Radical Change in People’s Attitude, Lifestyle Needed to Avert Climate Change
April 11, 2015
LA TRINIDAD – Unless there is a radical change in people’s attitude and lifestyle, the world will continue to experience warming of the climate system.
This is according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Meteorologist Danny Galaty, who served as speaker in a Kalikasan Camp of Benguet State University – National Service Training Program students held last March 28-29.
Recent studies show that global warming since the mid-20th century is most likely due to human activities. It is largely caused by excessive emission of gases in the atmosphere, said Galaty.
The excessive gases emitted increased volume of greenhouse gas concentrations that deplete the ozone layer causing global warming. The three main gas sources released due to human activities are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, he explained.
Carbon dioxide emission attributed to fossil fuel burning, so far the largest contributor to climate change, is expected to increase in the future according to a study prepared for the Pew Center on Global Climate Change by John M. Reilly et al of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Methane gas comes from burning of plastics, natural gas and petroleum system, coal mining and landfill while nitrous oxide emission is from agriculture and livestock. Other contributors are gases emitted from industries such as fluorinated gases which when taken together with the already banned chlorofluorocarbons found in refrigerants is roughly equivalent to that of carbon dioxide, the study shows.
Galaty stressed that climate change is happening as evidenced by the decrease of ice glaciers. The original area is almost the size of the United States of America but a quarter of its size already melted, he added.
Its impact is sea level rise which is dangerous as it causes flooding. Moreover, climate change has increasing risks such as strong winds, coastal marine hazards, tropical cyclones, heavy rainfall and heat waves. according to Galaty.
It also has a great impact on agriculture and food security, health, marine life, among others. Drought and reduced typhoon occurrences will also be experienced, he said./JDP/SCA-PIA CAR, Benguet
