Hunger Ahead - The Warning Signals

The bio ethanol debate is important, food or fuel?

Earth, its various climates, the varied flora and fauna, the biodiversity and even human existence depend on nature for their very existence. The various seasons play a crucial role in not only the way we live our lives, but also on how we live and what we eat. The bad news is: with world’s average temperatures increasing, seasons are shifting their pace and becoming increasingly moody.

The world hunger map that shows how we will cope with man made disasters.

A World Bank Report published late last year says that with an expected increase of 2°C in the world’s average temperatures, India’s summer monsoons are set to become highly unpredictable. It is worth mentioning here that the Indian economy is linked to the monsoons. This is not only because of the harvest of food crops in the country but since a significant part of India’s power generation is hydro-electric. 

Now theres a stream, global warming will lead to dry rivers as well as flash floods.

If the monsoons become unpredictable, the crop harvests will be adversely impacted, thus having a negative impact on the country’s economy. 
Released in November 2013, “Turn Down the Heat: Climate Extremes, Regional Impacts and the Case of Resilience”, explores the likely impacts of natural temperatures warming by 2 to 4 degrees on agricultural production, water resources, coastal ecosystems and habitats across South-Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia. The report goes on to conclude that if countries did not take immediate action, the world would warm by 4 degrees above pre-industrial levels. 

Low or no monsoons can wipe out economic gains, as the poor are hit the hardest.

Cut to 2040, and India might see a significant reduction in crop yields because of extreme heat. With groundwater levels already at a critical level, there will be reduced water availability due to changes in precipitation levels and falling groundwater tables. With water for agricultural production decreasing in river basins of rivers such as Indus, Ganga and the Brahmaputra, food adequacy for more than 63 million people may be impacted. 

Will we be responsible for killing our siblings?

According to the report, the possible impacts of rising temperatures may mean:
1.    An extreme wet monsoon that has a chance of occurring only once in 100 years is projected to occur every 10 years by the end of the century. 

2.    An extreme wet monsoon that currently has a change of occurring only once in 100 years is projected to occur every 10 years by the end of the century.
3.    Kolkata and Mumbai are “potential impact hotspots” threatened by extreme river floods, more intense tropical cyclones, rising sea levels and very high temperatures. 
4.    Significant reduction in crop yields predicted. Some 63 million people may no longer be able to meet their calorific demand.
5.    Decreasing food availability can also lead to significant health problems.
6.    Substantial reduction in the flow of the Indus and Brahmaputra in late spring and summer.
“The future that scientists have envisioned in this report reinforces the fact that climate change hits the poor the hardest and that it could roll back decades of development gains in India. In order to minimise the impacts of a changing climate, we need to ensure that our cities become climate resilient, that we develop climate-smart agriculture practices, and find innovative ways to improve both energy efficiency and the performance of renewable energies,” said Onno Rohl, Country Director, World Bank, India. 

The worst hit are children and women. Climate change disasters need to be addressed.

The report, prepared for the World Bank by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research and Climate Analytics and peer reviewed by 25 scientists worldwide, says the consequences for South Asia of a warming climate are even worse if global temperatures increased by an average of 4 degrees by 2090.

So what will it be, for you? Fretting about it, ignoring the signs or taking action? 
Planting fruit trees in India to fight hunger, poverty and climate change.

How can you help keep the air clean in this fight against global warming?

Plant a tree?  How will planting trees help? 

The simplest way to combat climate change is to plant trees: Trees breathe in Carbon Di Oxide and through the process of photo-synthesis create food for themselves and breathe out Oxygen.  Carbon Di Oxide is one of the main causes of global warming. CO2 and other Green House Gases blanket the earth's atmosphere and trap heat.  This leads to warming of the earth's atmosphere as the trapped heat is prevented from escaping. 
  • In memory of a loved one..
  • To mitigate our individual carbon footprint.
  • As part of our corporate social responsibility.
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So what are you waiting for? Plant a tree today.

