Increase in global warming is due to us - we need to be the change
It has been so hot lately, right? India stands on fifth rank in contributing to global warming, which is nothing new, but have we ever focused on why we are going up above the stars in the stats of global warming? We have a great focus on issues like health care services, education policies, infrastructure, and privatization - though they too are important, global warming is also an equally critical matter.
Do you think that we are responsible for the increase in global warming? According to me, yes, we are; the vehicles we drive, the AC’s we use 24/7, the televisions, all of these cause global warming. But have we stopped using them? You might not know it, but even your small gaming consoles cause global warming too. Yes, you’ve heard it right, even your small gaming consoles contribute to a great issue like global warming. Well, let me explain - even when your consoles are not operating, they are using substantial energy. Manufacturing gaming consoles and their components includes rare earth minerals, while online gaming also relies on data centres, which consume large amounts of energy to power, servers and network infrastructure. It’s not only this - Microsoft estimates that an average gamer with a high-performance device emits 72 kilograms of carbon dioxide annually. Shocked?! It is not a big deal for a gamer to use a gaming console the whole day, but it is a big deal for our planet earth.
We all need to understand that we are contributing to global warming. Even after knowing all the cons of using AC’s, gaming consoles, power consuming bulbs, televisions, plastic, we still use them, and without any hesitation. Of course we cannot just stop using everything, but at least we can reduce their use to lower energy consumption and the release of harmful gases into the environment.
Let me give one more example; we know that plastic bags are banned by the government, but have we stopped using them? Whenever we bring vegetables home from the market, the shopkeeper hands us a plastic bag, and we think, ‘what could be so harmful in a small plastic bag, everybody uses it?’ But do you know that even those small bags can not only harm the environment, but can also harm us? Chemicals present in plastic can disrupt hormones, impact reproductive and immune systems, and potentially cause cancer . The production of plastic involves the use of fossil fuels and the release of harmful chemicals into the environment. But why should we care, when everyone uses them?
Even change in one person can bring change to thousands of people; change in one might give a light to others. We are the ones who have created this earth, and also, we are the one who can change this. “Be the change you want to see in the world.” We all must have heard this quote, but have we ever considered being the change? I highly doubt it. So stop for a second and look within yourself and figure out what YOU can do about this issue, the issue that is caused due to no one but us.
Written by Saiyam Thakur
Writer
Saiyam is a 10th grader from India wanting to study commerce further and yearns for a career in journalism. She loves to take part in writing competitions, MUNs and literature related activities.
In her free time she studies, reads, designs on Canva, and watches something romantic or funny to chill out.