Sustainability. Anything comes to your mind when you hear this word? There will be numerous definitions in different views. Most of us are aware of climate change because we can see it and experience it ourselves. But do we take actions to prevent it from worsening? Let\’s look at this issue.
First, how do we know about climate change? Data has been collected by scientists about our planet and its climate that reveals the signals of a changing climate. The evidence is the global temperature rise. We should be aware that the planet\’s average surface temperature has risen about 0.9-degree Celsius since the 19th century. Next, warming oceans. The oceans have been warming more than 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969. Other than that, shrinking ice sheets especially in Greenland and Antarctic where ice sheets have decreased in mass. Other phenomena are a glacial retreat, decreased snow cover, sea-level rise, declining arctic sea ice, ocean acidification, and extreme events.
The major reason for this climate change is from the greenhouse effect. The gasses that contribute to this impact include water vapor, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, and methane. These gases are mostly from industrial and human activities. Earth most likely will become warmer in certain regions. The warmer condition will lead to more evaporation and precipitation overall.
The future effects that might happen are changing and will continue through this century and beyond, temperatures will continue to rise, frost-free season and growing season will lengthen, change in precipitation patterns, and the Arctic likely to become ice-free.
As human beings, we need to acknowledge many things in our lives but let\’s not forget about our Earth. Earth is our place to stay, to love one another and to do our best, show it to the world by supporting environment-friendly products and do extra initiatives to reduce climate change and maintain the sustainability of our environments.
Written by Nurul Anis Wahdah binti Md Nasir