Fight Climate Change
The current 2 °C temperature rise is too high for the survival of many species.
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People affect the global climate and threaten their own survival.
The term ‘climate change’ encompasses global warming, but refers to the broader range of changes that are happening to our planet, e.g. rising sea levels, shrinking mountain glaciers, accelerating ice melt and shifts in flowering times of vegetation.
This Earth is the only one we have. Source: Unsplash
Of course, climate has been, is, and will be changing throughout eternity. However, now, for the first time in the history of the planet, man is affecting the climate on a global level and threatening his and all other species’ lives on Earth. This change is taking place at an unprecedented fast rate. Although extremes in themselves have always been known, now we face the fact that these extremes will be far more intense and frequent.
- Is there any proof of Climate Change?
The human causes of climate change are undisputed by any scientific body of national or international standing. Moreover, the fact that climate change is already underway is evidenced by the current global warming. The 2-degree Celsius increase in global average surface temperature since the pre-industrial era might seem small, but it is actually too high for the survival of many species. Currently, the whole world is being affected simultaneously by several climatic disasters: drought, heatwaves, cyclones, forest fires and floods.
While previous short ice ages and warmer periods were exclusively natural phenomena, caused by changes in the orbit of the planet Earth or solar activity, the recent changes are different. Change first came with the advent of the Industrial Revolution. Man fundamentally began to interfere with the course of Nature, especially after the Second World War. That's the reason why temperatures have been rising since the 1980s. Today, these effects are far more pronounced. It is evident that man is affecting the climate on a global scale and threatening his own survival.
The average surface air temperatures from 2011 to 2020, compared to the baseline average from 1951 to 1980, are illustrated on the map below:
Temperature changes in the last 50 years. Source: NASA
- How do humans impact climate change?
Human activities, especially greenhouse gas emissions, are considered as the dominant causes of temperature increases. More than 90 % of the emission of gases that create the greenhouse effect are carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane. Fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) burnt for energy consumption are the chief sources of these emissions, with additional contributions from agriculture, deforestation and industry. Temperature rise leads to desert expansion and more frequent heat waves, but also floods.
- What is actually happening?
When we burn oil, coal, and gas for energy, we accelerate the current global warming crisis. Fossil fuels produce large quantities of carbon dioxide when burned. In the US, the burning of fossil fuels accounts for about 3/4 of our carbon emissions that trap heat in the atmosphere and lead to climate change. Using fossil fuels (as well as the negative impact of plastics and chemicals) damages the environment, causing air pollution, water pollution and global warming. The past 30 years have been the most active in terms of floods. At the same time, we have experienced the worst droughts and rainforest fires in the last 2 000 years. 98 % of our planet is warming!
Developed countries in particular are to blame for the carbon dioxide emissions, as is shown in the map below:
Annual CO2 emissions by country. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- What is the Greenhouse Effect?
From the energy received by Earth in the form of ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared radiation, about 26 % is reflected back into space by the atmosphere and clouds. 19 % is absorbed by the atmosphere and clouds. Most of the remaining energy is absorbed at the surface of the Earth. The atmosphere radiates energy both upwards and downwards, leading to a higher equilibrium temperature than if the atmosphere was not being radiated.
Greenhouse effect. Source: viaGood
A greenhouse captures heat from the sun during the day. Its glass walls trap the sun's heat, which keeps plants inside the greenhouse warm — even on cold nights. Similarly, the Earth’s Greenhouse Effect is the process by which radiation from the planet's atmosphere warms the planet's surface to a temperature above what it would be without this atmosphere. Earth's natural Greenhouse Effect is critical for the support of life. The intensity of the Greenhouse Effect depends on the amount of greenhouse gases contained in the atmosphere. Human activities, mainly the burning of fossil fuels and the cutting down of forests, have increased the Greenhouse Effect and caused global warming.
There is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than ever before in human history. In May 2019, sensors at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii (which have monitored atmospheric CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere since the late 1950s) detected a CO2 concentration of 415.26 ppm. The last time the Earth's atmosphere contained so much CO2 was more than three million years ago, when sea levels were several meters higher and trees were growing at the South Pole.
Earth's atmosphere traps some of the Sun's heat, preventing it from escaping back into space at night. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech. Source: viaGood
- Which is warming faster? Land or Ocean?
Temperature rise on land is about twice the global average increase, leading to desert expansion and more frequent heatwaves and wildfires. Temperature rise is also amplified in the Arctic, where it has contributed to melting permafrost, glacial retreat and sea ice loss. Warmer temperatures are increasing the rates of evaporation, causing more intense storms and weather extremes. Impacts on ecosystems include the relocation or extinction of many species as their environment changes. This is most visible in the coral reefs, mountains and the Arctic.
