World Earth Day: There is no Plan - B or Planet - B

CHENNAI: Why? Next time when you waste precious water or burn fossil fuel necessarily or unnecessarily, or even keep your air-conditioners at ‘freezing’ levels, ask yourself this: why is our planet so special among the millions of other planets floating inside this endless Universe?

If Mother Earth had any consciousness of her own during her embryonic time, even she would not have been able to foretell what would become of her 4.5 billion years later. Hers is a story of turbulence and resilience. Yet, we take her for granted.

The Big Bang Theory

The story starts when an ageing distant star collapsed; thus emitting a burst of cosmic waves that heated huge clouds of space dust and gas. The burning and gravity formed a new star, which is our Sun. Remaining dust and gas collided with each other and planets of our solar system, including the earth were formed.

Mother Earth at the stage could not support life as it was a ball of molten magma. Then she cooled down but not fully. For her to support life and us, she needed her sister Theia, another planet the size of present day Mars that was formed on the same orbit as the Earth, to collide and fuse with her.

The result: We have a tilt, many seasons and a moon, all significant for life to form and sustain. The Moon slowed down the Earth’s rotation to 24 hours.

Climate of our planet has undergone drastic changes several times and created times of hot and warm climate and cold climate like the ice age. While these changes were induced by natural causes like series of volcanic eruptions, tectonic activities, boom in oxygen levels due to rapid growth of land plants and an impact of an asteroid, the present climate change crisis, which the scientists see as a harbinger for sixth mass extinction, is man-made.

On the time-scale of the Earth, Homosapiens form a minuscule time. We are one among more than 5 billion species in the earth’s history, of which 99% died out, due to 5 mass extinction events that occurred between 444 million years and 65 million years ago.

We’re feeling it

After the last mass extinction event, the Earth has been enjoying a stable climate, until the industrial age began.

According to recent studies, global average carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas, reached 419.3 parts per million (ppm). Atmospheric carbon dioxide is now 50% higher than it was before the industrial revolution. Between 8 million years ago and mid-1700, carbon dioxide concentration never crossed 300 ppm.

While estimations warn that between 200 and 2,000 species go extinct every year due to the rapid changes in the climate, humans are also starting to feel the pinch. Recent flooding events in Chennai and South TN are consequences of climate change. Rapidly warming atmosphere will make forecasting difficult for weather experts.

While carbon dioxide is the most common greenhouse gas, methane is 25% more potent in trapping heat. A study conducted by the Centre for Climate Change and Disaster Management (CCCDM), Anna University revealed that garbage dumped in Kodungaiyur and Perungudi landfills in Chennai alone emits 28,870 tonnes of methane every year.

Chennai alone accounts for 52% of the total methane being emitted by solid waste in urban local bodies across the State.

Flood, draught or sea level rise; all the disasters that directly affect humans and other organisms are because of water. A component that gave life to the planet is threatening to eradicate civilisations. Around 3.8 billion years ago, when the Earth was barren and simmering, cosmic bodies laden with water-ice molecules crashed on to the earth, thanks to Jupiter’s gravity.

For several million years, these were trapped beneath the Earth’s surface until volcanic eruptions gushed them out into the atmosphere. When the Earth began cooling off, it was followed by thousands of years of deluge. Oceans formed but left a large quantity of water trapped inside the Earth.

Aquatic pollution

Now, water in our rivers is not supporting life. A report titled Polluted River Stretches for Restoration of Water Quality, 2022, by the Central Pollution Control Board said that biological oxygen demand (BOD) in Cooum River from Avadi to Sathya Nagar in Chennai was 345 mg/litre, which is the highest value among 603 rivers in India that were assessed in the study.

Sabarmati river in Gujarat and Bahela in Uttar Pradesh are also the most polluted rivers in India with a BOD of 292 mg/litre and 287 mg/litre respectively. Vasishta in Salem has a BOD value of 230 mg/litre. Adyar river – between Tambaram and Nandanam – has a BOD value of 40 mg/litre.

Oceans and wetlands are the greatest carbon sinks, which sequester a large amount of anthropogenic carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Studies have established that the seagrass captures carbon up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests. Even though it covers only 0.2% of the seafloor, it absorbs 10% of the ocean’s carbon each year.

Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu is a prominent seagrass and coral region. The estimated value of blue carbon stored in seagrass meadows of Gulf of Mannar has been valued at $17,820 and that of Palk Bay at $43,99,682. Moreover, coral cover in the region is also fast depleting. The average coral cover in the 21 Gulf of Mannar islands in 2005 was 37% but in 2021, the average cover decreased to 27.3%.

Plummeting O2 levels

Temperature coming down, a stable atmosphere protected by a magnetic field of molten core, huge oceans, seasons ensured by tilt, a moon to regulate its speed of rotation and safe distance from burning Sun – all fell into place for Earth to sustain life.

But one thing was still amiss until around 2.5 billion years ago, when cyanobacteria capable of processing sunlight through the process of photosynthesis evolved in the oceans. These cyanobacteria released oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis and filled the earth.

As a by-product of photosynthesis, plants still release oxygen and sequester carbon dioxide. The Earth had already witnessed plummeting oxygen levels when a large number of plants died out due to extinction events.

Between 2015 and 2020, India had lost more than 6.68 lakh hectares of forest, an area 4.5 times larger than New Delhi. On the other hand, Brazil, home to Amazon rainforests – the lung of the earth – lost more than 16.95 lakh hectares of forest.

Unseasonal seasons

When the planet Theia collided with Earth, the axis of rotation of the former tilted by 23.5 degrees. This paved the way for seasons and for life. Now, seasons are becoming haphazard.

