Climate change threatens human life

How are climate change affecting human life? . Dr. Nguyen Huu Ninh, Center for Research, Education and Environment Development under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations answered The most frequently asked questions related to global climate change.

- Recently, there has been a great increase in floods and storms in the Central and the South, what is the issue related to climate change?

- One thing is for sure, the issue of flood and storm is related to climate change. In the past few decades, climate change has happened and has affected many natural factors and phenomena.

This year is the active year of Lanina phenomenon, according to scientific studies that have evaluated in the years of Lanina phenomenon storm problems, flooding in Vietnam is higher than normal. Similarly, in 1999 there was Lanina phenomenon, activity of typhoons and floods in Vietnam was always more.

About TS. Nguyen Huu Ninh

Born in 1954 in Hanoi.1971 - 1977, studying in Hungary.After that, I worked at Hanoi University.1982 - 1986: PhD student in Hungary and a master's degree in biology.1986: Returning to the General University and starting research on climate change and global environment.During the study, he collaborated with scientists from dozens of countries around the world.In 1991, he founded the Center for Research, Education and Environment Development under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations.

Biological doctor Nguyen Huu Ninh is one of the six major authors of Chapter 10 (Asia) under the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - IPCC).The other five are: Yurij Anokhin (Russia), Batima Punsalmaa (Mongolia), Yasushi Honda (Japan), Mostafa Jafari (Iran) and Congxian Li (China).(See: http://www.ipcc-wg2.org)

This issue is related to extreme weather events and certainly related to climate change. Climate change makes the frequency and intensity of climatic extremes greatly increase. The nature of climate change causes a lot of problems, which makes climate extremes increase. It can be said that it is one of the important factors, the main impact factor.

- In recent years, newspapers often refer to "climate change" . So, what is climate change?

- First, what is the climate? Climate is the average level of weather in a certain period of time and space. In the past 1,000 years, the surface temperature of the Earth has increased, decreased insignificantly and can be said to be stable.

However, in the past 200 years, especially in the last few decades when industrialization and development, humanity began mining coal, oil, using fossil fuels . Together With industrial activity increasing, humankind began to emit into the atmosphere an amount of CO2, nitrous oxide, methane . causing the temperature of the Earth's surface to heat up.

Most scientists recognize climate change as a result of high levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It itself has warmed the Earth, the surface temperature of the Earth warming, this warming temperature has created changes in the current weather problems.

According to the latest UN report, the cause of 90% human-induced climate change, 10% is natural.

- What evidence does the scientific community have about climate change?

- All temperature measuring stations can measure, evaluate and confirm evidence of climate change. Currently, the average temperature has risen to 0.3 - 0.4 degrees C in the past few decades and is currently on the rise.

According to research models in the 21st century, the average temperature of the Earth can increase from 1.1 to 6 degrees Celsius, from 1.8 to 4 degrees Celsius, depending on the effect of emissions. Greenhouse cuts to what extent to alleviate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

If humanity has stopped emitting greenhouse gases from now on, the temperature of the Earth's surface will continue to heat up, seawater will continue to rise in the next 50 years. The global warming temperature causes the ice of the Himalayas and Antarctic, Arctic and other regions to melt. These glaciers will melt, causing sea levels to rise.

Sea level rises from 28 - 43 cm. But this sea level may be even higher depending on the greenhouse effect and human impact.

- How to identify climate change?

- It is easy to identify because every monitoring station in the country measures the temperature, rainfall, radiation, wind and other parameters and then concentrates on giving out an average data chart of temperature and compare with previous years.

Greenhouse effect diagram (Photo: Masternewmedia.org)

We can simply recognize in everyday life why this year the winter is shorter, the drought, erratic rain and rain are not like the rule of decades ago. Crops have a change in harvest, more epidemics, new diseases appear. Especially the feeling of winter and summer feeling the temperature of summer hot and prolonged heat waves, short winter again . All these factors directly affect their personal lives me.

- Is climate change dangerous to human life? How dangerous is it?

- Yes, climate change is an extremely dangerous thing that threatens human existence.

Climate change is dangerous because it causes the Earth to warm up, sea level rises.

The Earth has 7 billion people and now, more than half of these people live on the coast of the Earth within 100 km of the coast. When sea level rise affects the lives of billions of people. According to the forecasts of scientists, the capital of Bangkok (Thailand) in the next twenty years will be flooded and Thailand does not have enough time to move the capital to another place. As for Vietnam, the Cuu Long Delta is also one of the "sensitive" areas of climate change. Or, the problem of high tide of the city. Ho Chi Minh City, Central flooding is much more difficult when taking into account the related factors of climate change phenomenon.

The average temperature chart on the Earth's surface has increased over the past 140 years
(Photo: Combatclimatechange.ie)

For the threat of climate change, this is a common risk for human life. In solving this problem, everyone on Earth will have no one to win and no one will lose.

To that threat, everyone is the same in terms of fate. The phenomenon of climate change is happening, and how serious it is because people decide and people are full, technology, money is only lacking in political determination of all countries. to solve this problem.

- Where in the world is the worst affected by climate change? In Asia and in Vietnam?

- The area affected by the largest climate change of the Earth is the Arctic and Antarctic, these two places have the fastest temperature increase. Then go to the highlands like the Himalayas, Tibet . Research the coldest regions with the fastest temperature rise. In Vietnam, the temperature will increase from 0.3 to 0.5 degrees Celsius by 2010, from 1 to 2 degrees Celsius in 2020, from 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius by 2070. Areas with heat The highest increase is in the North West and Viet Bac.

- Are we too worried about climate change?

- We must pay special attention because it has a direct impact on the lives of each of us. We need to save energy, use other forms of energy such as biofuels, wind power, solar energy, atomic energy . to replace fossil fuel fuels like coal, oil.

- What are the moves of the scientific community and governments in the country to address climate change?

Artwork of global warming due to climate change (Photo: Lincsgas.com)

- At a recent meeting, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon received the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which the content showed. Most scientists in the world agree that the report has shown the current status of climate change.

The scientific community, in general, agreed and agreed on the research and application of methods to solve this problem.

Humanity does not lack money, technology, gray matter, but the problem is: Is the political determination of all countries unanimous to address climate change? The Secretary-General of the United Nations has urged all nations to agree to resolve this issue unanimously.

The fact is, when signing the Kyoto Treaty, there was a country standing outside, having other countries causing these obstacles, many countries still deliberately caused greenhouse gas emissions . Some countries there is a lack of political determination in the world and a lack of cooperation in dealing with climate change.

- What should people do to limit climate change?

- There are two issues to ask. It is to reduce the impact of climate change and the second is to adapt to climate change.

To reduce the speed of climate change is related to many areas such as the economy we have to do. Currently all countries in the world are using fossil fuel sources such as oil and coal . Fossil fuels must be used appropriately to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In agriculture and forestry, many organic fertilizers are used to avoid significant emissions of methane. There are many interdisciplinary measures and require appropriate policies for each country and each locality with the maximum goal.

On the other hand, we have to do with adaptive coping measures to live together with climate change and avoid maximum damage, policies, and communication measures. When we build sea dykes we plant mangroves outside to protect.

For each individual we must be conscious of protecting the environment. Including preserving the environment, using the best traffic such as traveling many people in one car, using saving light bulbs, leaving the room to power off immediately, turning off the computer when not in use. Every individual must realize that energy and environmental protection are very important to make the world better.

Ngoc Huyen (done)