Earth

The wildfires, floods, and heatwaves: Understanding the science behind climate change

The stories we tell today will define the world that future generations inherit. Will they look back and see a world that acted in time, or a world that failed to change until it was too late?

Image credit: Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Published

4 months ago

November 6, 2024

Dipin Damodharan

In the heart of the Amazon rainforest, one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, a massive wildfire raged through the thick, lush greenery. This wasn’t just any fire; it was a calamity that consumed more than 17 million animals in its path, a chilling reminder of how the destruction of nature can reverberate across ecosystems. The Amazon, often referred to as the “lungs of the Earth,” plays a pivotal role in managing the planet’s climate. Yet, the actions of humanity—deforestation, illegal logging, and deliberate fires for agricultural purposes—have not only caused immeasurable loss to wildlife but have also accelerated climate change. The forest’s destruction led to a dangerous feedback loop, intensifying global weather patterns in ways that humans had never anticipated.

Fast forward to 2018, and the monsoon rains that battered Kerala, a state in India, were an equally dire omen. What began as an ordinary August downpour escalated into one of the deadliest floods in the region in almost a century. Rivers overflowed, breaking through dams and inundating vast swathes of land. Entire towns were submerged. Hundreds of lives were lost, and the devastation reached far beyond the physical damage, triggering social and economic upheaval. The aftermath left thousands homeless, as people sought refuge in makeshift shelters. The floods in Kerala were not an isolated incident; in fact, they were a warning from nature, signaling a world grappling with extreme weather events, made worse by human-induced climate change. The same was the case with 2024 Wayanad landslides.

And this global pattern of violent weather doesn’t stop in the tropics. In recent years, a blistering heatwave has swept across parts of North America. The US and Canada, known for their cold winters, have experienced record-breaking summer temperatures, an anomaly that scientists have linked directly to climate change. Oregon, once known for its temperate weather, saw the largest wildfire in its history, spurred by the heatwave. This was not just a local disaster—it was part of a larger, worrying trend in which global warming is creating the conditions for wildfires, floods, and heatwaves to proliferate at an unprecedented rate.

Climate change refers to significant, long-term shifts in weather patterns and temperatures.

These are not just isolated incidents. They are signs of a planet in distress, a planet experiencing the devastating effects of climate change, a phenomenon that is rapidly altering our environment and our lives.

The Science Behind the Crisis

Climate change refers to significant, long-term shifts in weather patterns and temperatures. These changes can manifest in a variety of ways: from prolonged droughts and unseasonal rains to extreme heatwaves and hurricanes. The root cause of today’s accelerated climate change is primarily human activity, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial emissions, which release greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The Earth’s climate has always undergone natural variations—shifting from ice ages to warmer periods over millennia. However, what we are witnessing today is a much more rapid and intense change, driven by human actions. According to scientists, the Earth’s average temperature has risen by approximately 1.1°C since the late 19th century, with the past few decades seeing a rate of warming unprecedented in the geological record. The current trajectory suggests that global temperatures could rise by another 1-2°C by the end of the century, which would have catastrophic implications for both human and natural systems.

The impacts of this warming are already being felt globally. Melting ice caps and glaciers, rising sea levels, shifting weather patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events are some of the most visible signs. The Amazon rainforest, which once functioned as a massive carbon sink, is now a source of carbon emissions due to deforestation and wildfires. Meanwhile, heatwaves in parts of Europe and North America have reached previously unimaginable levels, set new temperature records and causing widespread harm.

A Global Phenomenon: From Kerala to Oregon

The devastating Kerala floods of 2018 were preceded by a series of warnings. The state’s weather patterns had been shifting, with increasingly unpredictable rainfall, leading to swollen rivers and the overflowing of dams. Once a relatively regular occurrence, floods in Kerala became more intense and frequent over time. Experts argue that climate change, through the intensification of the monsoon season and rising sea levels, has exacerbated the situation. But Kerala is not alone. Across the world, regions that were once resilient to extreme weather are now facing unprecedented levels of flooding, wildfires, and other disasters.

*Image: Dominic Wunderlich from Pixabay*

In 2020, when a record heatwave struck North America, temperatures in the Pacific Northwest soared to levels never seen before. Oregon, a state known for its temperate climate, reported its highest-ever temperatures. This heatwave triggered wildfires that devastated millions of acres of forest and caused significant loss of life. The fires were not simply a result of hot weather, but of the conditions created by climate change—dry forests, extreme heat, and shifting weather patterns all came together to fuel the fires.

Similarly, across the Atlantic, parts of Europe experienced an unusually harsh summer, with wildfires ravaging Spain, Portugal, and southern France. These fires were not natural events but were made more intense by the warming climate. Even in regions like Siberia, where wildfires were once rare, extreme temperatures and dry conditions have now turned vast areas into tinderboxes.

