On November 1, leaders from around the world will gather at Glasgow for the biggest climate summit ever and the stakes could not be higher.&nbsp;Here’s a really simple guide about everything you need to know about the climate crisis.&nbsp;

1. What is climate change?

Climate is the weather of a certain area over a long period of time. But when it starts changing over time, it’s called climate change. This could be a difference in how much rain a place usually gets. Or the region could become drier. Storms can become more frequent and deadlier.&nbsp;

Climate Change is also a change in Earth’s climate: a change in its temperature. While weather can change in a matter of hours, climate takes hundreds or even millions of years to change.&nbsp;

2. Is the world getting warmer?

Yes. Scientists say the world is now 1.2 degrees Celcius warmer that it was in the 19th century. And we humans are to blame for it. This rise in the planet’s temperature is due to human activity of using oil, gas and coal for various purposes.&nbsp;Collectively, they are called fossil fuels. And when they burn, they release greenhouse gases (GHG), mainly carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. These gases trap the sun’s heat inside the earth’s atmosphere, causing the temperature of the planet to rise.&nbsp;

3. Why is this dangerous?

As Earth gets hotter and hotter, it affects your regular weather programming. So the world will experience more extreme climate events. Here are a few examples:&nbsp;

<ol>
	<li>longer, hotter heatwaves&nbsp;</li>
	<li>More persistent droughts&nbsp;</li>
	<li>More wildfires&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Extreme rainfall events like flooding, storms&nbsp;</li>
</ol>

A hotter planet will also lead to rising sea levels due to melting ice. Rising sea level threatens to put island nations, coastal cities under water, displacing millions of people. Animals will find it harder to get food and water where they live. Scientists believe at least 550 species could be lost this century if action is not taken.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

4. What needs to be done?

We need to slow down the increase of our planet’s temperature. Preferably to 1.5 C by the year 2100. Think of the planet as coming down with a fever. The hotter it gets, the worse it is.&nbsp;

5. What is COP26? And how is it relevant?&nbsp;

COP26 stands for the Conference Of the Parties. It’s the annual conference of 197 countries who are part of the UN convention on Climate Change.&nbsp;This time, world leaders are coming together in Glasgow to bring out a more concrete plan to limit global warming, working on promises and goals set out in 2015, in what is known as the&nbsp;Paris Agreement.&nbsp;

The likely targets will be to agree on a plan to limit the rise in temperature to 1.5 C, new goals from countries to reduce carbon emissions by 2030, and $100 billion to be given to poorer nations to fight climate change.

6. What is the Paris Agreement?&nbsp;

The 2015 Paris Agreement was a landmark moment because it was there for the first time that almost all the world’s countries agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

It was agreed that efforts would be undertaken to limit global temperatures rise to 1.5 C and a promise to achieve&nbsp;net zero emissions&nbsp;between 2050 - 2100. Each country had to set their own emission-reduction targets and review it every five years.&nbsp;

7. Have countries acted on their pledges?

There remains a substantial gap between what governments have promised to do, and the actions they have taken.&nbsp;

The US, the world’s biggest polluter, has promised to cut emissions of GHG by 50 -52% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. China and Saudi Arabia have set targets to be carbon-neutral by 2060, but experts say this is meaningless unless action is taken now.&nbsp;

So far only Canada, Denmark, the EU, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, and the UK have signed net-zero commitments into law.&nbsp;

India, the world’s third biggest emitter of GHG after China, has declined from announcing a net zero target. In 2015, India committed to cutting the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33%-35% by 2030 from 2005 levels.

Only 2 countries, Suriname and Bhutan, have already achieved net zero emissions.

In all, over 120 countries have set some form of net-zero targets.&nbsp;

8. A brief segue: What is a net zero emissions target?

Think of it as a scale. On one hand, we have greenhouse gases that are not good for the planet and we have natural process (trees) which can offset them. So there needs to be a balance between GHG emissions produced and GHG taken out of the atmosphere.&nbsp;

’Net zero emissions’ means not producing more greenhouse gases than the environment can offset. But once we stop emitting GHG from fossil fuels, we still need to deal with the emissions that we have already put in the atmosphere over the years. The world has decades of past harm to repair.&nbsp;

9. What is the solution?

First, forget the existence of fossil fuels. The International Energy Agency says that there can be no new coal, oil or gas projects if the world wants to meet their net zero emission targets by 2050.

Fossil fuels are the largest source of GHG emissions.

