Scientists have predicted that 2007 will be the warmest year yet, but does it really mean anything to a common person? Are we really concerned and prepared? No, not really!

Apparently, the question is not of arming ourselves to combat it, perhaps, it’s all about making efforts to make this irreversible change reversible. And this is what we’re not doing. The urgency is rising with the rising mercury and has in fact saturated our minds. However, the irony is that despite all decades of blabber we haven’t saturated ourselves with ‘efforts to bring it down‘.

No doubt, we’re using eco-friendly products, making best efforts to cut emissions, but we’re blind to the all other factors, like rising population, more and more vehicles on roads, industrialization, unfortunately, fast paced development with no environmental concerns, that are diluting these efforts.

While some might attribute 2007 being the warmest year to the El Nino process, I feel it is a backlash of global warming.

Natural processes taking place on the earth make it warmer, these include volcanic eruptions, solar activity and the greenhouse effect.

In the last few years, our planet has witnessed a tremendous rise in temperatures, fueled both by the greenhouse effect and by human activity. The problem is that man is adding to and changing the levels of the gases responsible for the greenhouse effect and is therefore enhancing this warming. Emissions by cars, burning of fossil fuels by industries and utilities have increased over the years.

Is this the end of the last ice age?

• Glaciers are melting faster
• There are changes in the pattern and amount of rainfall
• There is a rise in sea level.
• Floods, droughts, hurricanes and Tsunamis have become more frequent and are on the rise
• Flora and fauna, which are interlinked, are severely hit: Destruction of certain species because of the loss of habitat for instance polar bears, death of giant squids.
•Damage to Coral reefs.
•Spread of diseases: increase in Asthma, Lyme disease, rising incidences of influenza, allergies are a few examples amongst others.

Everybody is aware that the earth is warming up but how can every single person help?

• Share technology and resources instead of fighting wars for them.
• Where ever possible, go for purer energy such as wind, solar and wave power
• Use bio-fuels
• Join a car pool or use public transport and the best alternative would be to cycle or walk to work, it will also keep you fit.
•Insulate your houses to lessen the amount of electricity used to heat it. Construct houses with recycled materials and energy efficient designs
•Switch off that extra light, use energy saving bulbs like LEDs.
•Make sure you close the tap when not needed and that it does not drip.
•Recycle, it takes effort and energy to make every small thing you use, so use it well

The Kyoto protocol, EU regulations and other efforts are not being able to make the mark that they should have, the need of the hour is that every person should make global warming his personal agenda and make genuinely sincere efforts to save the planet. While man is spending millions on armament, he is ignoring the obvious evidence of degradation of the planet that sustains him.