Recognising the climate crisis

The world, and India, face an existential threat. Wake up to it

Words matter. The impending catastrophe of our times — a drastic modification of the world’s climate, and steeply rising global temperatures — seems minor when you call it “climate change”. The term does not reflect the enormity of the existential threat. This is why, from today, Hindustan Times will call this emergency what it is — a climate crisis.

This is in line with the increasing international media practice of accurately representing what is at stake. The Guardian, earlier this year, replaced “climate change” with “climate emergency, breakdown or crisis”.

Due to carbon emissions, global temperatures have warmed by 1 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels. A world that is just a degree warmer has resulted in wildfires in California and Sydney, and annual wildfires in the Arctic. The last five years have been the warmest on record; the 20 warmest years occurred in the past 22. Our planet is not just warming, it is heating up. This is translating into huge costs in terms of lives and livelihoods. The Arctic is warming at 2-3 times than the global average. The global ocean has absorbed 90% of the world’s excess heat since 1970. This means more extreme weather events, from a rise in the number of cyclones to devastated fish populations, from the death of coral reefs to collapsing ecosystems.

The situation at home is as dire. About 177 million people live in India’s low-lying coastal districts, where sea levels are slated to rise by over 1m by 2100, if emissions aren’t checked. The loss of Himalayan glaciers will affect 580 million people in the Ganga river basin alone. A recent scientific paper stated how mega cities like Mumbai can get submerged in 30 years. Within India, it will be the most marginalised of the communities who will pay the highest price. In 2018-19, 2,400 Indians lost their lives to extreme weather events such as floods and cyclones. These events are increasing in frequency and intensity. The crisis calls for a sustained approach, where the government, the private sector, local communities, and individuals do their bit to meet climate targets. It is time to accept that this is not a mere change; it is not a problem. It is a crisis.