against the USA 17.5 metric tons. Likewise, the largest emitters of CO2 are China and
the USA along with Europe but the Philippines emitting just 0.5% has to suffer a lot due to the
typhoons originating in the Pacific and the South China Sea. Pakistan emitter of only about 0.3%
 2

of CO2 has to face both floods and droughts in the last few years. Pakistan’s per capita emissions
of greenhouse gases today are one of the lowest in the world, yet it ranks amongst the top ten
countries most affected by climate change during the last twenty years. We have not only faced
floods, droughts, or even the 2015 Karachi heatwave but also other impacts such as glacier melting,
rising temperatures, rising sea level just to name a few. That is the disproportionate level of
suffering. Even then Pakistan is considering reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent
from 2008 levels by 2025.
Global warming has already caused a rise in the sea level as a result of the melting of polar
ice sheets and that of glaciers causing a significant threat to the low-level islands like the Maldives
and many deltaic regions of the world including that of Bangladesh to submerge in due course of
time. On one side there have been heatwaves and droughts in sub-Saharan Africa and the Thar
Desert of Indo- Pak subcontinent, on the other torrential rains and flooding in many parts of the
world particularly Southern states of America under the command of hurricanes, and the
Philippines and adjoining areas of the South China Sea prone to typhoons. India and Bangladesh
are also experiencing heavy, devastating rains and floods. Greenhouse gasses are not merely
adding to global warming only these are polluting our atmosphere in the form of smog also
affecting our health with every breath we take in. At the moment Beijing is one of the worst Smog
hit cities in the world. This phenomenon has also started engulfing Pakistan particularly Punjab
during winters.
Hurricane Florence has caused havoc deep inside South Carolina and the North Carolina
States of America in September 2018 causing damage from $17 billion to $22 billion. Before that
Hurricane Katrina in 2005 has killed 1833 people in New Orleans, USA. California wildfires have
been extremely catastrophic during 2019 (That was mainly on account of long summers and
shortened winter- an effect of climate change).
Typhoon Mangkhut devastated the Philippines in September 2018. There has been enormous
damage caused to the California state forests due to the widespread forest fire during the 2018
summer.
Record-breaking temperatures and months of severe drought have fueled a series of massive
bushfires across Australia in 2019/20 engulfing more than 63,000 sq. km that resulted in a
mammoth loss to the flora and fauna.
Storms are getting more severe in both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. The question is
why these storms are getting worse? The scientific answer is that 90% of the additional energy we
receive from the Sun is stored up in the oceans. And the warmer oceans mean more severe and
longer-lasting storms. A recent report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says that
the Global Mean Sea Level from January to July 2018 was around 2 to 3 mm higher than for the
same period in 2017. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special report
released in October 2018, there is no safe level of global warming and sea levels would continue
to rise for centuries even if we cap warming at 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, prescribed in the
lower limit of the Paris Agreement. The WMO report attributed these yearly changes in sea level
to changes in ice-sheet loss, land storage of water, and variations in ocean temperature.
 3

There are two factors of sea rise. Number one is the melting of polar and glaciers’ ice, and
number two is that water expands as it warms. When the atmosphere warms its capacity to hold
moisture also increases that eventually falls in the form of rains.
Scientifically, the process of global warming activates with the accumulation of CO2,
Methane (CH4), CFCs (Chlorophlorcarbons), and N2O (Nitrous oxide) like gases in the
atmosphere in quantities more than in the pre-industrial era. How these gases cause global
warming? This happens due to their greenhouse effect on the atmosphere. Under the usual
circumstances whatever the heat earth absorbs during daytime from the Sun is released during the
nighttime. Hence the average mean temperature of the Erath remains the same. But when the CO2
level of the atmosphere increases mainly on account of the excessive burning of fossil fuels, it
does not allow all the heat absorbed in the form of infrared radiation during the daytime to go back
into the atmosphere. It gets entrapped around the earth's atmosphere. That means greenhouse
gasses act as a blanket. This is commonly known as the greenhouse effect of CO2 and methane
like gases.

