CLIMATE CHANGE AND GLOBAL WARMING; Nigeria – how prepared are we? How will you feel if you hear that the total frequency of rainfall in some parts of Nigeria since the beginning of the rainy season amounts to barely five times? The seat of the caliphate where I reside perfectly fit into such regions. No doubt, Global Warming, Greenhouse Effect or Climate Change presently stands out to be the single biggest threat to humanity. The overwhelming majority of scientists agree that our globe is undergoing major climate change. They also agree that the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is rising significantly. We can see from satellite images and research that the ice caps are melting faster, our sea levels are rising, and weather patterns are changing. We are experiencing more water shortages and we will see hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones increasing in ferocity and frequency. The deserts will expand and the world will ultimately have difficulty growing enough food. Without doubt, we have to change the way we live. There are a few scientists who claim our earth is going about business as usual. In dealing with global warming, we should at least adopt an approach based on the precautionary principle. “The precautionary principle states that if the potential consequences of an action are severe or irreversible, in the absence of full scientific certainty the burden of proof falls on those who would advocate taking the action.” Thousands of scientists from a hundred countries are working on the scientific aspects of climate change. They are not just proving this theory to be correct, but they are also advising on what action we must take. The earth has gone through many natural climatic cycles during its long history. The scary part is we are causing changes to happen at an unbelievable rate, much faster than normal. Burning fossil fuels pours out greenhouse gases at a life-threatening rate and causing global warming. Global Warming, Greenhouse Effect, Climate Change …. they are all happening right now! The rate of climate change is now so fast we are struggling to adapt our philosophies, economics, and lifestyle to slow it down. We must alter the way we live or we will suffer staggering consequences. This is a crisis of global proportion, but please don’t despair! The preventive measure is a collective task, not one saddled on the government alone. I enjoin you to find out and understand what causes global warming and climate change, then act, do something…. You Can Make A Difference “The era of procrastination, of half measures, of soothing and baffling expedients of delay are coming to a close. In its place,we are entering a period of consequences.” - -Winston Churchill Composed and written by; Tosin Oyeniran Dept. of Physiology, U.D.U. Sokoto, Nigeria
Posted on: Sat, 22 Jun 2013 18:37:24 +0000
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