In just the past month, the United States has witnessed several severe hurricanes tear through the country, leaving death and destruction in their wake. Their effects are believed by the majority of scientists to have been strengthened by climate change, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
While there are still many people who downplay the effects of climate change, the United Nations recent publication on the severe effects of humanity’s current lifestyles is drawing much needed national attention to this issue.
Originally published on Monday, October 8 by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, this report revealed a lot of information on the gravity of climate change–and what all people as a global community must do in order to reverse its’ effects.
According to the UN team, avoiding the most serious effects of climate change would “require rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society.”
These consequences include rising sea-levels, casualties related to skyrocketing heat, and dying ecosystems, like coral reefs and tropical rainforests. More specific consequences could be frequent heat waves (both on land and in oceans), an increase in the number of heavy precipitation events globally, and an increased risk of droughts in many regions around the world.
The document further states that “Under emissions in line with current pledges under the Paris Agreement…global warming is expected to surpass 1.5°C, even if they are supplemented with very challenging increases in the scale and ambition of mitigation after 2030.” This fact proves that the United Nations believes that there is still much work to be done in order to protect life on earth.
While the main argument of the report is tough to cope with, the UN made sure to highlight the value that current action will have on the fight against climate change and the importance of acting fast.
In order to slow the effects of climate change, people can decrease the amount of meat they eat, electrify transportation and travel to move away from fossil fuels, and improve energy efficiency planning within large cities.
Another point brought up by the council was climate change’s disproportionate effect on the poor and vulnerable.
One quote from the document reads, “They recognize the uneven development status between richer and poorer nations, the uneven distribution of climate impacts…The poorest people will continue to experience climate change through the loss of income and livelihood opportunities, hunger, adverse health effects, and displacement.”
As a community of the Sacred Heart, we are called to work for the betterment of the human condition. This includes working to decrease the gap between the rich and the poor, especially when it comes to a topic as all-consuming as climate change.
“[This] is something that we’re called to as children of the Sacred Heart,” said Science Department Chair Mrs. Joanna Caudle, who has worked on educating the school on the impact of climate change. “Once we educate ourselves on the topic, then we can start to change some things that we do, maybe raise awareness for issues that affect these most vulnerable people.”
As a part of this year’s interdisciplinary climate change educational effort, Mrs. Caudle hopes to further educate students on the topic of climate change as a social issue, as touched on by the United Nations.
Mrs. Caudle, who feels that this document will be one of the first to inspire real international change, still worries about the current presidential administration’s lack of urgency to challenge the issue of climate change. However, she feels that the sense of urgency isn’t lost on all American citizens.
“I think at the state level, and at the city level, we’re seeing greater action, more focus than I’ve ever seen before,” said Mrs. Caudle.