The process of the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse gasses (CO2 and Methane CH4)
reflect the part of the infrared radiation to the earth.
The primary cause of climate change is the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. To keep
our cities worth living, we have to get rid of fossil fuels and switch over to electrification of our
vehicles and go for renewable resources in the industrial setups with zero greenhouse gas
emissions (CO2 and Methane). At the same time, we have to go for afforestation to neutralize the
effect of the increased accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere. At the world level, maximum
energy is consumed in urban areas about 2/3rd of the total. On average globally, 50% of the
population lives in cities which is going to become 70% by 2050. Hence, urban areas warrant more
attention to be switched over to non-fossil fuel sources of energy from fossil fuels.
Other than this, the burning of fossil fuels pollutes the air causing many breathing ailments. As
per WHO there have been over seven million people premature deaths every year due to the
polluted air. Air pollution kills more people than tobacco does. In places like Delhi people who
have never smoked a cigarette are dying of lung cancer. Polluted air kills three times as many
 4

people as AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. But like climate change, air pollution had
not been a priority for many of the leaders gathered in Davos in January 2019.
There have been so many talks at the world level to deal with this menace by making the
world carbon neutral by the year 2045 and after that speeding up the consumption of the
greenhouse gasses more than emitting these into the atmosphere. There was the Kyoto (Japan)
protocol which extends the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) that commits states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Kyoto Protocol was
adopted in Kyoto in 1997 and entered into force in February 2005. There are currently 192 parties.
However, Canada withdrew from the protocol in 2012, and the United States didn’t ratify it.
The Kyoto Protocol applies to the six greenhouse gases, notably Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane
(CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).
The Protocol's first commitment period started in 2008 and ended in 2012. A second
commitment period was agreed on in 2012, known as the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol,
in which 37 countries have binding targets, but Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine have stated that
they may withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol or not put into legal force the Amendment with
second-round targets. Japan, New Zealand, and Russia have participated in Kyoto's first-round but
have not taken on new targets in the second commitment period. As of July 2016, 66 states have
accepted the Doha Amendment, while entry into force requires the acceptance of 144 states. Of
the 37 countries with binding commitments, seven have ratified. That exhibits the lukewarm policy
of the states towards the implementation of the spirit of the agreement.
Subsequently, negotiations were held in the framework of the yearly UNFCCC Climate
Change Conferences on measures to be taken in the future which resulted in the 2015 adoption of
the Paris Agreement. It was a separate instrument under the UNFCCC rather than an amendment
of the Kyoto Protocol with 195 signatories vowing to keep the global warming ‘well below’ 2
degree Celsius relative to pre-industrial levels, and ideally to 1.5 degree Celsius. However, the
intergovernmental panel on climate change in October 2018 provided another scientific assessment
on the impact of climate change. It revealed that the difference between the increase in average
global temperature of 2 degrees instead of 1.5 would mean twice as many life-threatening heat
waves and the loss of nearly all the world’s coral reefs. Paris agreement was to step up efforts to
cut the greenhouse gasses emissions every five years. The year 2020 is the first test of these
pledges. 2020 is also the year to bend the curve of the global emissions sharply down towards net-
zero by 2050 to confine the warming up to 1.5 degrees.
The global climate change conference in Poland wrapped up on Dec. 15, 2018, was held
after a succession of reports in which scientists have made it abundantly clear that current efforts
to avoid global warming catastrophe are not sufficient. Because the CO2 emissions are reaching
unprecedented levels in 2018, and many NGOs warn that wealthy countries are not pulling their
weight in the fight against climate change. Three years ago in Paris, 196 countries agreed to put a
curb on global greenhouse gas emissions. In Poland, they had to decide on rules and guidelines for
how to do it or to develop a program for implementation of the Paris Agreement at the national
level. The meeting was to finalize the rulebook for the 2015 Paris climate agreement, provide
 5

