Code Red: The Latest on Climate Change
With recent freak weather-related disasters, mother earth is still trying to show us we need to care more
Text: Hui Yi Phua
credit: Markus Spiske
If you’ve been following the news closely over the past few months, you’ll know that there has been an ongoing series of devastating weather-related disasters – the Western European severe floods and the North American wildfires just to name a few. The World Meteorological Organization says that over the last 50 years, we’ve witnessed a five-fold increase of weather-related disasters all around the world. And scientists have warned that climate change is going to bring even more extreme weather in the years to come.
Recently, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) published its 2021 climate science report. In this landmark report, it is stated that the earth’s surface warming is projected to reach 1.5 degree Celsius or 1.6 degree Celsius over the next two decades. That means drastic changes to climates and temperatures in all world regions, are reaching critical tolerance thresholds for agriculture and health more frequently. The report has also warned us that we are now closer than ever to the tipping point and making irreversible changes to the climate.
credit: 2021 IPCC Climate Science Report
On top of all these findings, the IPCC report has also concluded that humans play an unequivocal role in influencing the climate system.
The message is clear: We need to act now. And fast.
But this probably isn’t your first time hearing about the urgent need to save our earth. The onslaught of information available to us on climate change, natural disasters, and global warming can sometimes cause us to feel desensitized about the gravity of the situation. We explored further so we can refocus and recentre on why it’s so important to tackle climate change, as well as what we can do as individuals to slow it down.
What is climate change and what causes it?
Climate change is the large-scale shifts in weather patterns and conditions. Although there have always been natural variations in the climate, human activities have caused such changes to happen more rapidly and frequently. Our actions, such as the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil, are the primary driver for the increase in concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which traps heat radiating from Earth toward space. This results in the “greenhouse effect” and warming of the Earth (also termed as ‘global warming’).
What are the effects of climate change?
There are a myriad of consequences to climate change, all of which could place animals, humans and other living things on Earth in danger if the climate change rate continues to accelerate.
Currently, we are already experiencing some of the effects of climate change, including: the rise in global temperature, the large increase in frequency and intensity of weather-related disasters, and the rising sea levels due to the melting land ice and expansion of seawater.
The repercussions of such effects are severe and long-lasting – persistent droughts, water and food shortages, submerged cities, the extinction of animal and plant species, and plenty other unfathomable consequences.
credit: Pixabay
What can I do to help slow down climate change?
Slowing down climate change is no small feat. That’s why as Robert Moritz, chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers, said: “We need 8 billion people to make this a personal cause”. In order for us to turn things around, we need to mobilize the whole world.
At an individual level, we can start by making more sustainable, conscious daily decisions in what we do, eat and buy. These can look like using greener modes of transportation (walking, cycling, public transport), eating less meat and opting for more plant-based food options, or supporting fashion and beauty brands that are eco-friendly. You can also influence others around you to do the same by sharing your knowledge and tips on climate change and sustainability.
Another helpful and important suggestion is to exercise your rights as citizens and consumers by placing pressure on governments and companies to make better, greener systemic changes. The 2021 IPCC report has shown that human-produced greenhouse gases contribute more than 95% of our Earth’s rising temperature. We should therefore advocate strongly for our leaders to make major cuts in these emissions so that global temperatures can stabilise.
Every bit of effort from all stakeholders can help to minimize the damage caused by climate change. But we need to step up together quickly, before the destruction of our planet and humanity becomes inevitable.
