A new report from the UN International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) does not paint a pretty picture for the planet’s future. As many have warned, including previous reports from the IPCC, we are nearing the point of no return. They warn that we are just a few tenths of a degree of warming away from an Earth rife with exacerbated natural disasters, and with our current rate of warming, we will likely exceed this by 2100. Previous estimates have been overly optimistic, and the panel warns that if something is not done soon, we may lose our last chance to prevent an irreversible cascade of compounding climate effects.
The biggest fear is that increasing global temperatures will increase climate-related fatalities, due to “heat stress, heart and lung problems from heat and air pollution, infectious diseases, illnesses from mosquitoes and starvation.” Not only will we have a mortality crisis on our hands, but the report details that more than 3 billion people are “highly vulnerable” to the effects of climate change on their daily life, which will create a massive refugee crisis. People will be forced to leave their homes as they become too hot to live and others may have to move inland as rising sea levels make water-side cities uninhabitable.
As we face a global humanitarian refugee crisis, we will also be facing drought and food shortages, first as it becomes too hot for people to work outside, and then as an increasing amount of farmland becomes unfarmable. As temperatures become more extreme, so too will our use of air conditioning, and in turn, energy consumption. As more and more people cool their homes, and as temperatures continue to rise, either we will be faced with more city-wide blackouts due to a lack of energy, or companies and governments will begin to control the temperature of our thermostats, preventing blackouts but causing heat-related illnesses to become more prevalent.
Climate scientists are saying “that climate change is impacting the world far faster than scientists had anticipated,” as we blow past the estimations of previous reports and the predictive models of our warming path.
But all hope is not lost. The IPCC scientists say there is still a chance to prevent the worst of climate change and there are mitigation strategies we can use in the future if necessary. But these mitigation techniques will come at a cost. Not only will these strategies require an exorbitant amount of money, time, labor, and political capital (the reasons why almost nothing has been done), but they will also need to be done globally, especially in less wealthy African, Middle Eastern, and Asian countries which are likely both to be hit the hardest and be the least capable of dealing with the crisis. While an international cooperative solution does not seem likely anytime soon, many believe that it is the last chance the world has to prevent an unrepairable feedback loop.
While the future does seem grim, there is still some hope left to save the planet. Although those in power may not live long enough to see the effects of their decisions, our generation still has a chance to turn this crisis around. Don’t allow companies like Exxon to control the narrative, make it known that they are the root cause of the problem, with just 100 companies causing 71% of global emissions. Don’t allow them to blame you for their production of plastic cups and straws which are poisoning the planet. Make your voice heard, or else soon all of the voices in the world may not be enough.
NJ Senators
Cory Booker – booker.senate.gov/contact
Bob Menendez – menendez.senate.gov/contact
Climate Organizations
350.org
NRDC.org
sierraclub.org
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