Vanishing Glacier forests
Context:
Google search engine, dedicated its homepage logo doodle for April 22, 2022, to climate change to mark Earth Day.
Key points
- Climate Change is a periodic modification of Earth’s climate brought about due to the changes in the atmosphere as well as the interactions between the atmosphere and various other geological, chemical, biological and geographical factors within the Earth’s system.
- The four locations displayed are Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Sermersooq in Greenland, Great Barrier Reef in Australia and Harz Forests in Elend, Germany.
- The doodle used real time-lapse visuals of these places over a specified period from Google Earth, an online live 3-D model of Earth rendered from satellite images and other sources.
Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
- Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s tallest mountain at about 5,895 meters.
- It is also the largest free-standing mountain rise in the world, meaning it is not part of a mountain range.
- The retreat of the glaciers from the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro from 1986 to 2020.
- In sub-Saharan Africa, due to climate change, mountain glaciers in Africa disappear within two decades.
- Scientists have attributed the loss to global warming as well as change in land use, mostly deforestation.
Sermersooq in Greenland
The loss of glacial ice in Greenland over two decades. The images were taken annually from 2000 to 2020.
Great Barrier Reef in Australia
It showed the extent of coral bleaching on Lizard Island, Australia over March, April and May 2016. The images were gathered from The Ocean Agency, an international non-profit that works on marine conservation.
Harz Forests in Elend, Germany
The illustrated the destruction of Harz Forests in Elend, Germany from 1995 to 2020 by bark beetle infestation. Rising temperatures and severe drought are responsible for this loss of green cover.
Earth day
Every year 22nd of April is celebrated as Earth Day to raise public awareness about environmental protection.
It was first observed in 1970. The event was triggered by the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill.
In 2009, the United Nations designated 22nd April as ‘International Mother Earth Day.
The theme for 2022 is "Invest In Our Planet".
Earth Summit
- In1992 Rio Declaration (Earth Summit) to promote harmony with nature and the Earth to achieve a just balance among the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations of humanity.
- Paris Agreement brings almost 200 countries together in setting a common target to reduce global greenhouse emissions, which was also signed on Earth Day 2016.
Earth Hour
- Earth Hour is held every year on the last Saturday of March. It is World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF)’s annual initiative that began in 2007.
- It encourages people from more than 180 countries to switch off the lights from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm as per their local time.