An analysis conducted by the Climate Central revealed that several Indian cities, including Madurai, are losing spring. Meaning: days between winter and summer are reducing and summer starts immediately after the end of winter.

As discourse on climate change and its impacts are increasing across the globe, the corporate world is promoting solutions that actually shift the pollution or emission from one part of the world to another. Such false solutions include biofuels, waste incineration, carbon capture, carbon credit, electric vehicles, hydrogen energy, plastic recycling and even forest management that encourages fast growing trees instead of native trees.

The actual solution – avoid the usage of energy and fossil fuels, increase non-motorised transportation to reduce emission and say no to plastics.

Over 4 billion years of Mother Earth’s history teaches us that she has been changing and evolving continuously. She has created millions of species and obliterated them without any traces. When those species went extinct, it was the doing of the planet herself and they died without knowing the reason.

Still hundreds of species are being wiped out from the face of the planet. And, we know the reason. WE are the reason. At this pace, we will kill everything on this planet and die out eventually.

Dust to molten ball; molten ball to barren land; barren land to water world; water world to full of life; full of life to barren land again perhaps. Earth has always had a Plan-B. Do we?

Gasping now, flooded by 2100s

Alarming for humans, rising temperatures are increasing the sea levels due to fast melting of polar ice and glaciers.

The Climate Action Plan for Chennai prepared by the Greater Chennai Corporation and C40 Cities and Urban Management Centre warned that 16% of the Corporation’s area will be permanently inundated in 2100s due to sea level rise induced by the climate change, with higher risk to the slum areas.

A report prepared by Chennai Breathe Campaign said that at 259.4 micrograms/cubic metre to 199.2 micrograms/cubic metre, PM2.5 levels were highest in samples taken from residential buildings in Kodungaiyur (near the dumping yard) and Manali (Petrochem Industrial Estate). Such levels are categorised as ‘Very Unhealthy’ by the US Environmental Protection Agency, which advises people with heart or lung disease, older adults and children should avoid all physical activity.

Areas in north Chennai such as Tiruvottiyur, Chinna Mathur, Kasimedu, Kuruvimedu, Minjur, Seppakkam, Parrys Corner, Vyasarpadi, Athipattu, Burma Nagar and Kattukuppam had PM 2.5 levels ranging from 69.6 to 149.2 micrograms/cubic metre. The areas showed high levels of crystalline silica, coal ash, re-suspended road dust and other particles during the study period.

While unmindful industrialisation in ecologically sensitive areas makes air unbreathable and destroys other life forms that do not have any part in the destruction process, humans, especially those who are socially and economically voiceless, are also facing the brunt.

Recently, an ammonia gas leak from a fertiliser plant in Ennore sent more than 50 people to hospitals with breathing difficulties. Worse, hundreds of fish washed ashore dead a day after the leak. Now, people are protesting with a demand for permanent closure of the fertiliser plant.

False solutions that are promoted as solutions for climate change

Electric vehicles: Even though EVs do not emit greenhouse gases, people still use electricity generated from fossil fuels to charge batteries. EVs increase generation of energy putting more stress on the environment. Also, batteries for the EVs are made of minerals like lithium and cobalt, which have an impact on climate change.

Solution: Promoting non-motorized transportation and formation of decentralised cities.

Biofuels: Biofuels are made from living-plant matter and are used to replace other transportation fuels like petroleum. Large quantities of biofuel are made from corn, but other food crops that are used to produce biofuel include sugar cane and soybeans. Biofuels are a false solution because they speed up deforestation and cause disputes whether land should be used for food or fuel crops.

Solution: Promoting non-motorised transportation and formation of decentralised cities.

Waste-to-energy: Energy from garbage is generated using the incineration process – burning waste at higher temperature. Incinerators emit toxins into the air, and have other issues such as toxic flue ash and other hazardous waste. It also violates the principles of Environmental Justice, as waste-to-energy plants are being created in localities where economically and socially weaker sections of people reside.

Solution: Segregation of waste and reducing usage of non-recyclable items

Hydrogen: Blue hydrogen emissions are 20% higher than directly burning gas or coal and 60% higher than burning diesel. Green hydrogen production requires a huge quantity of fresh water. Also, hydrogen production releases fugitive methane.

Solution: Reducing fuel dependency and non-motorised transport

Carbon offsets: Carbon offsets generate credits that can be sold to polluting industries to allow them to emit pollution over and above their allowed cap. Buying credits is cheaper or easier than actual emissions reductions. One company or entity can buy a credit from another company that has supposedly reduced emissions by a certain amount in order to meet its carbon reduction targets, without actually making any real change itself.

Solution: Stringent laws to make industries reduce emissions and making credits expensive

Carbon Capture: Carbon capture technique captures, transfers and stores carbon dioxide. Even though this technology prevents some of the carbon dioxide from going to the atmosphere, it ignores the root cause of climate change. It will increase extraction and pollution of fossil fuels.

Solution: Reducing usage of fossil fuels and increase renewable energy

Plastic upscaling: When plastic items like PET bottles are converted (upscaled) into other kinds of projects like apparels, the apparels containing plastic would end up as waste eventually. Plastic roads involve shredding of plastics, it produces micro-plastics and contaminates groundwater. Any upscaled product is still a plastic that would end in landfills after two or three upscaling cycles.

Solution: Complete ban on plastic production

Nuclear energy: Even though called ‘clean energy’, uranium mining causes contamination that could last for several hundred years. Nuclear energy plants have been known to leak or come close to meltdowns, there are radioactive traces identified in all fish species in the Pacific Ocean from the Fukushima explosion.

Solution: Reducing energy dependency and renewable power generation