Climate around climate change

Trust stakeholders — industrialists, civilians and government officials, to become alert when there is money at stake. Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce President M Saeed Shaikh has alerted the government that detrimental effects of climate change are affecting potential industry revenues via an eroding agriculture sector. He cited an example of lower cotton harvest this year compared with a few years ago. Earlier this month, the Lahore smog made headlines with its hazardous atmospheric 2.5-micron particulate matter, the most deleterious of them all. This was all owed to the effects of climate change and increased carbon and other gases in the atmosphere. It is most unfortunate, however, that many people did not draw the connection between the smoggy evenings in Lahore and the loose policies and control Pakistan has on its industrial emissions. The nexus must be recognised before we can move forward with implementing healthy policies that would restrict fossil emissions and restore Pakistan’s atmosphere.

Despite 50-plus years of science, especially noting the steep rise in global temperatures since the 1980s per NASA, it is embarrassing that politicians deny the events of climate change and call it a hoax. The situation is more daunting now with US President-elect Donald Trump soon to take office and his recently appointed climate change denier Myron Ebell for Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency team. The US is a major contributor to global emissions and recently instigated the Climate Action Plan. If it backs out now, which is in the works, global climate change efforts will be pushed back. While it is a progressive sign that Pakistan’s university agricultural departments are researching ways to scale back the effects of climate change, the US’ new stance on climate change poses a significant threat to global efforts to cut down on fossil fuels. For the sake of our future generations, the Republicans need to think logically and long-term. Likewise, Pakistan must revise its policies to facilitate greener practices by industries and invest in green technology.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2016.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.