These days, global affairs have rightly been focused on the issues of global warming and climate change. Researchers and advocates have finally hit home the fact that the human hand in altering the natural environment can no longer be ignored; and that if allowed continue in the same manner, could mean the end of human civilization. The seriousness of this issue has been adequately expressed by the fact that we have only 8 years from now to take stock of the situation and to promote policies and lifestyles that will seize the deteriorating global conditions.
From the principle of a shared humanity, the fight against global warming must begin within the context of very concrete local situations. For this reason, it is essential that proactive measures are taken from within the Naga context to protect and uphold the natural environmental conditions. This necessity however is greatly missed in the Naga situation. There is serious lack of awareness around the issues of global warming, so much so to the extent that it does not even exist in the public consciousness. This public indifference is of great concern and has all the makings of a very detrimental future.
Since human civilization, two environmental viewpoints defined the human understanding of nature. The first viewpoint held the belief that the natural state of universe is one of infinite stability, with an unchanging earth anchoring the predictable revolutions of the sun, moon and stars. Every new idea that challenged this viewpoint was met with fierce resistance from dogmatic religious, political and scientific schools of thought. The second viewpoint sees the natural state of universe as a stable one but holds that it has become destabilized through human actions and human conducts.
With the advancement of technology and scientific research, we now have better and more in-depth information about our environment and the consequences of global warming. Global Warming is an increase in the near surface temperature of the Earth. It is a term that refers to the warming predicted to occur as a result of increased emissions of greenhouse gases. The Global average air temperature is said to have increased about 0.6°C since the late-19th century and about another 0.2 to 0.3°C over the last 25 years; with a projected change of 1.5 - 4°C over the next century.
In common usage global warming refers to recent warming and implies a human influence in altering the patterns of our environment. It is different from the term climate change because climate change is broader and refers in the wider sense to include natural changes in climate. Climate change and global warming have occurred on Earth as the result of natural influences and in cycles throughout the history of the Earth; however, the current warming we are experiencing is the result of human-caused increases in greenhouse gases, specifically carbon dioxide.
The carbon dioxide in the atmosphere acts like a warm blanket that holds in the heat, which is called the greenhouse effect. Having some greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere is necessary for human survival as it regulates the temperature of our planet and allows us to have the right conditions for breathable air, clean water and mild weather. In fact, current life on Earth cannot be sustained without the natural greenhouse effect. The concern is not with the fact that we have a greenhouse effect, but that human activities are increasing the greenhouse effect.
It is now recorded that there is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere now than there has been in the past 650,000 years. The natural green house effect has been usurped by human-made green house effect, which is way too high, as a result of which the temperature of the Earth is increasing and creating unnatural conditions. This is leading to extreme temperatures, rises in sea levels and more destructive storms or maybe even droughts, increased temperatures that could lead to famine and rainfall which concentrated in increasingly heavy but less frequent events.
The Naga environment is already feeling the effect of global warming. The soaring temperature, the changing patterns in crop production, the depleting water resources, extreme rainfall patterns and climatic changes are some of the indicators. The accelerating destruction of the rainforests that form a precious cooling band around and the rampant slashing and burning of tropical forests are the primary causes in the Naga context. The latter cause is second only to the energy sector as a source of greenhouses gases according to the Global Canopy Programme, an alliance of leading rainforest scientists.
Nagas must overcome the myth that nature of the universe has infinite stability. We just have to look around our surroundings to know that the nature of our environment is fast deteriorating and unless we act quickly, it is the future generations that will suffer the most. The most disturbing fact in the Naga case is that we are already living the affects of global warming even when unaware of it. The changing climatic patterns are frightening and our continued ignorance will only make things more difficult and complicated.