The data from NASA on the chart below show how land and sea surface air temperatures have changed vs the IPCC pre-industrial baseline of 1850 to 1900. The ocean is absorbing over 90 % of the excess heat trapped in the atmosphere, greatly limiting global temperature change, but contributing to sea level rise, coral bleaching, and other adverse effects.
Land vs Ocean Temperature. Source: Wikipedia Commons
- How can we reduce our CO2 emissions?
Our civilization is dependent on fossil fuels. We release energy from oil, coal and gas, producing the greenhouse gas CO2 (carbon dioxide), among others, which is an important driver of current climate change. Combustion of fossil fuels releases fossil carbon into the atmosphere. This disturbs the balance of the carbon cycle and increases CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases capture part of the heat, warming the Earth's atmosphere.
Read more about ways in which to help in the Solution section!
Rising sea, floods, heatwaves, collapsing ecosystems. Is this our future?
Climate change leads to food insecurity, water scarcity, flooding, infectious diseases, extreme heat, economic losses and displacement of people. These impacts on man have led the World Health Organization to call climate change ”the greatest threat to global health in the 21st century”. Even if efforts to minimize future warming are successful, rising sea levels, rising ocean temperatures, and ocean acidification will still continue for some time, before the trends are reversed.
- What are other consequences of climate change?
Indigenous peoples in the Arctic are at risk of cultural extinction, as the environment on which their livelihoods are based, melts under their snowshoes. There will be more tropical days, more intense storms and floods will occur. Due to a lack of water, there is also the risk of the migration of people from tropical areas. All these facts point to the fact that it is crucial for mankind to reduce emissions by 2050.
Mississippi River floods in Davenport, United States. Source: Unsplash
- How much can the sea rise?
If global temperatures rise 2° Celsius above pre-industrial levels, global sea-levels will rise and endanger cities such as Miami, Florida, and New Orleans, Louisiana and Houston, Texas.
Recent research has shown that warming by 2 degrees Celsius could irreversibly accelerate the melting of the ice sheets of Greenland and West Antarctica, with ocean levels rising by 43 ft (13 m).
Global sea levels could rise by nearly 6 ft (1.8 m) by 2100. The average elevation of Miami, FL, is 6 feet above sea level. This means that Miami might be underwater in 80 years’ time.
Temperature change from industrial era. Source: Wikipedia Commons - Efbrazil
- CO2 has a long-term effect
The average time that one molecule of CO2 remains in the atmosphere is from 20 to 200 years. The current increase of CO2 in the atmosphere is very rapid. This makes it almost impossible for plants and animals to adapt naturally, even more so due to our exploitation of natural resources and of the landscape. This threatens our own survival. Human civilization has developed over thousands of years of stable weather situations. However, now the weather is becoming unstable, causing droughts and water scarcity in some parts of the world, and floods in others.
Species’ extinction, the spread of disease, deadly heat, the collapse of ecosystems, cities threatened by rising sea levels – these and other devastating effects of climate change are accelerating. They will affect us all before a child born today is 30 years old.
Further turning points could lead to the conversion of the Amazon Basin from a tropical rainforest to a Savannah and the leakage of billions of tons of carbon from the ever-frozen soil of Siberia!
However, the effects of global warming are exacerbated by all the other ways in which humanity is disturbing the Earth's equilibrium. These include overexploitation, water extraction, contamination, invasive alien species and the spread of pests and diseases.
- What is the Paris Agreement?
Ten years ago, scientists believed that limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius compared to the 19th century would be sufficient to secure our future. This target is enshrined in the Paris Agreement of 2015, adopted by almost 200 countries, with a joint commitment to limit warming to "significantly less" than 2 degrees Celsius - preferably 1.5 degrees. The Paris Agreement is a planetary accord to stop greenhouse gas emissions—and to fight the warming climate, rising sea levels, mass extinctions, and extreme weather which accompany these.
The Agreement calls for countries across the globe to work together to halt the global average temperature increase by more than 2 degrees Celsius. The Agreement also sets an even more ambitious target: limit that rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. By 2019, the world had already warmed by around 1.15 degrees Celsius, and at current rates, it’s heating up another 0.2 degrees every decade.
191 Parties out of 197 Parties to the Convention are Parties to the Paris Agreement. With the US, which accounts for nearly one-sixth of global greenhouse gas emissions, the countries that have fully ratified it account for 97 % of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Projected global temperature changes. Source: Wikipedia Commons - Efbrazil
The average number of people exposed to heatwaves has increased by approximately 125 million since the beginning of the century. Global sea-level rise is attributed to the melting of polar ice sheets and glaciers, and oceans expanding due to soaking up heat from a warming atmosphere.