assurances to poor nations on financial support for tackling global warming, and send a message
that countries are committed to stepping up their efforts in the coming years.
The Paris Agreement, which will take effect in 2020, was made within the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to create a global response to combatting
the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. The objective is to limit responsibly the average global
temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by way of developing the mechanism for
reducing greenhouse gas emissions and managing the de-carbonization of the current fossil fuel-
based economy. The Global leaders in the conference reaffirmed their struggle to find the will to
set aside their short-term economic and political interests and work for the common good. They
finally came to a consensus on the “rulebook” for implementing the Paris Agreement.
There were two challenges before the leaders; First, regarding U.S. President Donald
Trump's announcement in June 2017 to withdraw from the Paris Agreement in November 2020.
The USA notified its formal withdrawal from the Paris climate deal in November 2019.
Second, although countries that are responsible for 97 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions
have pledged to make cuts, the initial reductions will surely not be enough to keep global warming
below two degrees Celsius.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels measured at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii. NOAA.
In the Paris Agreement 195 countries plus the European Union – accounting for 97 percent
of global emissions – pledged to develop national targets and action plans for reducing the
emissions. In contrast, the predecessor international agreement, the Kyoto Protocol, covered only
14 percent of global emissions.
 6

The good point during the conference in Poland was that the U.S. and Chinese delegations
worked closely to foster a consensus that all countries must follow uniform standards for
measuring emissions and tracking the achievement of their national targets.
This equal treatment could make it easier for the United States to remain in the Paris
Agreement if President Trump should become convinced that such action would be politically
advantageous in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election. (Robert Stavins, Professor of
Business and Government, Harvard University)

Wealthy nations account for most of the world’s cumulative carbon dioxide emissions since 1751,
but large developing nations are becoming increasingly important sources. OurWorldinData.org,
CC BY-SA
Delegates in Poland sought to write guidelines for Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which
guides international cooperation. However, they were not able to reach an agreement, due to
objections from a single country – Brazil – and hence the issue was punted to the next conference,
which will be held in 2019 in Santiago, Chile.
Ultimately, the success or failure of the Paris Agreement will depend upon national actions.
And for that, it remains too soon to observe or even to predict the long-term outcome. (Robert
Stavins, professor of Business and Government, Harvard University). However, regarding its
 7

success, the Vatican observed that the UN Climate Change conference Poland December 15, 2018,
was lacking in urgency and proper concern for human rights.
The 2019 UN Climate Action Summit was held at the UN headquarters in New York on 23
September 2019 on the theme; “A race we can win. A race we must win." The goal of the summit
was to further climate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to prevent the mean global
temperature from rising by more than 1.5 °C above preindustrial levels. In the summit, China did
not increase its Paris agreement commitments, India did not pledge to reduce its use of coal, and
the U.S. did not even speak at the conference. However, 77 countries and the European Union
pledged to cut Greenhouse gas emissions to zero by the year 2050. France pledged to not enter into
trade deals with countries that have policies contrary to the Paris Agreement. Greece and Hungary
pledged to close their coal-fired power plants by 2028 and 2030, respectively. India promised to
bring its renewable energy capacity to 175 gigawatts by 2022 and 450 gigawatts after. Russia, the
fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases pledged to ratify the Paris Agreement, increasing the
number of signatories to 187. Pakistan pledged to restore parts of its degraded ecosystems notably
30% of forests by planting more trees. Despite all these pledges, it was observed that the
commitments of the summit were not enough to limit the rise of global temperature to less than
1.5 degrees, as needed to address the climate crisis. António Guterres, the Secretary-General of
the UN, said at the close of the summit: "Much more is needed to reach carbon neutrality by 2050
and keep temperature rise to 1.5 degrees by the end of the century."
The measures taken so far in this regard indicates that there appears no substantial political
grip on the emission of greenhouse gasses. Things accordingly have gotten worse over time.
Therefore, the point of consideration at the moment is to what extent the world is serious in
implementing this agreement to a verifiable extent. The most severe threat to this agreement came
from the Trump administration as it has threatened to withdraw from the Paris agreement to protect
its industries by making use of domestic fossil fuels particularly coal. Many other countries are
also halfhearted as coal is still being used widely both by China and India already the largest
emitters of greenhouse gases. It has been observed that during 2018 CO2 emissions increased by
more than 2% because the countries kept on burning fossil fuels and the investors continued to
find these more. New power plants are still under construction that will use coal for decades, the
largest source of CO2 emissions. The energy companies are still searching for new oil and gas
resources.
As per the analysis of Princeton University given by the World Economic Forum what
America needs to do to reach net-zero emission by 2050, it will need to install wind turbines and
solar panels at twice the present rate. The power grid may have to triple in size as transport and
heating go electric entailing thousands of kilometers of new lines. By 2030, 50% of new cars sold
will need to be electric up from just 2% in 2019. At present the USA still has 200 coal power
plants. It will need to close almost all of them in the next decade. Ans build plants that use green
energy that uses hydrogen a fuel that burns cleanly. These changes will need $ 2.5 trillion in
investment from government and industry. The US under Jo Biden is expected to reenter the Paris
Agreement on climate change and set a goal of reaching net-zero by 2050. This target is achievable
but the drastic action would need to begin almost immediately.
 8

