Being a Regional Manager, Terry, 45, is required to constantly be on-the-go, managing people, events and resolving conflicts that require his decision-making skills. On one hand, Terry enjoys thriving in this line of profession. However, on the other hand, the hustle and bustle of the job role tends to be quite challenging for somebody in their mid-40s.
Heat Cluster Headaches
Terry has been having qualms about the unpredictable weather conditions as of late. One of the many hassles faced by Terry daily is having to cool the interiors of his car down for at least 10 minutes before making his way to make-or-break meetings. Some days his journey amidst the hot weather becomes a little too challenging, especially when the heat creeps up into a series of terrible cluster headaches. It even got to a point where the headache was so unbearable that he had to pull over and splash some water over his head to relieve the pain.
The slow-burning consequences of a drastic back and forth between scorching hot afternoons and rainy evenings are often overlooked by most people, until it’s too late. This extremely hot and dry season in Malaysia is a direct result of the ongoing El Nino — an occurrence that is caused by the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
305 Bush Fires in Sabah
In the past, Malaysia would generally observe a significant rise in temperature around March, as opposed to this year where it took off much earlier; it was recorded that there was a significant reduction in rainfall before Chinese New Year, with each rainfall averaging no more than 10 minutes. Outdoor temperature has been on the rise and has gone up to 39°C. According to METMalaysia, the El Niño phenomenon this year is expected to drag out until the second quarter of 2024; high-temperature notices were issued to warn the masses and allow them to take necessary measures to cope. Recent studies reflect that Sabah’s temperature has been averaging above 35°C with the state’s Fire and Rescue Department recording a whopping 305 bush fires this year.
Due to this unavoidable consequence of global warming-induced rising temperatures, heatwaves in Malaysia are predicted to worsen in the near future. Several impacts that entail this phenomenon include an adverse effect on public health, particularly among vulnerable populations such as the elderly, individuals with low socioeconomic status, and those with pre-existing health issues.
Image source : https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/
Disruption of Natural Produce
With palm oil plantations and rice farms in Southeast Asia receiving drier-than-average rainfall conditions, El Niño is also threatening key food producers across the Asian continent. For example, 90% of the entire globe’s rice is grown and consumed in Asia; rice is one of the most vital crops in ensuring food stability worldwide. However, it is crucial to understand that rice crops thrive in wet areas. The El Niño phenomenon essentially disrupts this particular produce’s growth and enterprising process, which then exerts a substantial economic impact.
At CBH Recycle, we strongly believe in steering Malaysia towards a solution-oriented lifestyle; better late than never. Water conservation is one of the few practices that should be globally adopted across households and communities. “How does that help the planet?”, you may wonder. Well, to put it simply, an astronomical amount of energy is required to filter, heat and pump water to residential and commercial areas. This means that reducing water usage directly reduces carbon footprints.
Sensible Sustainability
Minimising carbon footprints and greenhouse gas emissions helps slow down climate change significantly. On top of that, sustainable land management such as soil conservation and reforestation will go on to improve soil health, reduce erosion, and increase resistance to extreme weather.
Being aware of the environment is one, but being actively involved in executing proactive measures that will help minimise and reverse the damage is what we strive to inculcate among the Malaysian youth. Remember, we only have one planet that we call home.