By Naika Gooneratne
Climate change is a term that has been getting more famous by the day. It refers to the global increase in average climatic conditions such as temperature. We may have noticed that when we were smaller, we could go outside and bear the heat. But nowadays, one second outside equals a sunburn and excessive sweating.
One major giveaway of climate change is the rise of ocean levels, which results in the sea invading the beach. The reason could be mystical in a sense. Due to a global increase in temperature, polar ice caps have begun to melt. These polar ice caps are the massive sheets of ice in places such as Antarctica or the Arctic. An estimated 2% of the 3% of freshwater found on Earth is found in these ice caps and glaciers. These percentages show us how much water can be added to the oceans.
The risk of ocean levels rising is that it results in islands being submerged, which is a scary outcome. This is why some Sri Lanka coastlines have walls composed of hard rock. They are used to combat the rising water levels. Another group of people it affects are the fisherman who build their fishing villages along the coast and dock their boats along it as well. Rising water levels result in them having to relocate.
While increased temperatures result in the melting of polar ice caps, it also results in other natural phenomena that affect human activity. Drought is a common result of climate change. This is as a result of an area not receiving rainfall for a long period of time. Both plant and animal life are affected while the soil becomes dry and cracked. As a result, human activities such as agriculture are also affected by the lack of water and infertility of the soil.
Furthermore, another result of climate change we may have noticed is the change in rainfall patterns. Sri Lanka receives rainfall in a rhythmic manner during certain periods of time. This includes the arrival of the Southwest Monsoon and the North-east Monsoon which visits Sri Lanka from May to September and December to February, respectively. However, the times they visit Sri Lanka may change as a result of climate change. This would mainly affect farmers as they depend on the timing of the rain in order to plant and harvest paddy.
In general, we get an idea of how climate change has a negative impact on our lives. Even if it doesn’t seem to affect us directly, one day the negative effects of climate change could very well end up at our doorstep. For all we know, the rate at which the polar ice caps are melting, the person who’d knock on our door could be the ocean itself.
As children, we still hold the ability to prevent the effects of climate change. Here are some cool tips on how, even as children, we could reduce the effects of climate change:
- Walk or ride your bike instead of travelling in a car everywhere
- Buy reusable grocery bags
- Buy the product that uses less packaging material
- Recycle everything you can