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Sabtu, 12 Rejab 1433 | Saturday, 2 June, 2012 | Issue 195
Published Weekly
OUR ROLE IN
SAVING THE
Abu Umar
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
PLANET
T
HE effects of climate change in
our lives, caused by the exploitation of natural resources, is one
of the things that humanity has
learned the hard way. With the
industrial revolution in 19th century,
we started the rapacious utilisation of our precious natural
resources including land,
forests and water for the
sake of development. In
the beginning, it looked
great as we started
enjoying a changed and
improved lifestyle. Cars
and airplanes replaced
horses and camels
while electric-bulbs
and tube lights
replaced candles and
oil lamps.
However, in the
process,
we
ignored the price
that we had to pay
for our new
lifestyle.
Carpeted roads,
spectacular
bridges and
breathtaking
skyscrapers have
been built at a cost,
way higher than we
thought initially. Only
when scorching sun started
to burn our skins, we did realise
the depletion of the protective ozone
layer, caused by the toxic gases used in our
refrigerators. Only when rising seas
threatened to engulf us, we did realise
that climate change has become an existential threat to our future generations
and something is needed to be done.
Now we are in a situation where we
have to race against time to protect this
planet. According to a recent report by
Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), the
demand on natural resources has become
unsustainable and is putting tremendous
pressure on the planets biodiversity.
We are living as if we have an extra
planet at our disposal, Jim Leape, WWF
International director general says. We
are using 50 per cent more resources that
the Earth can sustainably produce and un-
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less we change course, that number will
grow fast and by 2030 even two planets
will not be enough. The survey reported
an average 30 per cent decrease in
biodiversity since 1970.
We can clearly see that the climate
change has already harmed the environment. Glaciers have shrunk, rivers and
lakes are drying up, plant and animal
ranges have shifted and trees are flowering sooner.
In 2007, scientists from the International
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicted
that warming oceans and melting glaciers
due to global warming and climate
change could cause sea levels to rise 7-23
inches by the year 2100. The panel, which
School Time B2 - B3
includes more than 1,300 scientists from
across the globe, predicted a temperature
rise of 2.5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit over
the next century.
According to these scientists, floods and
drought could become more frequent and
more severe in the near future as a result
of the climate change. Recent floods in
Pakistan and Thailand that killed
thousands of people and accounted
for billions of dollars in crops and
p r o p e r t y l o s s e s a r e a cl e a r
example of devastating effects
of climate change.
Scientists believe that
global temperatures will
continue to rise for
decades to come, largely
due to greenhouse
gasses produced by human activities.
Luckily, the humanity
has finally realised its
mistake. World leaders
are now discussing
policies to control
greenhouse gas
emissions and curb
overconsumption of
natural resources.
Now we can also see
increasing global
awareness about
the climate change
issues. Media is running campaigns to
promote pro-climate
initiatives by the government and civil society.
Every year, people all over the
world including Brunei Darussalam observe Earth Hour when households and
businesses are encouraged to turn off
their non-essential lights to raise awareness about climate change.
However, these efforts alone are not
enough to compensate years of wastage
and over-consumption on the part of humanity. In order to reverse this trend, collective efforts are required. Regardless of
our jobs and status in society, it is our
responsibility to save this planet. We can
start with small steps like turning off-extra
lights, switching off air-conditioner every
now and then and saving water in the
bathroom. One must remember that no
action is smaller when it comes to protecting environment.
The Brunei Times
B4