“Eco” is short for ecological or environmental and “Yaan” is the Sanskrit word for journey. Here at Ecoyaan, we aim to reconnect each of you with the living, breathing world around us. Along this journey, we will talk about how human-induced climate change and widespread ecological destruction are jeopardising the survival of thousands of species, including our own. We will talk about our individual responsibility in the quest for a Net Zero future. There is still time to act, we just need to reset our priorities.

First, a brief flashback. Homo sapiens used to live as hunter-gatherers for nearly 200,000 years, foraging on wild plants, insects, fruits, and animals for their survival. This period was characterised by erratic climate patterns, so they had to be on the move to find food. It was really difficult for early sapiens to settle down. Then miraculously, 12,000 years ago, the Earth’s climate stabilised (Fig 1). With more predictable seasons and rainfall patterns, humans were able to cultivate crops and domesticate livestock. This gave birth to the first known civilisations. From that point on, the human population thrived and we have never looked back. Many of us don’t realise this, but a stable climate is the reason you and I are here. A stable climate is the foundation upon which human society is built. But we are changing that.

Fig 1: ‘Global temperature changes mapped across the past 24,000 years’, Osman et al., Nature 2021

When we burn fossil fuels (like coal, natural gas, crude oil), carbon dioxide is released into the air. Since the dawn of the industrial revolution (late 1700s), we humans have been extracting fossil fuels to power our everyday lives, hence increasing the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. Earth’s temperature is closely correlated with CO2 concentration - so when CO2 level rises in the atmosphere, the global average temperature also goes up. Unsurprisingly, an EU-based organization called Copernicus recently reported that the global average temperature from June 2023 – May 2024 was the highest on record, a scary 1.63°C above the 1850–1900 pre-industrial average. These are scary times for our planet and for all living things that inhabit it.

The list of global warming-related problems is endless. Most of you already know about the changing weather patterns that are leading to severe heat waves & droughts in one part of the world, and excess rainfall & flooding in another. You already know that rising sea levels could threaten ~10% of the world’s population who live near the coasts. You have probably heard about coral reef bleaching events across the globe, threatening fish populations and food supply for 3 billion people worldwide. Things seem bleak, but according to scientists, we still have a narrow window of opportunity to limit the magnitude of global warming (& eventually reverse it if all goes to plan). Every 0.1C of additional warming may result in 100 million human deaths according to some studies. Currently, we are on course towards catastrophic 2.5-2.9C warming by 2100 (see Fig 3). If the pledges and targets by UN member nations are met, we may be able to limit warming to 2C. Ideally, we would like to be in the 1.5C zone to prevent irreversible damage to our planet but that seems like wishful thinking based on how things look today.

Fig 3: BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-65754296

Sustainability consists of fulfilling the needs of current generations without compromising the needs of future generations while ensuring a balance between economic growth, environmental care, and social well-being. Humans have been looting and exploiting the environment to meet our insatiable desire for economic growth. As you join us on this Ecoyaan, hopefully, you will better understand and appreciate the problems that underpin the environmental crisis we are facing today. Awareness is the first step towards action. There is no plan(et) B.