By: Faisal Mustafa , published in Dawn on 19 March 2011
Three hundred and fifty is not just a number. It is a very significant number for all species on earth — 350ppm (parts per million) is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.
Different organisations focusing on environment report that we now have a carbon ratio of 388 parts per million and every year we face two parts per million increase and this is a dangerous level. According to scientists, if carbon kept increasing at this rate, a day will come when methane (CH4) will replace oxygen in the atmosphere. Breathing methane can result in lung cancer and other diseases and it will be impossible for living beings to survive on the planet.
Parts per million is a method of measuring the concentration of different gases and this is the ratio of the number of carbon dioxide molecules to all the molecules in the atmosphere.
Our non-environmentally-friendly activities have contributed a lot to the rise of this ratio of carbon. Even simple everyday activities such as using the car to come to school, using gas or electrical household appliances all require energy sources that are derived mostly from oil or coal that lead to emission of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere.
A further increase of such gases into the atmosphere can lead to severe and devastating floods and drought at many places, increase in temperature and acid rain, which can mean a threat to the existence of different species, including humans, on the planet.
Nature has started showing us the result of our non-environmentally-friendly activities in the form of so many problems that is affecting our biodiversity. For years now, glaciers are melting at an alarming rate due to increase in temperature and leading to the increase in sea levels, flood many other natural disasters.
Our country too is facing many problems due to environmental changes and ecosystems are under threat and it is predicted that in future Pakistan can even face more severe floods.
We can reduce the carbon ratio by controlling our activities. Reducing the carbon ratio is not a Herculean task. We just need to make our activities more nature-friendly. If we all get to work, we can once more make the planet a safe zone.
Although Pakistan is not among the world’s major polluters, however, it is among the countries which are facing the devastating effects of climate change, as reported by IPCC (International Panel On Climate Change).
Global warming and climate change require immediate and tough actions from all of us. There are several organisations around the world that are working with close collaboration of their countries to address the needs of our environment and save it from further devastation. However, in our part of the world, this is not an issue that takes up much of our attention or that of our government’s.
Climate changing is also having adverse affect on food production as agricultural land is not as fertile as it once was. In addition to this, the rise in sea level has led to the Indus Delta increasing in size and spoiling hectares of fertile farmland, especially in districts Badin and Thatta.
If we wish to continue living well on our planet, then we need to reduce the ratio of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. The time has come when we need to join hands and make a pledge to protect our home, the Earth.
Three hundred and fifty is not just a number. It is a very significant number for all species on earth — 350ppm (parts per million) is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.
Different organisations focusing on environment report that we now have a carbon ratio of 388 parts per million and every year we face two parts per million increase and this is a dangerous level. According to scientists, if carbon kept increasing at this rate, a day will come when methane (CH4) will replace oxygen in the atmosphere. Breathing methane can result in lung cancer and other diseases and it will be impossible for living beings to survive on the planet.
Parts per million is a method of measuring the concentration of different gases and this is the ratio of the number of carbon dioxide molecules to all the molecules in the atmosphere.
Our non-environmentally-friendly activities have contributed a lot to the rise of this ratio of carbon. Even simple everyday activities such as using the car to come to school, using gas or electrical household appliances all require energy sources that are derived mostly from oil or coal that lead to emission of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere.
A further increase of such gases into the atmosphere can lead to severe and devastating floods and drought at many places, increase in temperature and acid rain, which can mean a threat to the existence of different species, including humans, on the planet.
Nature has started showing us the result of our non-environmentally-friendly activities in the form of so many problems that is affecting our biodiversity. For years now, glaciers are melting at an alarming rate due to increase in temperature and leading to the increase in sea levels, flood many other natural disasters.
Our country too is facing many problems due to environmental changes and ecosystems are under threat and it is predicted that in future Pakistan can even face more severe floods.
We can reduce the carbon ratio by controlling our activities. Reducing the carbon ratio is not a Herculean task. We just need to make our activities more nature-friendly. If we all get to work, we can once more make the planet a safe zone.
Although Pakistan is not among the world’s major polluters, however, it is among the countries which are facing the devastating effects of climate change, as reported by IPCC (International Panel On Climate Change).
Global warming and climate change require immediate and tough actions from all of us. There are several organisations around the world that are working with close collaboration of their countries to address the needs of our environment and save it from further devastation. However, in our part of the world, this is not an issue that takes up much of our attention or that of our government’s.
Climate changing is also having adverse affect on food production as agricultural land is not as fertile as it once was. In addition to this, the rise in sea level has led to the Indus Delta increasing in size and spoiling hectares of fertile farmland, especially in districts Badin and Thatta.
If we wish to continue living well on our planet, then we need to reduce the ratio of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. The time has come when we need to join hands and make a pledge to protect our home, the Earth.
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