CLIMATE CHANGE – PART 4 – WHAT CAN WE DO? – The Procrastinating Scientist

Now, in a much-belated part 4, let’s put it all together.

A quick recap of what we have learned:

Climate is long-term and refers to atmospheric behavior over long periods. Small climate changes, over a long period, can lead to major effects on global ecosystems.

Our planet is warming up with new temperature records being set on average every 3 years. 2020 was the second warmest year on record while the 10 warmest years have occurred since 2005.

The melting ice, lengthening of the growing season, and migration of various forms of life are just a few of the wealth of environmental evidence to bolster the case in favor of global warming.

Global warming is due to the greenhouse effect – warming that occurs when heat radiating from the Earth and headed toward space is trapped by our planet’s atmosphere. An increase in greenhouse gases – mainly from the burning of fossil fuels – is trapping more heat on Earth’s surface, leading to the planet warming up.

What are the consequences? Rising temperatures, an increase in tropical storms and hurricanes, and the lengthening of the seasons; all these changes will have a major influence on the global ecosystem.

Moving forward, there is a lot of work to be done. This is where the lines are drawn. Who takes the responsibility?

The answer is, we all do, in varying degrees. Developed nations should lead the way while assisting developing nations to achieve the same benchmarks. This is easier said than done. You need not look any further than the most recent COP26 summit, in what is just the latest of the usual and similar resolutions set by world governments to combat climate change.

The COP26 summit produced the Glasgow Climate Pact (GCP) which was unanimously agreed to by all participating countries. If each country meets the commitments in the GCP and other agreements, reduced emissions could restrain the growth of global temperatures to less than 2⁰C. The catch? Much like other international climate agreements, like the Paris Agreement, there is no enforcement mechanism for these commitments the nations have signed up for. So, we come full circle and get back to the age-old question: who is going to be responsible?

What makes combating climate change so complicated is that it is not solely an environmental problem, it is also a social crisis. Beyond the question of who does what and who will compromise, mixed opinions still persist on if we have reached the tipping point in the climate change crisis and if it is too late to do anything. Most agree that the Earth is close to its climate tipping points indicated by global warming between 1-2⁰C. Specific phenomena or landmarks such as the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets, the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), thawing permafrost, and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation serve as monitors for global climate tipping points.

Beyond this, there is a growing concern focused on the social tipping points that climate change may impose. This concern identifies with how members of society voice their opinions or adapt their thinking toward actions that can help stabilize Earth’s climate: expanding climate education and discourse, removing fossil-fuel subsidies, creating incentives toward clean energy economies, decentralized energy generation, building carbon-neutral cities, etc.

At its crux, communication, understanding, and teamwork are crucial in resolving the climate crisis, as we are all part of the same planet. Accompanying such a vision is the ability to see beyond our present and be considerate of the future of those who will come after us, without needless finger-pointing. Open communication and an incentive toward collaborative action (unmarred by political and corporate interests) will remain the key to resolving this crisis.

With that said, the first step in engaging in climate change action is to learn about it. Your host, The Procrastinating Scientist has made a shortlist of online content to help you get started: