What Is The Climate Crisis?

There's no doubt that you've been involved in a conversation about climate change or seen climate change reported on in the news. It's a hot topic for modern-day discussion due to its dominant, threatening presence in our world. 

The term climate change suggests what it says in the name - it's a dramatic shift in the average weather patterns worldwide. Similarly, the term climate crisis describes the current state we're in, declaring how we have let climate change reach the point of crisis. 

People often refer to climate change as something that is approaching us from a distance. In reality, the negative impact of human-induced climate change has already begun in many parts of the world. Even here in the UK, we have noticed significant shifts in weather patterns. The top ten hottest years in the UK have all been since 2002 - which is no coincidence. Heatwaves are now more commonplace, as well as heavy rainfall. And that's not even touching upon the rest of the planet. Climate change is also blamed for increasing wildfires, record-breaking floods, threatening biodiversity, rising sea levels, and so much more.

The climate on earth hasn't remained the same since its genesis; it has changed throughout history. The difference this time is that the global warming we're experiencing is the result of human activity instead of nature's doing. 

The Greenhouse Effect is a term used to describe how certain gases block heat from escaping the atmosphere, thus causing the earth to get warmer. The main gases include carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, water vapour, ozone, and chlorofluorocarbons. Methane is the most potent greenhouse gas. However, carbon dioxide levels are most concerning at the moment. Right now, Co2 levels are at the highest measurements ever recorded. 

Overall, the earth's temperature has increased by roughly 1-degree Celsius, with over half of this increase occurring since the 1970s. This may not seem like much, but it takes a vast amount of heat to raise the earth's surface temperature. For example, think about the amount of water in the oceans and consider how much energy it would take to heat it all by 1-degree Celsius! 

Scientists discovered that greenhouse gases began warming the planet in the early 1800s during the Industrial Revolution. This was when humans began burning fossil fuels more than ever before as we moved toward machine manufacturing, and there was a huge development in transport.

It is both alarming and heartbreaking how humans have been on this earth for millions of years, and yet it has only taken roughly 200 years for us to get to crisis level. 

Where do I begin? Our planet is riddled with the horrific effects of human-induced climate change. It is fuelling the spread of deadly tropical diseases; it is disrupting the way that pollinators work, it is leaving polar bears stranded. Need I go on?

In the following years, humanity is facing forced migration, an increase in extreme weather, disease, underwater cities, desertification, food insecurity, mass extinctions, and conflict between countries. We are heading towards an inhospitable planet. 

It's wonderful that people are making an effort to lower their carbon footprint. Most of us do our fair share of recycling, using reusables, reducing water usage, eating fewer meats products, etc. But the climate crisis has got to the point where we also need large-scale change, which comes from corporations. Just 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions, which means we'll likely only see an improvement once these corporations change. One of the greatest things we can do as individuals is hold them accountable for their contribution to global warming. Try to keep updated with environmental charities and organisations like WWF and Greenpeace and support their activism.

Through non-judgemental discussion, peaceful protest, everyday efforts, and education, we can all do our part and spread the word to speed up necessary change!