The Growing Threat: What the Future Holds

The world’s climate is now so volatile that extreme weather events are no longer an anomaly. They are becoming the new normal. Rising temperatures are leading to extreme heatwaves, higher sea levels are threatening coastal communities, and shifting weather patterns are disrupting ecosystems and agriculture. We are seeing longer droughts, more intense storms, and unpredictable rainfall, all of which are affecting millions of people across the globe.

In the coming decades, the situation is expected to worsen. According to scientists, we are on track to exceed a 1.5°C rise in global temperatures by 2050, with the potential for far-reaching consequences. Sea levels are projected to rise, displacing millions of people, while agriculture will suffer due to unpredictable rainfall and extreme temperatures. Already vulnerable regions, such as the Pacific Islands, will be the hardest hit, while major cities like New York, Mumbai, and Jakarta are all at risk of flooding.

Rising Temperatures and Their Far-reaching Effects

Even small changes in the Earth’s temperature can have profound impacts. A temperature-increase of just 1.5°C could lead to the irreversible melting of polar ice caps, resulting in a rise in sea levels that would submerge entire cities. Rising temperatures can also trigger the release of methane from thawing permafrost, a potent greenhouse gas that could accelerate global warming even further.

The stories from the Amazon, Kerala, Oregon, and beyond serve as stark reminders that the climate crisis is not a future problem—it is a present-day reality

One of the most troubling aspects of this warming is how it is changing the planet’s ecosystems. Species that once thrived in specific temperature ranges are now struggling to survive. Many are migrating to cooler areas, while others face extinction. As habitats shrink and weather patterns change, the very fabric of biodiversity is at risk.

Can We Change Course?

The question now is: Can we reverse or at least slow down these changes? While the situation is dire, scientists and environmentalists believe that immediate action can still mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. Transitioning to renewable energy sources, reducing deforestation, and investing in sustainable agricultural practices are essential steps. Governments, corporations, and individuals all have a role to play in ensuring that we shift towards a more sustainable and resilient future.

There is still time to act, but the window is closing fast. The more we delay, the more severe the impacts will be. The stories from the Amazon, Kerala, Oregon, and beyond serve as stark reminders that the climate crisis is not a future problem—it is a present-day reality that we can no longer afford to ignore.

A Global Call to Action

From the scorched rainforests of the Amazon to the flooded streets of Kerala and the heat-baked forests of Oregon, climate change is no longer a distant concept. It is here, now, and it affects all of us. But the power to change our future lies in our hands. By making sustainable choices, demanding policy changes, and holding accountable those who contribute to the climate crisis, we can begin to heal our planet before it’s too late.

The stories we tell today will define the world that future generations inherit. Will they look back and see a world that acted in time, or a world that failed to change until it was too late? The choice is ours.

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Dipin Damodharan

Dipin is Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief at EdPublica. A journalist and editor with over a decade of experience leading and co-founding print and digital media outlets, his pieces on education, politics, and culture have been published in global media outlets, including The Huffington Post, The Himalayan Times, DailyO, Education Insider and so on.

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Earth

Kerala Elephant in Critical Condition After Head Injury: Urgent Medical Attention Needed

The elephant, estimated to be around 35 years old, is suffering from a deep head wound, with exposed tissue and maggots, causing immense pain

Published

1 week ago

February 15, 2025

Lakshmi Narayanan

Image credit: 'Kattanapremikal' (Wild Elephant Lovers) WhatsApp Group

A wild elephant found with a severe head injury in the Athirappilly and Ezattumugham Forest Range in South Indian state Kerala continues to face a life-threatening situation. The elephant, estimated to be around 35 years old, is suffering from a deep head wound, with exposed tissue and maggots, causing immense pain. Local residents and wildlife enthusiasts are urgently calling for more attention to the situation.

In January, the elephant was spotted in an oil palm plantation with a deep wound on its head. Following requests from the locals, the Kerala Forest Department, led by Dr. Arun Zacharia, carried out initial treatment by tranquilizing and capturing the elephant, providing the first stage of medical care before releasing it back into the wild. According to the medical team, the injury was likely caused during a conflict with other elephants.

The elephant has been seen desperately throwing dirt onto its head in an attempt to alleviate its pain, further aggravating the injury

However, within days of its release, the elephant returned to the palm plantation, and its condition has worsened significantly. Locals have reported that the wound is now even more severe, with visible rotting flesh and maggots. The elephant has been seen desperately throwing dirt onto its head in an attempt to alleviate its pain, further aggravating the injury. To ease its suffering, the elephant has been seen standing in water, a known behaviour when in distress.

Moreover, the elephant appears to be rejecting food, and it is suspected that the infection from the wound has spread to other parts of its body. The ongoing infection has impacted the digestive process, leading to severe weight loss. According to nearby residents and wildlife lovers, the elephant is rapidly deteriorating in both health and strength.

