Climate Change or Life Change

Shahid Afridi

Life on earth is completely dependent on the climate. The planet earth is getting hot posing existential threats to life on the planet. Human being has to play its role to stabilize the climatic conditions and lower the average temperature considerably. Additionally transformation of life style from brown development to green development is of paramount importance.

We the humans are always waiting for a fortunate day to come, and deal all sort of disasters as heavenly misfortune. Actually, the impact of disasters can be reduced through mitigation and adaptation. This can only be possible through changing our life style. We have to mobilize the community to change their mind set regarding considering climate change as someone else’s problem.

Climate Change cannot be flagged as an environmental issue rather it is directly linked with our social, cultural as well as religious way of life. The human of today will decided whether to face the brunt of the climate change or change its approach to deal with the climate change and its ill impacts on the planet earth as whole. The scientists, sociologists, economists, citizens and policy makers have to re-evaluate their priorities, values and principles focus on how to change the life style to a healthy one.

We have to switch over from fossil fuel energy production to clean and green energy. The fossil fuel energy is detrimental and causing severe threats to our climate. Those countries which are dependent on fossil fuel energy are adding fuel to the deteriorating climate of our planet earth. The leading countries have to revisit their energy production plans and adopt green and clean energy otherwise they will have to pay the price to heal up the manifested ecosystems.

The climate science is very clear about the GHGs production from the energy sector. The COP 29 has decided to provide USD 300 billion annually to developing countries till 2035 for adaptation and mitigation.

The developed UNFCCC should devise a very effective and efficient mechanism for swift transfer of green funds to the developing countries in general and low carbon producing countries in particular. In order to minimize the effects of climate induced disasters the funds should be channelized towards disaster risk reduction (DRR). However, Pakistan needs a lot of home work to identify the most vulnerable sites and tap the said international resources.

Given paramount importance of plantation in fighting against climate change, the entire world should encourage protection and conservation of biodiversity. Pakistan has effectively executed massive afforestation and conservation projects namely 10-Billion Tree Afforestation and Billion Tree Afforestation projects. The green financing pledged during COP29, should specifically be channelized to protect and conserve forests and raise new plantations on waste lands to sequester carbon from the atmosphere.

Likewise the transport sector has to change its fuel for running the busses, cars and other vehicles. All the schools, colleges, universities, private and public sectors’ institutions should ensure pollution free vehicles which are utilized for transportation of their students and staff members. The vehicles should be converted to run with electrical energy. The old vehicles particularly buses should be scraped and replaced with pollution free vehicles. The citizens should use public transport rather driving in individually. The education institutions should arrange special seminars and workshops for educating the stakeholders about mitigation and adaptation to avert the ill effects of CC.

The householders have to revisit their way of life. We should minimize the use of plastic goods and gradually eliminate utilization of plastic in due course of time. They should train their kids not to purchase those goods which are wrapped in plastic. They should avoid all sorts of drinks available in non biodegradable materials. The house members should collect the seeds of fruits, vegetables and other plants for dispersing in appropriate ecosystem. The house members should minimize their energy by using energy efficient appliances, switching off lights and electronic appliances when not in use. Further to insulating houses to minimize air conditioning of it.

I must extend my recommendation to the concerned authorities, community members and every citizen to change their life styles to transfers the planet earth free of pollution and improved ecosystem to the up coming generations.