BANGALORE: Don’t be surprised if you see glowing lamps and bright fireworks in January. As global warming is causing a change in the seasons, festivals like Diwali might have to be rescheduled.
On December 29, some youngsters celebrated the summer festival of Holi in Bangalore, leaving onlookers perplexed.
The celebration was their way of sending out a warning — if the seasons are shifting, why not festivals? The youths felt this would provoke people to act against global warming.
"We have initiated a year-long campaign to make citizens aware of their responsibility to curb global warming. On festive days, we will celebrate festivals which are usually observed during other seasons," said Joono Symon, executive creative director of an advertising agency. Greenpeace-India, which is at the forefront of campaigns on the issue, has also joined in.
"Global warming has become a global issue. Several studies show the adverse effects of global warming on cities, especially those located on the coast of India," said Vinuta Gopal, climate and energy campaigner of the organization.
Global warming is not the only reason for Bangalore experiencing summer, with day temperatures hovering a little above normal.
"During the first week of January, Earth will be in perihelion position. This means the distance between the Sun and Earth will be 147 million km on January 3. During winter, this is the closet possible distance between the two celestial objects. Hence, the city is warmer during the day," said M B Raje Gowda, chief of GKVK weather centre’s agro-meteorology department.
The decreasing distance will also contribute to the gradually increasing length of the day. Since more solar radiation is absorbed, the temperature will go up.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Bangalore/Holi_in_Dec_Blame_climate_change/articleshow/2667372.cms