Shifting to renewable energy is key. Solar, wind and renewable hydrogen do not emit GHG and it is clean, reliable and will become affordable with time. Read about what more you can personally do to combat climate change&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/fighting-climate-change-what-can-you-do-to-help-423750">here</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/fighting-climate-change-what-can-you-do-to-help-423750">.</a>

10. Is it too late?

It is still possible to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. But it will require rapid, far- reaching transformations across every sector- from power, architecture, transport and agriculture. A target is only as good as the policies undermining it.&nbsp;

After decades of governments dragging their feet on tackling climate change, they have found themselves with a crisis that they cannot put off any longer. And with scientists waving red flags in our faces, it is time for governments to act.&nbsp;

On November 1, leaders from around the world will gather at Glasgow for the biggest climate summit ever and the stakes could not be higher. Here’s a really simple guide about everything you need to know about the climate crisis.

On November 1, leaders from around the world will gather at Glasgow for the biggest climate summit ever and the stakes could not be higher. Here’s a really simple guide about everything you need to know about the climate crisis. 1. What is climate change? Climate is the weather of a certain area over a long period of time. But when it starts changing over time, it’s called climate change. This could be a difference in how much rain a place usually gets. Or the region could become drier. Storms can become more frequent and deadlier. Climate Change is also a change in Earth’s climate: a change in its temperature. While weather can change in a matter of hours, climate takes hundreds or even millions of years to change. 2. Is the world getting warmer? Yes. Scientists say the world is now 1.2 degrees Celcius warmer that it was in the 19th century. And we humans are to blame for it. This rise in the planet’s temperature is due to human activity of using oil, gas and coal for various purposes. Collectively, they are called fossil fuels. And when they burn, they release greenhouse gases (GHG), mainly carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. These gases trap the sun’s heat inside the earth’s atmosphere, causing the temperature of the planet to rise. 3. Why is this dangerous? As Earth gets hotter and hotter, it affects your regular weather programming. So the world will experience more extreme climate events. Here are a few examples: longer, hotter heatwaves More persistent droughts More wildfires Extreme rainfall events like flooding, storms A hotter planet will also lead to rising sea levels due to melting ice. Rising sea level threatens to put island nations, coastal cities under water, displacing millions of people. Animals will find it harder to get food and water where they live. Scientists believe at least 550 species could be lost this century if action is not taken. 4. What needs to be done? We need to slow down the increase of our planet’s temperature. Preferably to 1.5 C by the year 2100. Think of the planet as coming down with a fever. The hotter it gets, the worse it is. 5. What is COP26? And how is it relevant? COP26 stands for the Conference Of the Parties. It’s the annual conference of 197 countries who are part of the UN convention on Climate Change. This time, world leaders are coming together in Glasgow to bring out a more concrete plan to limit global warming, working on promises and goals set out in 2015, in what is known as the Paris Agreement. The likely targets will be to agree on a plan to limit the rise in temperature to 1.5 C, new goals from countries to reduce carbon emissions by 2030, and $100 billion to be given to poorer nations to fight climate change. 6. What is the Paris Agreement? The 2015 Paris Agreement was a landmark moment because it was there for the first time that almost all the world’s countries agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions. It was agreed that efforts would be undertaken to limit global temperatures rise to 1.5 C and a promise to achieve net zero emissions between 2050 - 2100. Each country had to set their own emission-reduction targets and review it every five years. 7. Have countries acted on their pledges? There remains a substantial gap between what governments have promised to do, and the actions they have taken. The US, the world’s biggest polluter, has promised to cut emissions of GHG by 50 -52% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. China and Saudi Arabia have set targets to be carbon-neutral by 2060, but experts say this is meaningless unless action is taken now. So far only Canada, Denmark, the EU, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, and the UK have signed net-zero commitments into law. India, the world’s third biggest emitter of GHG after China, has declined from announcing a net zero target. In 2015, India committed to cutting the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33%-35% by 2030 from 2005 levels. Only 2 countries, Suriname and Bhutan, have already achieved net zero emissions. In all, over 120 countries have set some form of net-zero targets. 8. A brief segue: What is a net zero emissions target? Think of it as a scale. On one hand, we have greenhouse gases that are not good for the planet and we have natural process (trees) which can offset them. So there needs to be a balance between GHG emissions produced and GHG taken out of the atmosphere. ’Net zero emissions’ means not producing more greenhouse gases than the environment can offset. But once we stop emitting GHG from fossil fuels, we still need to deal with the emissions that we have already put in the atmosphere over the years. The world has decades of past harm to repair. 9. What is the solution? First, forget the existence of fossil fuels. The International Energy Agency says that there can be no new coal, oil or gas projects if the world wants to meet their net zero emission targets by 2050. Fossil fuels are the largest source of GHG emissions. Shifting to renewable energy is key. Solar, wind and renewable hydrogen do not emit GHG and it is clean, reliable and will become affordable with time. Read about what more you can personally do to combat climate change here. 10. Is it too late? It is still possible to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. But it will require rapid, far- reaching transformations across every sector- from power, architecture, transport and agriculture. A target is only as good as the policies undermining it. After decades of governments dragging their feet on tackling climate change, they have found themselves with a crisis that they cannot put off any longer. And with scientists waving red flags in our faces, it is time for governments to act.

