Planet Love

My name is Madiha Javed. I study in 6H, and I am currently the Primary Student Head of Cultural Awareness. A passionate environmentalist, I volunteer my time taking care of the environment. I am also an enthusiastic reader, and the founder and organizer of a free library. I am extremely delighted to introduce my new column in WIN Times. I will be writing about environmental issues. I hope you will explore more in my upcoming column.

Our world is now in jeopardy. The environment has been profoundly impacted by humans both directly and indirectly. With the rise in pollution levels and depletion of the ozone layer, environmental protection is now a chief agenda of nations which has to be addressed immediately. One of the most significant environmental issues of today is global warming. Global warming refers to the increase in the average temperature of the earth’s surface during the last century. The sign of global warming is already visible with many natural phenomena happening around globally, affecting each living organism. Excessive greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide produced by human activities are the main culprits behind global warming. Deforestation, the use of coal, oil, and gas, burning of fossil fuels, energy consumption, all lead to production of greenhouse gases and thereby contribute to global warming. Since the pre-industrial period, human activities are estimated to have increased Earth’s global average temperature by about 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit), a number that is currently increasing by more than 0.2 degrees Celsius (0.36 degrees Fahrenheit) per decade. Global warming results in more severe storms, increased drought, warming, rising oceans, loss of species, not enough food, more health risk, poverty, and displacement. We have to take responsibility for our choices and actions. Be it turning off the lights in the room, not wasting food, planting a tree or going paperless – every action will have a positive impact on the planet.