At the world level, 120 countries have committed to net-zero emissions, Norway by 2030,
UK, and France by 2050, and China by 2060. Around 1000 major companies (340 more seriously
like Apple and Nestle) are slashing emissions. The European Investment bank will stop funding
oil, gas, and coal by 2022. This all is happening on account of the worldwide growing public
appetite for change. In September 2019, 7.6 million people joined the largest climate strike in
history.
According to the National Academy of Sciences USA latest report published in 2019, since
the necessary measures like arresting the trend of emission of greenhouse gases are not satisfactory
therefore the rise in the mean global temperature will be 5 degree Celsius instead of two degrees
as visualized earlier towards the end of this century. As a result of that, the sea level could rise to
two meters resulting in the submerging of cities like Shanghai of China and Miami of the USA
along with many islands, and the vanishing of substantial mangrove forests.

Largest emitters of CO2

It was in these circumstances that Greta Thunberg a 16 years old Swedish girl environmental
activist on climate change launched a campaign that has gained international recognition.
Thunberg is known for her straightforward speaking manner, both in public and to political leaders
and assemblies, in which she urges immediate action to address what she describes as the climate
crisis. Thunberg first became known for her activism in August 2018 when, at age 15, she began
spending her school days outside the Swedish parliament to call for stronger action on global
warming by holding up a sign saying "School strike for the climate". Soon, other students engaged
in similar protests in their communities.
 9

She was invited to address the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference. At home,
Thunberg was so committed to her cause that she convinced her parents to adopt a lifestyle to
reduce greenhouse gasses emissions including giving up air travel and not eating meat.
In May 2019, Thunberg was featured on the cover of Time magazine, which named her a
"next-generation leader". Thunberg has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards,
including fellowship of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, and in 2019 Time magazine
named her one of the 100 most influential people and the youngest individual Time Person of the
Year. In September 2019, she addressed the UN Climate Action Summit in New York.
In the wake of the aforementioned, and in line with the call of Thunberg we have to learn to
keep the maximum of our fossil fuels underground and go for renewable energy, i.e., through solar,
wind, tidal and wave energy, though a big challenge. The developed world must come forward in
helping the developing world and emerging economies to develop their renewable resources. This
requires complete human solidarity. Though some good job is being done in various places yet a
lot of has to be done. For instance, in Hawaii, legislation has been made to switch over to 100%
renewable energy by the year 2045. Apple has pledged that its factories in China will use
renewable energy.
We have to develop a mindset to live sustainably with Mother Earth. For that, we have to take
care of our ecosystem which we are destroying speedily by cleaning the forests mainly the
equatorial rainforest of the Amazon basin, Congo basin, and forests of Indonesia and Malaysia,
the largest source of CO2 consumption. We have to go for electric cars like Tesla, discourage the
use of fossil fuels by eliminating the subsidies, restoration of depleted equatorial forests including
the coastal mangroves, and making use of the Agroforestry being less capital intensive.
As a bottom line, Climate change is a human-made phenomenon, and mankind can fix the
same subject to only one condition that is the ‘sincerity of purpose’.
………………………………………