How India is Facing Global Warming Slower than the Rest of the World

We all know that global warming is a pressing concern. Unusual weather patterns, loss of biodiversity, food shortages, and an overall hotter climate are but some of the many impacts global warming has on us.

Global warming is caused by a lot of human activities such as deforestation. But one interesting thing is that pollution, one of the main harbingers of global warming, is at the same time, causing India to face it slower.

India’s average surface temperature has increased, but compared to the rest of the world, it has warmed more slowly . This is due to aerosol cooling. Aerosols are generated due to pollution, and these aerosols scatter sunlight and reduce solar surface radiation. Basically, they act as a reflective shield for the atmosphere above South Asia. However, removing these aerosols would ‘demask’ warming and accelerate temperature rise.

Image credit: www.science.org

Another factor is the excessive agriculture in the Indo-Gangetic plain. Due to the plain’s fertility, the land is mainly used for agriculture. This has led to large-scale irrigation, and this, in turn, increases evapotranspiration, again acting like a sort of cooling blanket over the plains.

This may seem like a good thing, but in the long term, it is actually bad. Aerosols are not good for our respiratory systems, causing diseases that range from tuberculosis to cancer . India’s shift towards cleaner energy in the future will lead to the amount of aerosols in the atmosphere decreasing, eventually forcing us to face a hotter climate.

This reality may seem very scary, but not all hope is lost. We can all do our part for the world and ensure that global warming won’t be the reason it ends. Individual efforts play a huge role. Some things you can do are: try to go carbon neutral — it can be difficult, but ensuring that you leave a zero carbon footprint by using only clean energy, making sustainable food choices, and reducing waste, especially plastic, can really help. You can also advocate for systemic changes in the government to ensure that the country reaches the goal of a net-zero carbon footprint.

Here at DLRC, we also do our part to live sustainably. We have a biogas plant, a vermicompost pit, a rainwater harvesting system and compost toilets. We also pride ourselves in being a trash-free zone.

Our Environmental Management (EVM) facilitator, Mr Prathamesh Pawar, said, ‘"India seems to have warmed slower than the rest of the world, but the average temperature rise may not give us the full picture. Averages don't tell us the extremities. India is experiencing more frequent heatwaves and cold waves, droughts and floods. Although the average seems to be creeping up slowly, these extremes are already impacting us badly."

In the end, all of us can do our part — big or small — to help our planet breathe a little better.

By Avani Singh, Grade 11