Need to hasten climate action as temps break records
New Indian ExpressThe unprecedented rise in temperatures across north India—especially in Delhi, which recorded a historical high of 52.9°C on Wednesday—has given a glimpse into the dire future caused by human-induced climate change. The increased emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide produced by human activities are creating the effect of trapping heat and raising temperatures on the earth’s surface and the lower atmosphere. According to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, human activities after the Industrial Revolution increased carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere by 47 percent. The Indian Meteorological Department’s data shows climate change is making heatwaves across India more intense, prolonged and widespread.