@ green | MARCH-APRIL , 2023

We must be aware and understand the key issues of the current weather situation and the environment

BY THE GREEN DUDE

According to weather experts , this El Nino phenomenon is forecast to begin in July 2023 and will last until early 2024 . The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation also cautioned about food production shortages . The Indonesian weather authorities have already warned of the likelihood of forest fires and haze phenomena , which may affect Malaysia again .

It is time the public takes this important issue seriously , as it will affect the lives of our youth and the next generation . We need to spread the rights of empowerment to the public and the stakeholders to be aware and understand the key issues of the current weather situation and the environment .

This narrative has been discussed for the last 30 years , and the latest survey by Merdeka Centre shows that over 90 per cent of those surveyed are aware of the problems and 80 per cent are also aware that the problem is due to human action .

Yet the action taken to deal with it has yet to achieve its optimum level .

People continue to think that it is not their problem and that others are doing something about it . This is not the attitude we expect , as we need the total engagement of the people and the stakeholders .

MITIGATING THE PROBLEM

We seem to accept that floods are an annual tragedy of nature beyond our control and an act of God that we must accept . What used to be affecting the East Coast states has become a national problem as it has spread to almost every other state in the Peninsular , Sarawak , and Sabah .

The latest floods seriously affected Johor , with over 50,000 evacuees in major townships like Segamat , Pontian , Batu Pahat , Kluang and Johor Bahru .

There are many issues the public need to be aware of to prepare to mitigate the problem .

Firstly , we are facing an imminent “ Climate Apocalypse ”. According to our own North Pole Ice Icon , Dr Sharifah Mazlina Syed Abdul Kader , who was engaged in missions to the North Pole and the Antarctic , ice is melting faster than ever .

Some Antarctica volcanoes are becoming more active , and the North Pole temperatures are now lukewarm instead of cold . She agrees with scientific predictions that in about 18 years or by 2040 , the world will experience the brunt of global warming , and Malaysia cannot escape this tragedy .

The current melting of the ice will result in rising sea levels , tidal waves , tsunami , landslides and so on . According to Dr Maslina , this is a “ Climate Apocalypse ”.

SEVERE IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY

Another issue is global warming . Malaysia has a tropical climate with an annual mean temperature of 25.4 degrees Celsius . There is a minor variability of about one degree Celsius whereby the minimum temperature is 24.9 degree Celsius in January and 25.9 degree Celsius in May . However , this variability is expected to increase in the coming years .

The impact of global warming on the economy is severe once the sea level rises . More floods in the coastal areas will affect residents and the community , possibly resulting in coastal towns disappearing underwater . There will be a massive reduction in food production and even water shortages . The floods will also cause water pollution and the use of pesticides in agriculture to mitigate diseases and pest control , which is dangerous to human consumption .

Malaysia also produces large amounts of greenhouse gases annually . It is Southeast Asia ’ s most significant contributor to climate change , mainly due to its fossil fuel production .

Besides power generation , the other five leading causes of climate change are the manufacturing of goods , deforestation , transportation , powering of buildings and overconsumption .

According to the UN Climate Change Risk Index , Malaysia ranks 61 among

the least-performing countries where children are most at risk . So there is an urgent need to empower young people , including parents , to be aware , to engage and participate with authorities , NGOs and activists to manage this risk .

MORE DIRECT MEASURES NEEDED

With the very high level of awareness among Malaysians , the way forward is to devise programmes to empower them to take action on these issues before it ’ s too late .

To mitigate the issue of over-dependence on fossil fuels , promote renewable energy use . More incentives have to be given to companies to use cleaner energy , such as implementing a “ cap-and-trade scheme ” within the country where the government sets a cap on the total number of emissions produced and creates tradeable permits for each unit of emissions .

Businesses receive these permits and can only use as much as their permits allow , incentivising their businesses to innovate production to be more energy efficient and utilise cleaner energy . If they cannot stay below the maximum emissions set , they could purchase additional permits from businesses that can .

Ultimately this puts a hard limit on greenhouse gas emissions and incentivises all businesses to work towards cleaner production , thus mitigating future effects of climate change .

More direct measures could also be taken , such as subsidies to clean , renewable energy producers and Pigouvan taxes implemented on fossil fuel producers . This would make renewable energy a cheaper alternative to fossil fuels . The government should aggressively promote the production and use of solar energy and hydroelectric dams .

Deforestation is another leading con-