The Existential Threat: Combating Climate Change For Future Generations – OpEd
By Nadir Ali
The impact of climate change is felt everywhere in the world, and it has alarming repercussions in many areas. There is an immediate threat from the accelerating thawing of the polar ice shields and the resulting rise in sea level. Various regions simultaneously experience more frequent extreme weather events and increased precipitation, while others struggle with soaring heat-waves and protracted droughts. Inexorably affecting many aspects of human life, including water resources, energy production, transportation systems, wildlife habitats, agriculture, ecosystems, and public health, this severe phenomenon poses enormous challenges.
However, the effects of climate change go far beyond simple changes in weather patterns or rising sea levels. They have a ripple effect across all of society’s connected sectors. Long-lasting droughts can seriously jeopardize food production and human welfare. Similarly, flooding can promote the spread of diseases, cause serious harm to fragile ecosystems, and destroy vital infrastructure. In addition to raising mortality rates, the harmful effects on human health also reduce productivity, obstruct access to food, and widen social divides.
The ecological world is equally susceptible to the harmful effects of climate change, with some ecosystems and organisms being disproportionately affected. The Arctic, where temperatures are rising at a rate twice as fast as the global average and glaciers and land ice sheets are melting at a rate that significantly contributes to the global rise in sea levels, is one of the ecosystems that is most at risk.
As the marine environment deals with its own difficulties, oceanic transformations are also taking place. About 40% of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels is absorbed by the ocean, causing an increase in acidity that has a significant impact on marine life. Due to thermal expansion and ice melt, rising sea levels expose coastal regions to serious risks from erosion and storm surges. Beyond geographic boundaries and affecting all echelons of life, climate change continues to pose an existential threat to our planet. The complexity of this crisis necessitates coordinated global action to lessen its effects and secure the future for future generations.
Therefore, ecosystems are undergoing a wide range of changes as a result of the harmful effects of climate change. Particularly vulnerable to this global phenomenon’s negative effects are coral reefs, which can be destroyed by stronger hurricanes, coral bleaching brought on by rising temperatures, and sediment-encrusted corals that are smothered by rising sea levels.
The ecosystems of coral reefs, which are home to thousands of different species, are dependent on strong coral reefs to survive. The biggest existential threat to our planet, regrettably, is climate change. If greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels are not reduced, it is predicted that crops and fisheries will collapse massively, countless species will go extinct, and entire communities will become uninhabitable. The toll of climate change is already apparent, manifesting in suffering and death, even though these dire consequences may still be avoided. Today, their cumulative effects are felt far beyond the boundaries of our immediate surroundings, from raging wildfires to exacerbated cyclones.
Understanding these extensive effects can help us better prepare for current difficulties, lessen avoidable disasters, and brace for unforeseen difficulties that may still lie ahead. Furthermore, having such knowledge will help us defend and protect all communities. Despite the fact that everyone will be impacted by climate changes, those who live in the world’s poorest countries—those who have made the least contribution to the crisis’ emergence—will bear the brunt of its severe effects. Their livelihoods are inextricably linked to the health of the abundant natural world, which provides sustenance and income, and they are woefully lacking in financial resources to effectively respond to emergencies or adapt to changing circumstances.
Extreme changes in weather patterns brought on by rising global temperatures lead to more frequent and unpredictable droughts, hurricanes, and floods. Events that were once thought to be exceptional and perhaps only happened once in the lifetimes of our ancestors are now occurring more frequently in our own time. Although not all regions will experience the same effects of climate change, some may experience severe droughts while others may experience increased susceptibility to inundating floods. Sadly, the planet has already warmed by 1.1 degrees Celsius (1.9 degrees Fahrenheit) since the pre-industrial era began 250 years ago, so the situation is already dire. If we do not stop the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, the worst-case scenario for global warming by the year 2100 will be a 4-degree Celsius (7.2-degree Fahrenheit) increase.
