WHY WE CANNOT AFFORD TO IGNORE CLIMATE CHANGE

July 29, 2022

Today we are witnessing the toll of climate change in different parts of the world. There are droughts in Africa and in South America, devastating floods in Australia and in Asia, for example, Pakistan and Thailand, and heat waves and extreme cold in Europe and Asia. In North America also, the severe impact of temperature escalation has caused increased frequency of these same extreme weather events. As a result, people die, resources are depleted, and the ability to provide for basic needs is severely compromised. There is broad consensus, which leaves no room for doubt, that it is mankind’s over-exploitation and overuse of its fossil fuel resources that is responsible for the rise in abnormally higher temperatures with the ensuing disruptive weather patterns.

Earth was created to facilitate man’s existence

Allah is the Sustainer and the Bountiful, and part of His generosity is a beautiful earth. He has bestowed on mankind an Earth with habitable temperatures and adequate rainfall. Lush vegetation and flourishing fauna and flora biodiversity emerge as a result. The Quran informs us: “And the earth He has put down (laid) for Al-Anaam (His creatures).”¹According to Ibn Kathir, the well-known commentator of the Quran, it means that Allah fixed the earth and balanced it with firm mountains, so that it would be stable for its inhabitants – the various types and kinds of creatures that live on it. Another Quranic verse tells us, “It is Allah Who has made for you the earth as a resting place, and the sky as a canopy, and has given you shape and made your shapes beautiful and has provided for you sustenance…”² In emphasizing this favorable environment along with man’s responsibility, The Holy Prophet (God’s peace be on him) is reported to have said: “The Earth is green and beautiful, and verily Allah has made you stewards of it, and He sees how you acquit yourselves.”³

The relative stability of our planet’s climate allows our planet to support life. The earth functions as an efficient thermostat, and it is sometimes called the “goldilocks” planet because it is not too cold or not too hot. Earth’s radiative balance is remarkable, and it is complex. With an age of 4.6 billion years, our earth has been absorbing the sun’s energy for a mighty long time, but it has not suffered from severe over-heating. Allah, in His infinite wisdom, has made earth conducive to life by establishing its energy budget. This means the total incoming heat, absorbed mainly from the sun, is countered by the total outgoing heat radiated from the Earth’s surface over time.

Terrestrial radiation naturally escapes to space, but only some of it does. Otherwise, earth would become unlivable with an average cold temperature of about 0⁰ F (-18⁰C). For this heat retention, the Divine plan calls for having naturally produced heat-trapping greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere to act as a heat blanket. The purpose of which is to prevent most of the outgoing infra-red heat from escaping into space. However, as the saying goes, too much of one thing is good for nothing.

Greenhouse gases buildup threatens humanity

Human activities have added more GHGs to the atmosphere than is required. There is agreement in the scientific community that the increased concentrations of atmospheric GHGs produced by humanity is the cause of climate change. The consequence of which is “global warming” or the “enhanced greenhouse effect” that emanates mainly from the burning of fossil fuels – oil, natural gas, coal.

Whether climate change is an “existential threat” or simply a threat has generated some debate. An adequate explanation in support of the phrase would be that it “can refer to a literal threat to humanity’s existence, but also to the danger that unchecked climate change can pose to our ways of life and place in the natural world.”⁴Regardless of one’s preference for choice of words, a catastrophe is in the making, and the critical question arises, can we curb our use of fossil fuels to prevent its occurrence?

Human activities release carbon dioxide and methane

Fossil fuels are the most popular fuel in today’s society. They are used in factories and in homes, and for transportation, be it road, rail, water or air. The bulk of electricity is supplied by using these non-renewable energy sources. The principal culprit from igniting fossil fuels is carbon dioxide (CO₂). Methane is another GHG derived from human actions in the oil and gas industry that needs to be monitored for its significant warming effect. Deforestation, whether for agriculture or logging, is the second largest source of carbon dioxide emission. CO₂ and methane emissions occur naturally also; however, “human-related emissions are responsible for the increase that has occurred in the atmosphere since the industrial revolution.”⁵

Negative impact of higher atmospheric CO₂ concentrations

At the time of writing this article, NOAA, the federal agency that focuses on the ocean and atmosphere, posted that, “The amount of CO₂ in the earth’s atmosphere is now more than 50% higher than pre-industrial times – and it is at levels not seen since millions of years ago…” The article went on to highlight that in the last 20 years the world’s temperature rose 2/3⁰ F. The damaging consequences of this included extreme heat, drought, heavy precipitation, and flooding.⁶ The tipping point – when the damage becomes too great to reverse – though not known precisely, may be closer than we expect.⁷

The charity organization Islamic Relief, noted for its environmental advocacy, reported that they have increasingly found that “much of the poverty and suffering” they are working to reduce is “actually caused by climatic factors.”⁸ They have cited conditions such as famine, drought, erosion, scarcity of water, and flooding which can lead to death, disease, malnutrition, and displacement from dwellings. In the developing countries where the people are more vulnerable, climate change is having a greater impact on their economic and social life.

Muslims also have to contend with the impact of climate change on the performance of hajj in the summer. In the years to come, with new generations of Muslims, our desire is to have accommodating temperatures for this blessed pillar of Islam. Looking down the road, the director of Islamic Relief warned, “We now have a double calamity in sight. If we don’t act now, not only will people suffer the impact of more frequent and intense disasters, but our children will no longer be able to perform the sacred duty of hajj.”⁹

Acknowledging climate change engenders action

Climate change has many in the international community concerned, as they should be, and efforts in coming to grips with it play out in both the political and scientific arenas. It is encouraging to see Muslims giving serious attention to this challenge and advocating for restricting GHGs production and transitioning to renewable energy. However, Muslim communities have not readily embraced climate change as a serious matter, which implies that fostering a greater awareness of this pressing matter is a priority. Indeed, a deeper appreciation of climate change and its causes will engender a much more forceful response to the impending climate disaster.

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