“Global Warming’s Unrelenting Fury: Extreme Disasters, Record Heat, and Urgent Calls for Sustainable Action at COP28”

Conference of party’s 28, a ritual

Unprecedented Natural Disasters: A recent surge in intense natural disasters has shocked the world, from fierce storms in Dubai and Saudi Arabia to hailstorms in China, Turkey, and Italy. Even traditionally cold regions like Europe and the USA experienced unusually hot summers. The cloud burst in Jadon village, Himachal Pradesh, devastated buildings and lives.

Record-Breaking Heat in 2023: The year 2023 is marked as the hottest since industrialization began, underscoring the escalating impact of global warming.

Climate Conference in Dubai: The 28th Conference of Parties (COP) is underway in Dubai, bringing together world leaders to address the urgent climate crisis. These conferences, initiated in 1995, have evolved to tackle climate change with legally binding goals.

Global Emission Disparities: A stark reality emerges as 30 countries, including the USA, Europe, Russia, and China, contribute 64% of global emissions. Meanwhile, the impact is disproportionately felt by over 130 other nations.

Loss and Damage Fund: In response to the escalating climate crisis, a Loss and Damage Fund was established during the previous COP in Egypt. However, concerns arise over the uneven contributions, with Germany, China, and the European Union leading while the USA lags.

The Urgent Need for Sustainable Solutions: Estimates suggest an annual investment of one trillion dollars is required to meet climate change targets. The private sector’s reluctance to invest in sustainable practices poses a significant hurdle. Urgent action is needed to shift from growth-centric economic models to the sustainable development goals outlined by the United Nations in 2015. The world must act swiftly to avert an apocalyptic scenario driven by global warming.

Recently there have been a spate of natural disasters in the most unlikeliest places with an intensity not known before. There were heavy storms and Gail in Dubai and Saudi Arabia and in some driest parts of South Africa. The hailstorm in China, Turkey and an island of Italy were extremely scary even to see on YouTube. The traditionally known cold places like Europe and Shuttle in the USA have experienced hottest summers.  The cloud burst in Jadon village in Himachal Pradesh  just last year  has completely washed out many buildings and lives.

The year 2023 has gone down in the history as the hottest year since the industrialization has begun.

All these extreme weather conditions are caused by global warming, the direct result of industrialization and unsustainable modern way of life. 

28th version of conference of parties is being held in Dubai where all the Heads of State once again congregate to find solutions for the climate change. They have been doing it since 1995 when the first conference took place in Germany. In the conference of parties held in Kyoto in 1997, all the world leaders have started  to believe the warning of the scientists about the climate change and for the first time set the legally binding goals to curb the global warning. They agreed to address the issue and help the transfer of technology from the advanced countries to the countries who are affected without actually contributing any of the fossil fuels causing the global warming. 

The  USA, EUROPE, Russia and China, the total of 30 countries contribute 64 per cent of emissions causing global warming. The impact is however is being felt by the remaining 130 plus countries. 

In the conference of parties held in Egypt last year all the countries have agreed to create a fund in the name Loss and Damage Fund and agreed to contribute to the fund. Germany, China, European Union, England contributed  in a very high measure and the biggest culprit of global warming, the USA contributed the least. 

This fund is designed to help the countries who are being badly affected by the global warming incidents such as soil erosion, flooding, intensity of natural disasters like a cyclones, storms and loss or contamination of marine life that feeds 60 per cent of the world population and droughts which could be directly ascribed to the global warming. 

In one of the earlier conference of parties, it was estimated that one trillion dollars every year would be required to ensure the climate change target of stabilizing the global temperature increase to pre industrial 1.5 average temperature. The need of the investment to stop global warming by the private corporations was also emphasized but was cold shouldered by these corporations who though responsible for the emissions are reluctant to do their part.

Two decades back  the scientists have estimated that  if the average temperature of the planet increases more than 1.5 degrees compared to the industrial revolution times, then the climate change effects will become  irreversible ; already many places it has crossed that level. However the leaders in the conference of parties have shamelessly pushed this limit to 2%.  If this trend continues with the kind of cynicism that we could see in the western leaders who are actually in a position to stop it, then only god can save the planet.

The only way the global warming driven apocalypse can be stopped is by completely and speedily ensuring paradigm shift in the growth obsessed economic models to the sustainable models envisaged in the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations in 2015 that are progressing at snails pace while global warming is reaching  the speed of sound if not light.

Dr M H Prasad Rao

Retd HOD polytechnic