Let’s talk about climate change awareness. Sometimes climate change is referred to as “global warming,” although in reality, climate change is much broader than global warming would suggest. In fact, climate change means that at some times and in some locations, the climate gets warmer, whereas at other times and locations, the climate gets colder. Climate change also refers to changes in weather patterns like precipitation, such as how much rain and/or snow fall in a certain area, and with what frequency. Finally, climate change also refers to changes in the frequency, duration, and location of extreme weather events, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and tsunamis.
Why Does Climate Change Matter?
One could easily imagine that these kinds of climate changes can have real effects on the lives of people (and all species) who live in particular region. For example, the annual precipitation in the city of Boston is 43 inches of rain. If these 43 inches of precipitation fall in 8-10 storms, there is going to be much more flooding during each storm (and flooding-associated damage) compared to a situation in which the same 43 inches fell over the course of 50-60 smaller rain events.
In broader terms, climate change is a significant problem for everyone who lives on this planet, including plants, animals, and humans. Why? Because ecosystems, or the interacting network of all living species in a particular geographic area, have evolved to live in certain climates, with certain temperatures, wind patterns, and rainfall. Changing the climate in any way makes it more difficult for certain species to survive and thrive, which disrupts the delicate balance of the ecosystem.
Flooding
Let’s talk about a specific example that affects people. Many people in the United States live in areas that are close to bodies of water, including people who live in Boston, New York, San Diego, and New Orleans. If changes in climate lead to heavier rainfall, or more rainfall in a shorter time, the risk of flooding (and flooding-associated damage) for these populations increases substantially. During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, more than 80% of New Orleans flooded. Experts on climate change say that such flooding will become increasingly common in the near future.
So let’s assume that we all agree that climate change is a problem in general. Why are we discussing it today? How is it a particular problem for us now, in 2024?
Pace of Climate Change
Well, unfortunately, the pace of climate change has been increasing substantially in recent years. One way of measuring climate change is by measuring the increase in global temperature, although as we discussed above, global warming is only one of several aspects of climate change. Between 1880 and 1969, the average global temperature increased approximately 0.04 degrees Celsius every decade. Starting in the year 1970, however, the average global temperature increased 0.19 degree Celsius per decade, which means that the rate of global warming increased by a factor of 4.75. In other words, in 2024, the Earth’s average temperature is increasing almost five times as fast as it was increasing in 1964.
Along with this rapidly accelerating rate of climate change comes a plethora of associated problems. These problems affect all species that inhabit this planet, including plants, animals, and people. In particular:
1. Plants are affected by climate change in a number of ways.
The increased prevalence of droughts in some places and floods in other places will destroy a significant number of plant species. For those that survive such extreme weather events, the disruption to the nutrients in the soil will make it harder to thrive. Moreover, such extreme weather events often lead to the introduction of invasive species, such as non-native weeds and destructive pests, which can cause further damage to the surviving plants. Even without extreme weather events, increased global temperatures mean that some plants bloom earlier in the year. This change in the time of blooming causes a mismatch in timing between when the plants bloom and when the pollinators (insects that travel between plants and transport pollen) are ready to pollinate.
2. Animals are affected by climate change.
Particularly because climate change can disrupt their food supply and habitat. Many species, including cheetahs, polar bears, and giant panda bears, are in danger of becoming extinct, due in large part to rapidly accelerating climate change. How does climate change cause such danger? It destroys some of these animals’ habitats, such as the polar ice caps inhabited by the polar bears. For other species, such as the giant panda bears, climate change destroys the species’ main food supply, bamboo plants.
3. People are affected by climate change.
As we mentioned above, increased flooding to coastal areas has already caused significant damage to property and human life. Climate change disrupts agriculture and animals, which in turn damages our food supply. Increased heat waves, especially in areas where such heat is not common, causes deaths, particularly among the elderly and other vulnerable populations. Conversely, temperatures that are much colder than average also pose a serious risk to vulnerable populations, who may not have the resources to survive such conditions.
Climate Change Awareness Importance
Now that we know that climate change is already a problem for all inhabitants of this planet, what can we look forward to next? What are the anticipated effects of climate change, and can increased climate change awareness be used to mitigate some of the worst effects?
According to experts, climate change will permanently change ecosystems. For example, the tropical rainforest in South America will significantly decrease in size, with much of the rainforest ecosystem being replaced by a savannah ecosystem. This change will lead to the extinction of many species that live in the rainforest, with a decrease in biodiversity of the planet. In another example, reduced snow cover in northern Europe and in the Arctic circle will destroy the habitat of polar bears and other polar species, increasing the risk for permanent extinction. In North America, increases are expected in coastal flooding, and in the frequency and duration of heat waves, particularly in major cities.
The Global Crisis
Succinctly, climate change is a global crisis. According to many experts, it may be the most significant global crisis that we are currently facing. How significant is this? Experts say that at least one billion people will die from climate-related disasters over the next century. To put this in perspective, the population of the entire world is approximately 7.8 billion, meaning that more than 12% of the current population will die from climate change-related issues.
Sounds pretty depressing, right? Unfortunately, it is depressing. Climate change is a global crisis.
Fortunately, there are some things we can do to mitigate the catastrophic effects of climate change, both on an individual and government level. These efforts start with climate change awareness, and a recognition of the current crisis. How we mitigate this crisis will be the subject of another post.
Author: Mindy Levine