Ahead of COP26, here are 10 questions to understand climate change

Effects of climate change and global warming are well known. But its often seen that international community does not swing into action unless there is a visible sign of environmental destruction.&nbsp;

Maasai Mara, the great national reserve in Kenya is in focus due to effects climate change is having on it. The migration of wildebeests is something researchers from all over the world look forward to.

But this time, decrease in rainfall has resulted in ground being drier. This has resulted in drastic decrease in the number of wildebeests.

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&nbsp;

Decrease in wildebeest population has effect on local food chains and food webs. The herbivore wildebeests are food of predators like lions and hyenas.

"They play a very important role in Maasai Mara," said Sitoti Silantoi of Mara Predator Conservation Project.

"If you cut down this main source of food, then basically the predators won't make it, especially lions and hyenas," he added.

Lack of water is also proving to be a challenge for all animals. The conditions are less than optimal.

Animals wandering and seeking other water sources poses risks of its own. When animals wander off-reserve, there are more chances of them coming in contact with humans. This increases chances of animal-human conflict in which the animal may end up getting killed.

Effects of climate change and global warming are well known. But its often seen that international community does not swing into action unless there is a visible sign of environmental destruction.

Effects of climate change and global warming are well known. But its often seen that international community does not swing into action unless there is a visible sign of environmental destruction. Maasai Mara, the great national reserve in Kenya is in focus due to effects climate change is having on it. The migration of wildebeests is something researchers from all over the world look forward to. But this time, decrease in rainfall has resulted in ground being drier. This has resulted in drastic decrease in the number of wildebeests. × Decrease in wildebeest population has effect on local food chains and food webs. The herbivore wildebeests are food of predators like lions and hyenas. "They play a very important role in Maasai Mara," said Sitoti Silantoi of Mara Predator Conservation Project. "If you cut down this main source of food, then basically the predators won't make it, especially lions and hyenas," he added. Lack of water is also proving to be a challenge for all animals. The conditions are less than optimal. Animals wandering and seeking other water sources poses risks of its own. When animals wander off-reserve, there are more chances of them coming in contact with humans. This increases chances of animal-human conflict in which the animal may end up getting killed.

Climate change affects Maasai Mara reserve in Kenya

The world is getting hotter by the day and it is all our fault. If left unchecked, climate change is going to threaten every aspect of our lives.&nbsp; 
 
The current aim is to control temperature rise within 1.5 degree celsius. But the world is already about 1.2 C warmer than it was at the end of the 19th century. Its effects are already being felt across the world.&nbsp; 
 
This year alone, countries in Europe, the US and India have all recorded extreme rainfall, leading to heavy flooding and loss of lives.&nbsp; 
 
Countries in West Asia, Africa and North America have experienced extreme heatwaves.&nbsp;

There were 47,057 wildfires in the United States from January 2021 to October this year.&nbsp; 
 
But the good news is that the world is finally paying attention. Countries around the world are taking steps to cut carbon emissions, with the likes of the European Union and China aiming to reach net zero emissions by the middle of this century.&nbsp; 
 
But while governments are responsible for taking steps to implement environment friendly policy, you and I also have the power to implement changes in our daily lives that, in the long run, will help.&nbsp;

Here are the things that we can do: 
 
Shop wisely&nbsp; 
 
Before you even step out to shop, make sure you have a reusable shopping bag, made from natural material like jute. Always choose reusable over single use. This way, not only will you have less trash to deal with, but so will the environment.&nbsp; 
 
Avoid using plastic as much as possible. This includes your plastic bags, bottles, cups, straws, plates, fruit and vegetable packaging. It is a difficult material to decompose, so it sticks around the environment for ages, harming wildlife and marine life in the process.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="bottles" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3e837112-ca1c-45fb-86fd-77c8452f42bb" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%283%29_121.jpg" /> 
 
Employees sort bottles in a plastic recycling factory near Nairobi, Kenya. (Reuters Photo) 
 
Shopping second hand is another way to help out. It takes 700 gallons of water to grow enough cotton to make just one plain T-shirt. Choose to shop at a thrift or vintage shop. Repurpose old cloths. This also applies to other consumer goods like toys, shoes, appliances, furniture, cars and more. Upcycling is a great way to turn trash to treasure.&nbsp; 
 
Watch what you eat&nbsp; 
 
