Nowadays, we see and read a lot about governments, businesses, and movie stars encouraging actions against climate change.
Recent events like COP26 in Glasgow and Web Summit in Lisbon had a clear message that something has to happen to improve the worldwide situation. The picture below is taken from the Web Summit, where Mr Dinosaur explains his era's mistakes and urges humankind to be careful and take care of the planet.
So, let’s have a closer look at what’s happening.
We all know the Amazon forest emits more carbon dioxide than it absorbs today, thanks to deforestation. It is a ticking bomb and could significantly worsen the situation with global warming.
Climate change makes natural disasters even worse.
Australia faces the worst-ever wildfires, with the hottest year on record in 2020. One billion native animals were killed, and some species have disappeared forever. Also, there are indirect impacts we are not aware of at the moment. East Africa is suffering from droughts. People in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are without essential resources like food and water. Likewise, in Central America’s Dry Corridor region, countries like Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua, see dry seasons followed by less crops, leaving millions of people without food. On the other hand, South Asia is constantly hit by floods. About 75% of Bangladesh was underwater due to the worst flood for the last 30 years.
According to the WMO (World Meteorological Organization), as an outcome of these and another 11,000 disasters in the last 50 years, we have globally lost 2 million lives and $3.6 trillion in money.
The losses are enormous and people suffer globally.
But what is the action plan to tackle climate change and make it less harmful?
- India plans to transition to a green economy by 2070 with a contribution of 50 million jobs and a promise to become net-zero. (source)
- Europe is planning to cut greenhouse gases emissions by 55% by 2030. (source)
- The United States disclosed a pledge to reduce greenhouse gases by 50% by 2030. (source)
- Australia will become a net-zero emissions country by 2050. (source)
This is a shortlist of the countries that have promised at least something to give you an idea of what’s going on with the governmental pledges. It is essential to mention that almost all countries failed to deliver the promises under the 2015 Paris Agreement, except Gambia. It is also a known fact that there are countries that haven’t set a goal at all, like China, Japan, South Korea and Brazil. (source)
Governments can not always keep their promises.
We need a clear action plan today as Bangladesh, Guatemala, and Ethiopia will not survive another wave of exhausting drought or neverending monsoon rain.
Our only hope is on businesses.
Most companies work hard, invest money, and try to make a difference, but some greenwashing activities are happening. Be careful buying goods from new brands, and make sure you support a trustworthy business that makes an effort to save the planet.
I recently saw this article about a man from Sydney who is 73 today and plans to quit drinking by 2050 to improve his health. His schedule is promising and split into several stages. Once he is 101, he will reduce alcohol consumption and thanks to the earned drinking credits (days without alcohol), he will stop alcohol consumption in 2060. Doesn’t it sound familiar to you? 😅
I promise to quit drinking coffee by 2050. 😎
