– Eak Duwadi
Sometimes I wonder how the indigenous people were so wise that they were aware of today’s problem thousands of years back. For example, whatever they used to consume were biodegradable and they always encouraged others to keep soil, water and air pure by claiming them sacred. Modern life is just the opposite so we have been facing several threats. Pertinent one is Global Warming — an increase in the average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere, especially an unrelenting increase sufficient to cause climatic change. It has become the most debated topic presently. Can we solve it?
There was Ice Age when most parts of the earth were covered with ice. Gradually, it got melted forming many seas engulfing many settlements though there were no greenhouse gases which comprise methane, water vapor, carbon dioxide and ozone. Since the Industrial Revolution, the need for energy to run machines has steadily increased. Some energy, like the energy you need to do your homework, comes from the food you eat. But other energy, like the energy that makes cars run and much of the energy used to light and heat our homes, comes from fuels like coal and oil – fossil fuels. Burning these fuels releases greenhouse gases.
All climate changes occurred naturally. However, during the Industrial Revolution, we began altering our climate and environment through agricultural and industrial practices. The Industrial Revolution was a time when people began using machines to make life easier. It started more than 200 years ago and changed the way humans live. Before the Industrial Revolution, human activity released very few gases into the atmosphere, but now through population growth, fossil fuel burning, and deforestation, we are affecting the mixture of gases in the atmosphere.
Global warming may be a big problem, but there are many little things we can do to make a difference. If we try, most of us can do our part to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that we put into the atmosphere. Many greenhouse gases come from things we do every day. As we have learned, these greenhouse gases trap energy in the atmosphere and make the Earth warmer. Driving a motorbike or using electricity is not wrong. We just have to be smart about it. Some people use less energy by carpooling. For example, four people can ride together in one car instead of driving four cars to work.
Thus, educate yourself, save electricity, bike and bus, and walk, talk to your family and friends, plant trees, recycle, when you buy, buy Cool Stuff and use Solar Energy to lessen the effect.
These instructions were not uncommon in our country. But when Algore, a former vice president of the USA told us at Bali about it, our eyes are opened even though our obsessions to gadgets and vehicles have not stopped. Thus, it is the time to revive the environment friendly approaches not only to protect ourselves but also to be the world leader as Nepal still has the natural scenery which is rare in the developed countries.
