Page 162 - CW E-Magazine (24-6-2025)

Free to Die

How to combat rising temperatures in India?

There has been an observable What’s raising CO levels?
2
change in the weather pattern in India Quite clearly, it is burning of fossil
as also rest of the world. At least for last fuels – crude oil & its fractions, coal,
ten years, we have not seen droughts lignite and natural gas. CO is also
2
in any part of the country; rains are produced by burning of farm residues,
excessive, well spread, and last longer forest fi res and to a small extent by the
(almost four months); winters are more cement, steel and alcohol fermentation
severe, with more snow in hilly regions; industries. It is also exhaled by animals
and summers have become hotter. and humans.
While it is possible to live with CO is essential to life. By combin-
2
more rains and colder weather, manag- ing CO with energy (from sunlight)
2
ing high temperatures is troublesome and water (in the atmosphere and on
for most people. There are many deaths land), plants produce fruits, vegetables,
reported each year, particularly in but in recent years it has reached fi rewood, proteins, sugars – all impor-
North India, during May and June when 440-ppm. This has led to a rise in aver- tant for life. In fact, the plant kingdom
outdoor temperatures touch 45°C. Air age global temperatures by 0.5-0.7°C. should benefi t with increasing CO
2
conditioning is not affordable to most, concentration, as crop yields could increase
and the cost of electricity has been The rising temperatures have seve- if adequate water and nutrients are
going up. ral repercussions: For one, it is lead- made available.
ing to melting of polar ice, causing sea
What could be a solution to combat levels to rise. There are fears that large
temperature rise? parts of several coastal cities could
soon be submerged.
Before we attempt to fi nd a solu-
tion, we must fi rst fi nd the root cause Cities will have to fi nd their own ways
of global warming. to stay dry, and this has been done in the
past. In several parts of the world land has
Rising carbon dioxide (CO ) levels been recovered from the sea by construc-
2
Over last several decades CO levels tion of solid dams. The Netherlands is a
2
in the atmosphere have been steadily good example, but even here in Mumbai,
rising. In the beginning of the last Nariman Point and Cuffe Parade have
century, CO levels were about 300-ppm, been reclaimed from the sea.
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162 Chemical Weekly June 24, 2025

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