Dia said, “In simple words, the earth’s climate is getting so hot that in about a decade, temperatures would be beyond the level of warming that world leaders thought they could prevent"
Dia Mirza. Picture/Yogen Shah
Says Dia, “In simple words, the earth’s climate is getting so hot that in about a decade, temperatures would be beyond the level of warming that world leaders thought they could prevent. What chilled me most was the reminder that we really have nowhere to run. The report clearly says that climate change is human-caused and “unequivocal,” and how well we do in the future depends on what action we take today to cut carbon emissions. The world has already warmed over 1.1° C in the past century and if we don't do something now, we will cross the 1.5° C warming mark in the 2030s.”
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Even now, reminds Dia, we are seeing scorching heat waves, countries like Greece on fire, landslides, tropical cyclones and floods in India and globally and yet, we don’t seem to be working towards reducing carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. She says, “Sea levels are already rising alarmingly, ice sheets are shrinking, permafrost is thawing and extreme weather conditions are becoming increasingly frequent. We are causing harm to the planet that the report calls “irreversible for centuries to millennia." The UN Secretary-General said as well that the climate alarm bells are deafening and this report must sound a death knell for coal and fossil fuels, before they destroy our planet."
Dia believes we must collectively come together, lessen and forestall the worst impacts of climate change by adopting clean energy and reducing irresponsible human activities. As she says, "If we begin at least now, we could possibly still leave a healthy planet for our children to grow up in."
Also read: Dia Mirza: Let us just be a little more mindful and sensitive towards each other and the planet