Video credit: Manuprasad

To save the elephant, experts emphasize the need for immediate intervention. It is crucial to capture the elephant again using trained “kumki” elephants (trained elephants used to capture, calm, and herd wild elephants in India), and then transport it to a more controlled environment, such as the Kodanad Elephant Camp (Ernakulam district of Kerala), where it can receive expert care and advanced medical treatment. However, Dr. Arun Zacharia, the Forest Veterinary Surgeon, has told the media that the elephant’s current health condition does not allow for the safe use of tranquilizers to capture it.

The situation is becoming increasingly dire, and without prompt and adequate intervention, the elephant’s chances of survival are bleak. Environmentalists and wildlife organizations are urged to step in and take immediate action to prevent the unnecessary suffering and potential loss of this majestic animal.

This distressing situation calls for the urgent involvement of national environmentalists and NGOs to bring attention to the elephant’s condition and mobilize resources for its rescue and treatment. The community hopes that swift action will help prevent this tragedy and ensure the elephant receives the care it desperately needs.

Earth

Global Effort to Save Glaciers Begins

UNESCO and WMO have launched the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation to combat global melting crisis

Published

1 month ago

January 21, 2025

EP Staff

UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) officially launched the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation on January 21, 2025, marking a critical moment in the fight against the accelerating retreat of glaciers, which provide essential freshwater to over 2 billion people globally.

The year-long initiative, which was declared by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2022, aims to raise global awareness about the vital role glaciers play in the climate system and hydrological cycle. It also highlights the urgent need for action to tackle the challenges posed by the rapid melting of these “water towers” of the world.

A Call for Action on Glaciers’ Preservation

Over 275,000 glaciers worldwide, covering approximately 700,000 square kilometers, store around 70% of the planet’s freshwater. Yet, these critical resources are melting at an alarming rate due to climate change, posing significant risks to water security, ecosystems, and livelihoods.

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo emphasized the urgency of the situation in a press statement: “WMO recently confirmed that 2024 was the warmest year on record and has sounded repeated Red Alerts about the state of our climate, including the retreat of glaciers. In 2023, glaciers suffered the largest mass loss in five decades. This international year must be a wake-up call to the world.”

“In 2023, glaciers suffered the largest mass loss in five decades. This international year must be a wake-up call to the world,”Celeste Saulo,WMO Secretary-General

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay underscored the profound significance of glaciers beyond their environmental role: “The preservation of glaciers stands as one of humanity’s most urgent challenges. These ancient ice formations are not just frozen water – they are the guardians of our planet’s climate history, the source of life for billions, and sacred places for many cultures.”

Raising Awareness and Mobilizing Action

The International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation will bring together more than 75 international organizations and 35 countries, with numerous events and activities designed to educate the public and encourage policy changes. These efforts will focus on expanding global glacier monitoring systems, improving early warning systems for glacier-related hazards, and promoting sustainable water resource management in glacier-dependent regions.

Bahodur Sheralizoda, Chairman of the Committee for Environmental Protection of Tajikistan, which played a key role in the declaration of the year, expressed confidence in the initiative’s potential: “We are confident that this initiative will mobilize the global community, inspire action, and drive the policies and solutions necessary to protect these invaluable natural resources.”

The Impact of Glacier Loss

Glaciers are not only crucial for freshwater storage but also act as time capsules of Earth’s climate history. They preserve valuable records that inform scientists about past climate patterns, atmospheric composition, and even human activities. As glaciers continue to melt, these archives are lost forever.

John Pomeroy, co-chair of the Advisory Board and professor at the University of Saskatchewan, pointed out the consequences of glacier retreat: “Glaciers don’t care if we believe in science – they just melt in the heat for all to see. More than 2 billion people rely on mountain snow and ice to replenish their rivers, lakes, and groundwater. All of this is now at risk as global heating causes rapid glacier retreat.”

“The preservation of glaciers stands as one of humanity’s most urgent challenges,” Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General

The impacts of glacier loss are especially severe for communities living in regions like the Himalayas, Hindu Kush, and the Tibetan Plateau, where the headwaters of major river basins provide water to half of humanity. The immediate dangers include increased landslides, avalanches, floods, and droughts. Long-term consequences, however, could threaten the stability of entire economies and ecosystems dependent on glacier-fed waters.

Protecting Cultural Heritage

Glaciers also hold deep cultural and spiritual significance for Indigenous communities across the globe. For many in Asia, Latin America, the Pacific, and East Africa, glaciers are sacred spaces, often linked to deities and ancestral traditions. The loss of glaciers would not only disrupt local water supplies but would also erase invaluable cultural heritage, some of which is recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

A Global Call to Action

The International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation 2025 emphasizes the urgent need for global collaboration to mitigate climate change and adapt to its effects. Governments, scientific institutions, businesses, and civil society are urged to join forces in protecting these irreplaceable natural resources for future generations.

