The Climate Crisis: What Needs to be Done?
The most significant crisis facing us today is climate change, which is developing even more rapidly than we had anticipated. But despite this global threat,
we are far from helpless. We are losing the race to address the climate emergency, but we still have time to win it, as Secretary-General António Guterres noted in September.
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| The Climate Crisis: What Needs to be Done? |
The devastating effects of climate change affect every region of the world. Environmental deterioration, natural catastrophes, weather extremes, food and water insecurity, economic disruption, conflict, and terrorism are all being fueled by rising temperatures.
Oceans are becoming more acidic, forests are burning, coral reefs are dying, and the Arctic is melting. The standard operating procedure is insufficient. Now is the time for courageous group action as the cost of climate change increases infinitely to unstoppable levels.
Due to the production of coal, oil, and gas, enormous amounts of CO2 are released into the atmosphere every year. With no signs of slowing down,
human activity is producing greenhouse gas emissions at record levels. We are on course to maintain a "business as usual" trajectory, says a ten-year summary of UNEP Emission Gap reports.
The four most recent years had the highest average temperatures ever. We are close to what scientists warn would be "an unacceptable risk," according to a September 2019 World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report,
and we are at least one degree Celsius above preindustrial levels. The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change calls for keeping future warming "well below" two degrees Celsius and for continuing efforts to keep it even lower, at one and a half degrees.
However, if we don't reduce global emissions, temperatures may increase by more than three degrees Celsius by 2100, further harming our ecosystems irreparably.
Sea levels are already rising due to the melting of glaciers and ice sheets in polar and mountainous areas. In areas at risk of sea level rise, nearly two-thirds of the world's cities with populations of over five million are situated,
and nearly 40 percent of people on the planet live within 100 kilometers of a coastline. Millions of people may be forced to relocate if entire districts of New York, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi, Osaka, Rio de Janeiro, and many other cities find themselves underwater within our lifetimes.
INSECURITY OF FOOD AND WATER.
Food and water security are impacted by global warming for everyone. The amount of carbon that the earth can hold in its soil is capped by climate change, which is a direct cause of soil degradation.
Today, up to 30% of food is lost or wasted while 500 million people live in areas where there is erosion. Climate change, meanwhile, reduces the quantity and quality of water that is available for drinking and agricultural use.
Food security is becoming more precarious as crops that have thrived for centuries struggle to survive in many areas. The majority of these effects typically affect the weak and poor. The gap in economic output between the richest and poorest nations of the world is likely to widen due to global warming.
NEW EXTREMES.
Extreme weather events and related disasters have always been a part of our planet's climate system. However, as the world warms, they are happening more frequently and intensely. Heatwaves, droughts, typhoons, and hurricanes leave no continent untouched as they cause widespread destruction.
Weather and climate-related disasters now account for 90% of all disasters, costing the global economy 520 billion USD annually and pushing 26 million people into poverty.
CONFLICT'S CAUSE AND CATARACT.
The threat to world peace and security posed by climate change is significant. Due to increased competition for resources like land, food, and water, socioeconomic tensions are heightened and mass evictions are increasingly common as a result of climate change.
The risks that are already present are multiplied by the effects of climate. Political unrest and violence are directly fueled by droughts in Latin America and Africa.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South Asia, the World Bank predicts that more than 140 million people will be compelled to migrate within their regions by 2050 if nothing is done.
A PATH AHEAD.
Although science has proven that climate change is real, it has also shown that it is still possible to stop the tide. Fundamental changes in how we produce food, use land, move goods, and drive our economies will be necessary to achieve this.
While technology has contributed to climate change, new and effective technologies can help us cut net emissions and make the world a cleaner place. For more than 70% of today's emissions, there are already practical technological solutions.
Renewable energy is currently the most affordable energy source in many locations, and electric vehicles are about to enter the mainstream.
While we work to decarbonize our economy, nature-based solutions offer a "breathing space.". With the help of these solutions, we can reduce some of our carbon footprint while also promoting important ecosystem functions like biodiversity,
freshwater access, improved livelihoods, and food security. Improved agricultural methods, land restoration, conservation, and the regreening of food supply chains are some examples of nature-based solutions.
We can all advance to a more hygienic, resilient world thanks to scalable new technologies and natural solutions. Together, governments, corporations,
members of civil society, young people, and academics can build a green future that lessens suffering, upholds justice, and restores harmony between people and the environment.