I have not posted to the blog for more than a week now. The reason being, everyone at home, including me, has not been keeping very well. All four of us have been suffering from various degrees of cold and flu. All this due to the sudden climate change in Mumbai. There is a bit more chill in the air in the mornings and the evenings. To be frank, this is the coldest climate in Mumbai that I have ever experienced. I hear that a couple of years ago Mumbaikars had to bring out the woollens, which was unthinkable a few years ago. The weather patterns are certainly changing. Blame it on global warming!
On a lighter side, how ironic though, that global 'warming' is causing cold conditions everywhere. London is another example. London experienced heavy snowfall last week, disrupting vehicular traffic as well as the train services. A lot of regions in the US have had unusually cold weather in the recent past.
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| Snow in London - 2010 |
The theory is that due to the increased emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane & nitrous oxide into the atmosphere, the ozone layer around the planet is being depleted. This in turn is increasing the harmful radiations of the sun on the planet, consequently, increasing the overall temperatures of the planet's climate. This causes the polar caps to melt faster and hence the sea levels rise. Small changes in the temperatures of the deep ocean currents can cause enormous effects on the weather patterns. Earth has its natural cycle of boom and bust, spread over hundreds of years. It is believed that the Earth, in its present form, emerged from 'The Little Ice Age' about 150 years ago. But the effects of global warming seem to be causing this natural cycle to play itself out in quicker and unnatural cycles. All of this still does not tell me why does global warming cause the planet to ultimately get colder!?!
However, something which is very clear, is that the population of this planet has to reduce the emission of the greenhouse gases if it has to secure the planet and its goodies for its future generations. While the governments of this world keep arguing about who should do how much under the banner of things like the Kyoto protocol, we as human beings on this planet can do our own little bit to reduce these emissions. Switch off the lamp if you do not need it. Switch off the ignition during long waits at traffic junctions. Use recyclable material. Use solar power wherever possible. Plant trees! Just small bits which will go a long way in preserving this planet for a few more generations.
The kids are recovering now. So am I and wifey.
Take care. Of yourself and this planet.