Some of the effects of climate change are unavoidable, as they are already in motion. The global average temperature has already risen by at least 1 °C. Nevertheless, what we can do now is to slow down the process, divert its route from the worst predictions of development and return it to where it belongs.
- Update on the Current Status of our World.
The IPCC is the peak climate science body of the United Nations and the World Meteorological Organization. It is the global authority on the state of Earth’s climate and how human activities affect it. Authors of the latest IPCC report have drawn from the work of thousands of scientists from around the world to produce this new assessment.
Earth has warmed 1.09 ℃ since pre-industrial times and many changes such as sea-level rise and glacier melt are now virtually irreversible, according to the most sobering Report yet by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Manifestations of the changing climate include extreme temperatures, extended heatwaves, droughts, and torrential rains. The Report predicts that glaciers will keep receding in polar regions and extreme climatic events will become more common. It is probable that the Arctic will be without ice from time to time in the summer months by 2050. The Report states that human activities are responsible for the rise in the Earth’s temperatures. A 1.5-degree Celsius change above pre-industrial levels is expected in the 2030s or earlier, causing irreversible global damage, according to scientists.
The Report also found escape from human-caused climate change is no longer possible. Climate change is now affecting every continent, region and ocean on Earth, and every facet of the weather.
What can we do to prevent this? Read the Solution section!
The reversal of Climate Change needs to start with each of us.
The consequences of Climate Change affect all areas of human activities. As Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Or, more recently, as Greta Thunberg commented, "The climate crisis has already been solved. We already have all the facts and solutions. All we have to do is to wake up and change."
What can YOU do to stop Climate Change?
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Reduce emissions. Instead of driving, walk or cycle – and enjoy the physical and mental health benefits. For longer journeys, use sustainable public transport. Air pollution caused by exhaust fumes from traffic poses a serious threat to public health, in addition to contributing to the Greenhouse Effect.
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Reduce your carbon footprint as a consumer. Avoid single-use items and fast fashion. Put your purchasing power to good use by choosing brands that align with your new green aspirations. Shop around for second-hand or quality items that last a long time. Avoid imports which create more emissions due to transportation.
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Reduce waste. Give unwanted items a new life by donating them to charity or reselling them. Repair and reuse. Avoid wasting food. Take advantage of second-hand markets, sell or find something that someone else wants to get rid of. You'll be saving money, too.
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Raise awareness. Share your experience with your family, friends and business partners. Fight for education and support for more efficient electrical equipment.
Clean energy with wind turbines along the beach. Source: Unsplash
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Support renewable energy for transportation. While the majority of cars currently run on dirty energy (petrol or diesel), it is necessary to move to clean energy, electric vehicles and electric bikes. We must strive for more stringent standards for fossil fuel power plants. Actively promote renewable energy sources and use more energy-efficient equipment.
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Save energy. Adjust the heating and air-conditioning thermostat. Reduce energy consumption by careful usage of home appliances. Unplug computers, TVs and other electronics when you’re not using them. Change to energy-efficient light bulbs. Limit your use of electricity in the home by using your appliances as sparingly as possible and only when absolutely necessary.
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Demand energy-efficient building projects. Support the affordability of renewable energy technology, such as solar panels, small hydro- or wind-power plants. Our current electricity comes from fossil sources such as coal, gas or oil. Fumes from these sources are a health threat and a cause of climate change.
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Reduce your meat consumption and increase your consumption of fruit and vegetables. Eat food that is local and in season, make sure it is produced locally, or grow your own vegetables.
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Fight against forest loss. If you plant a tree, it will absorb tons of CO2 throughout its life. Read more in Plant Trees and Protect Wilderness cause.
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Support the protection of residents around power plants and factories. Near major factories and power plants, burning fossil fuels is causing vast pollution. Read more about the fight against dirty energy in Support Clean Air cause.
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Focus on life’s simple pleasures. Spend time outdoors in Nature with loved ones. By consuming less, we produce fewer emissions and are kinder to the Earth and ourselves.
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Do not participate in investments in fossil fuels. Make sure your workplace, pension fund, university or bank do not invest in projects that harm the environment.
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Let your voice be heard. Get politically active to reduce carbon footprints by changing the wider system. Vote for leaders who take climate change seriously to reduce harmful carbon emissions, implement clear plans to reach those targets, adapt to climate change and shift to a clean-energy economy.
