by Prithvi Gyawali
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/environment/global-warming-environment/way-forward-climate.html
Climate change is a major problem nations must face together. This 7 minute long video from The National Geographic website punches you right in the face when it comes to dealing with global warming and climate change. It shows the damage human beings (anthropogenic) have done to the environment till date; the causes of these damages and also sheds light on what is currently being done to mitigate climate change issues and shows a way forward on how to tackle climate change. This video summarizes all that we’ve learnt in the lessons into a visual educational tool that can be used to demonstrate the catastrophic consequences of climate change.
As shown in the video, the way forward is fairly clear, but the magnitude of this challenge is far greater than any other issue on the horizon. At this point, the scientific evidence on climate change is unequivocal. If we don’t take strong action, the consequences could be catastrophic for everyone. Climate change makes clear there are no national borders marked in the planet’s atmosphere.
From a socio-political standpoint (as the video shows), climate change disproportionately affects poor countries and poor people. The challenge of climate change will either move the world forward toward a more sustainable future, or drive a wedge between rich and poor and usher in generations of troubled global relations. To avoid the worst outcomes, adaptation – or adjustments that moderate harms – is critically important. The effects of climate change will be felt most in the lower latitudes, where the poorest countries are concentrated and where many people lack resources to see them through emergencies and hard times. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, by virtue of their size, population, and degree of poverty, may be ‘ground zero’ in a warming world, forced to deal with rises in sea level, desertification, and the resulting displacements of populations.
This video also brings to light that facing the climate change challenge must include adaptation to address the inevitable, and mitigation to prevent the unavoidable. Building country ownership, capacity and awareness, is the key to tackling the climate change problems. Creating awareness, especially in the poor countries, with their traditional beliefs & attitude, is vital to dealing with climate change issues
Lastly, I feel that this video is a very well made documentary that acts as an educational (or awareness creation) tool to impart information and knowledge to all strata of the society; rural & urban populations, students, academicians, politicians, etc., and an effective medium for climate change activists.