Hopes of arriving at a global consensus to tackle the serious challenge of climate change were dashed last week at L’Aquila, Italy, when the developed nations dragged their feet on arriving at concrete short term plans and a definite roadmap to reduce polluting emissions that can cause disastrous global climate change. Instead, the developed nations chose to pass the buck to the developing nations.

Close on the heels of this setback to set right the emission cuts of green house gases (GHG) that threaten to play havoc on global climate, comes the bombshell in the guise of the El Niño update that can spell disaster for Asian climes. Australia’s weather bureau has reported a spike in the El Niño weather pattern that is gaining in strength at the moment.

El Niño (literally “little boy” in Spanish) is the term used for the abnormal warming pattern in the Eastern Pacific Ocean which has the potential to dramatically change weather patterns across the Asia-Pacific region for the worse. A heightened El Niño can result in monsoon failure in Asia, cause drought in Australia and a horrendous downpour in parts of South America.

“We are warming reasonably rapidly,” said Andrew Watkins from Australia’s meteorological department. The speed with which the equatorial Pacific region warms up will determine how the monsoon is gearing up to show its presence in India. The Indian meteorological department recently forecast a ‘near normal’ monsoon but with a reduced 81% of the normal rain. According to the director of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Pune’s National Climate Center, D.S. Pai, if the warming spikes faster its effect may weaken the monsoon earlier and drastically reduce the predicted rainfall.

North India is already gearing up to face the impending threat of drought in most areas. The repeat of the bumper paddy crop as in 2008 in places like Punjab is clearly ruled out this year. The sowing of wheat, paddy, pulses and sugarcane has been delayed following the rains playing truant.

Changing climate and weather patterns make a global impact, no doubt. But it is inevitably the developing nations that take the hit badly.

Thilaka Ravi

Oftentimes serious issues like global warming are sidelined when conflicting policies and value systems are presented in a muddle to the common man. Checking excessive global warming is a complex issue that requires a multi pronged approach from policy makers, heads of institutions and a participation from every human being who inhabits planet Earth.

It is paradoxical that while the phenomenon of global warming necessitates a change to simpler lifestyles opting to use public transport, cycle or walk, use less electrical gadgets, market forces lure people with tantalizing advertisements and offers to buy the very same products that can fuel global warming with their carbon emissions. In developing countries like India which boast of strong family ties, commercials target child viewers to promote consumer items—sometimes even luxury cars.

Many middle class families all over the world exercise economy in using electricity and fossil fuels (petrol and diesel, for instance) not so much to prevent global warming but because it suits their budget. To the rich who spend more than necessary on cars and electrical gadgets, global warming is perhaps the last thing on the mind.

World governments may draft grand policies to arrest global warming and reverse climate change but a greater awareness needs to be inculcated in citizens of the world to make them understand that opting for simple lifestyle changes such as using stairs instead of the elevator, car pooling, using public transport, consuming less non-vegetarian food so as to leave less carbon print, will help the individual as well as the world stay healthy.