As Carolina Adler, co-chair of the Mountain Research Initiative, noted: “This year is not just a reminder of the glaciers we are losing – it is a call to action to preserve what remains and ensure that future generations inherit a world with the same vital resources we have January 21, 2025.”

The time to act is now, and the world is watching.

Earth

Environmental Challenges Take Centre Stage in an Increasingly Fractured World

Published

1 month ago

January 15, 2025

EP Staff

Credit: Pixabay

The World Economic Forum’s 20th edition of its Global Risks Report, released today, provides a sobering look at the future of our planet. With escalating geopolitical, societal, technological, and environmental crises converging, the report reveals a global landscape that is increasingly divided and fragile. While economic risks have taken a backseat this year, they remain closely intertwined with other challenges, especially those related to the environment.

Environmental Risks: Dominating the Long-Term Outlook

Environmental concerns have taken centre stage in this year’s report, with extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem collapse topping the list of risks expected to pose the greatest threats in the coming decade. The World Economic Forum’s experts surveyed noted that these environmental challenges are expected to not only increase in frequency but also in intensity.

“From conflicts to climate change, we are facing interconnected crises that demand coordinated, collective action,” said Mark Elsner, Head of the Global Risks Initiative at the World Economic Forum. This interconnectedness underscores the urgency of addressing environmental risks not just as isolated threats, but as part of a broader system of global instability.

Extreme weather events, already a top concern for both short-term and long-term risks, are becoming more prevalent, with devastating impacts on communities, economies, and ecosystems around the world. As climate patterns shift and the intensity of storms, floods, and droughts escalates, the pressure on vulnerable populations will intensify.

Beyond extreme weather, the report also highlights the increasingly dire consequences of biodiversity loss, the collapse of ecosystems, and the depletion of natural resources. These environmental degradations are not only harmful to wildlife but threaten to disrupt entire food and water systems, destabilizing nations and exacerbating existing societal tensions.

Pollution, another environmental risk, is perceived as a significant challenge, with its presence in both the short-term and long-term risk categories signaling a growing recognition of its damaging effects on human health and the planet’s ecosystems. Air, water, and land pollution, stemming from industrial processes and unchecked waste, continue to pose long-lasting threats to environmental and public health.

A Fractured Global Landscape

The report also paints a stark picture of geopolitical and societal divisions, signaling a period of intense global instability. Over half of the respondents predict instability within the next two years, fueled by rising geopolitical tensions, societal polarization, and erosion of trust in governing institutions. This instability is further exacerbated by the growing challenges posed by environmental risks.

Mirek Dušek, Managing Director at the World Economic Forum, stressed the impact of these divisions: “Rising geopolitical tensions and a fracturing of trust are driving the global risk landscape.” He added that this breakdown in global cooperation presents an urgent need for collaboration and resilience to prevent further vulnerabilities from compounding.

Environmental risks, intertwined with geopolitical and technological challenges, could trigger a cascade of negative effects, particularly as nations grapple with resource shortages and the growing costs of climate-related disasters. This “fractured” global order, marked by competition among powers, risks undermining efforts to tackle these pressing environmental threats.

The Need for Global Cooperation

The 2025 report presents an alarming vision for the future, with nearly two-thirds of experts predicting a turbulent global landscape by 2035. Many worry that the mechanisms for international collaboration will come under increasing strain as nations struggle to address escalating environmental and societal risks.

However, amid these challenges, the report offers a message of hope: the need for coordinated action. “The consequences of inaction could be felt for generations to come,” warns Elsner. In this context, leaders have an urgent responsibility to prioritize global cooperation. Effective dialogue, trust-building, and the strengthening of international relationships are crucial for fostering resilience in the face of mounting environmental threats.

While the current geopolitical landscape might be fractured, the report makes it clear that turning inward and focusing solely on national interests is not a viable solution. The complexity and interconnectedness of global risks require renewed efforts to collaborate and address the environmental challenges head-on. Only through global cooperation can the world hope to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, protect vital ecosystems, and ensure a sustainable and inclusive future for all.

A Decisive Decade

As we move deeper into the 2020s, the stakes are higher than ever. The coming decade will be a critical period for decision-making. Will leaders rise to the challenge of navigating a fractured global order, or will the world be consumed by escalating risks? The answer lies in the collective ability to foster cooperation, prioritize environmental sustainability, and rebuild trust among nations.

The Global Risks Report serves as a powerful reminder that environmental risks are not isolated challenges; they are deeply interconnected with societal, geopolitical, and economic instability. How the world responds to these pressing issues in the coming years will determine the stability and resilience of future generations.