Food production is a major driver of wildlife extinction. It is also a major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions and is responsible for 60% of biodiversity loss. Farming animals for meat and dairy requires large quantities of water and feed. Producing meat also creates more carbon dioxide than vegetables, grains and legumes. Shifting to a plant-based diet will not only help the environment but also your food expenditure.&nbsp; 
Travel responsibly&nbsp; 
 
One of the most efficient ways of lowering your impact on the environment is to reduce carbon footprint caused by travel. Walk, cycle or use the public transport whenever you need to travel anywhere. Take fewer flights. Shift to using an electric car if possible.&nbsp;

Conserve natural resources

We are taught in school that the earth has limited natural resources. Recycling goes a long way in reducing waste that could end up in a landfill. Conserve water and electricity. Use energy efficient bulbs, insulate your home better, buy energy star- certified appliances if you need to upgrade your appliances. You can use your purchasing power for good. What better way to use your hard-earned money than to protect the planet?&nbsp;

Use your voice&nbsp;

It is up to our generation to save our planet. Speaking up is one of the most powerful things you can do. Not only to politicians, brands and businesses but also to people around you who might not know better. Use your voice not only to advocate, but also to educate. Social media is an effective way to amplify your message and reach a wider audience. Even creating awareness in your own family and friends can lead to positive outcomes.&nbsp;

Now it may not be possible for one individual to do all the things listed. A lot of it also depends on socio-economic factors and the country you live in. But I hope you'll agree &nbsp;that doing even a little goes a long way if everyone does it.&nbsp;

The world is getting hotter by the day and it is all our fault. If left unchecked, climate change is going to threaten every aspect of our lives. The current aim is to control temperature rise within 1.

The world is getting hotter by the day and it is all our fault. If left unchecked, climate change is going to threaten every aspect of our lives. The current aim is to control temperature rise within 1.5 degree celsius. But the world is already about 1.2 C warmer than it was at the end of the 19th century. Its effects are already being felt across the world. This year alone, countries in Europe, the US and India have all recorded extreme rainfall, leading to heavy flooding and loss of lives. Countries in West Asia, Africa and North America have experienced extreme heatwaves. There were 47,057 wildfires in the United States from January 2021 to October this year. But the good news is that the world is finally paying attention. Countries around the world are taking steps to cut carbon emissions, with the likes of the European Union and China aiming to reach net zero emissions by the middle of this century. But while governments are responsible for taking steps to implement environment friendly policy, you and I also have the power to implement changes in our daily lives that, in the long run, will help. Here are the things that we can do: Shop wisely Before you even step out to shop, make sure you have a reusable shopping bag, made from natural material like jute. Always choose reusable over single use. This way, not only will you have less trash to deal with, but so will the environment. Avoid using plastic as much as possible. This includes your plastic bags, bottles, cups, straws, plates, fruit and vegetable packaging. It is a difficult material to decompose, so it sticks around the environment for ages, harming wildlife and marine life in the process. Employees sort bottles in a plastic recycling factory near Nairobi, Kenya. (Reuters Photo) Shopping second hand is another way to help out. It takes 700 gallons of water to grow enough cotton to make just one plain T-shirt. Choose to shop at a thrift or vintage shop. Repurpose old cloths. This also applies to other consumer goods like toys, shoes, appliances, furniture, cars and more. Upcycling is a great way to turn trash to treasure. Watch what you eat Food production is a major driver of wildlife extinction. It is also a major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions and is responsible for 60% of biodiversity loss. Farming animals for meat and dairy requires large quantities of water and feed. Producing meat also creates more carbon dioxide than vegetables, grains and legumes. Shifting to a plant-based diet will not only help the environment but also your food expenditure. Travel responsibly One of the most efficient ways of lowering your impact on the environment is to reduce carbon footprint caused by travel. Walk, cycle or use the public transport whenever you need to travel anywhere. Take fewer flights. Shift to using an electric car if possible. Conserve natural resources We are taught in school that the earth has limited natural resources. Recycling goes a long way in reducing waste that could end up in a landfill. Conserve water and electricity. Use energy efficient bulbs, insulate your home better, buy energy star- certified appliances if you need to upgrade your appliances. You can use your purchasing power for good. What better way to use your hard-earned money than to protect the planet? Use your voice It is up to our generation to save our planet. Speaking up is one of the most powerful things you can do. Not only to politicians, brands and businesses but also to people around you who might not know better. Use your voice not only to advocate, but also to educate. Social media is an effective way to amplify your message and reach a wider audience. Even creating awareness in your own family and friends can lead to positive outcomes. Now it may not be possible for one individual to do all the things listed. A lot of it also depends on socio-economic factors and the country you live in. But I hope you'll agree that doing even a little goes a long way if everyone does it.

Fighting climate change. What can you do to help?

Author

Zee News Rajasthan

Editor

Aaheli Datta

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