The climate crisis and global warming are very real and scary global issues. Simply put, greenhouse gases are trapping heat in the atmosphere and causing average global temperatures to rise. This change creates devastating effects on the ice caps, causing rising sea levels as well as widespread damage to global ecosystems.
The effects of the climate crisis to date are irreversible in our lifetime, but preventing further damage to the environment would create huge lasting benefits. However, scientists predict that without major global action, temperature levels are on track to rise by 2.5–4.5ºC. Although these projections may appear only slightly above the ideal global target of 1.5ºC, the consequences are vastly different and would lead to large areas of the world becoming uninhabitable.
These rising global temperatures mean that natural disasters and extreme weather will be commonplace. Droughts, heatwaves, floods, and wildfires will be present in abundance, and we are facing the future reality of an Arctic with no ice. Alongside global warming, intense human activity has caused natural ecosystems to be degraded and exploited for capital gain.
This is evidenced by the fact that half of the world’s tropical and temperate forests are no longer standing, with deforestation occurring at a rapid rate of an acre a second. Despite global warming and the climate crisis being something that will affect us all, the future effects will be disproportionate across regions and will exacerbate inequality. The poorest countries of the world are often situated nearest to the equator, which means they will experience weather extremes first and with the greatest severity.
Not only do these countries not have the resources to recover from the damage, but they are also the least responsible for the problem, having contributed the least amount to global emissions. Instead, the wealthiest 10% are responsible for nearly half of cumulative emissions since 1990. With intense natural disasters, millions of people may be forced to migrate—an issue that is seldom acknowledged when considering the future of climate change.
This is often overlooked due to a tendency to focus on these issues from a scientific perspective, rather than considering social and economic consequences. The potential for mass migration caused by climate change is an especially concerning possibility given today’s attitudes towards migration. The worsening climate crisis can be attributed to the lack of effective and global action.
Instead of taking preventive measures, the crisis has been addressed as an inconvenient truth which can be postponed in favour of economic growth. However, irreversible damage is happening now. To prevent the continuation of this, a global stance with strict policies and regulations concerning carbon taxes, greenhouse gas emissions, litigation, and climate nudging can be beneficial.
However, despite the power lying in the hands of governments and corporations, we can demand the change we wish to see when we come together. We need to stand together and demand change from those in power, before it is too late.