Oxford Dictionary has declared ‘climate emergency’ as the word of the year for 2019. Yes, you read that right. From ‘toxic’ in 2004, ‘selfie’ in 2013, ‘unfriend’ in 2009 to now ‘climate emergency’ in 2019- there has been an enormous shift in the mood of people as the years have passed by. The one subject that has kept us united on many grounds is climate change and its catastrophic impact.
The Oxford Word of the Year is a word or expression that has attracted a great deal of interest over the last 12 months. This year, Oxford decided that ‘climate emergency’ was the word that “reflected the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of the passing year” and we couldn’t agree more!
According to the dictionary, climate emergency is defined as “a situation in which urgent action is required to reduce or halt climate change and avoid potentially irreversible environmental damage resulting from it.” Surprisingly or shall we say, not so surprisingly, this word was selected from a list of 10 words, which included–climate action, climate crisis, climate denial, eco-anxiety, ecocide, extinction, flight shame, global heating, net-zero and plant-based.
Climate Emergency In Pictures
Here are some pictures that will give you an understanding of the extent of the emergency that we currently face and how the entire mood has been reflected by people’s actions all across the globe:
Amazon Rainforest fire
Europe heat waves
UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) shared this picture about four months ago and captioned it, “A lake started formatting on the height of 3,400m in the Mount Blanc mountain range. This beautiful view is actually a worrying effect of the recent #heatwave in Europe. #ClimateChange brings more frequent and severe heat waves and other extreme weather events. That’s why there is an urgent need to take #ClimateAction and to raise #ClimateAmbition for the future of our 🌍.”
Delhi-NCR air emergency
Toxic foam takes over Yamuna River
Sinking Indonesia
Germany: Extreme Heat Damages Tarmac
Plastic pollution choking marine life
Dust storm across Northern India
While climate crisis is a reality, people all across the globe are treating it as an emergency and these pictures are proof.
Greta Thunberg’s climate change strike
India’s IT company pledges to reduce carbon footprint
UNFCC shared, “As our world becomes increasingly digital, our carbon footprint from the IT sector is set to increase. 💻 As #India’s second-largest IT company, our UN Global #ClimateAction Awards winner @Infosys was one of the first companies of its type to commit to carbon neutrality. Infosys’ journey to carbon neutrality offers a shining example for companies to follow!”
Electricity generation through waves now a reality!
Did you know you can generate energy from waves? 🌊 That’s what happening in Gibraltar right now! More than 15% of the territory’s electricity needs will soon be supplied by waves.
Pope Francis calls for action
While Oxford has reflected what most of us felt last year, it is high time we see this as a wake-up call and move out from our slumber of oblivion. We need to save our planet, NOW!
Featured Image: Instagram
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