The Impending Doom of Climate Disaster
According to a study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, for every 1°C (1.8°F) of warming, 1 billion people will either have to migrate to cooler regions or adapt to extreme heat conditions. (Helen). With the already very present threat of overpopulation, land to live on is extremely important if human civilization is to survive any longer. The best way to tackle it is at its source. SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Goal 13: Climate Action is about taking action against the already very present effects of climate change. Climate change is causing the Earth’s temperature to increase due to human’s ignorance and greed for profit, and along with the rising temperatures forcing people to migrate to cooler areas, it’s also causing ecosystems to be destroyed and leads to climate disasters like wildfires and hurricanes to become exponentially more potent and destructive. Everything isn’t all doom and gloom however, as long as we act quick enough and take action against the climate disaster we face everyday.
Now, one might wonder: What’s causing climate change? Well, many things can cause climate change, but the main perpetrator is fossil fuels. According to a study published by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, who was aided by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the burning of fossil fuels was discovered to clearly have primarily increased human-caused climate change and the likelihood of unfortunate and irregular natural events. (“New Report Finds”). The main reason humans use fossil fuels is mostly due to the fact that we already have many oil rigs around the world, and we keep making more despite the fact that we already knew a long time ago that using those fossil fuels was extremely bad for the environment, yet humans still continued to use it because it was cheap, not thinking about the future consequences of their actions that a new generation has to deal with now. Another negative aspect of fossil fuels is that “oil will pollute drinking water and destroy freshwater and ocean ecosystems when oil spills and leaks during extraction or transportation” (Huey). This causes devastating damage to local ecosystems and endangers people drinking the polluted drinking water, possibly leading to several health problems later in life.
Secondly, why should we care? Well, “warmer temperatures caused by climate change both heat up the atmosphere and dry out the land, leading to significantly worse droughts which commonly helps cause devastating fires, and since the warmer atmosphere causes clouds to hold moisture for longer periods of time.” (“Drought, Fire, Deluge”); Considering that the human body is most likely not going to be able to adapt to the extreme heat in such a short period of time, it’s safe to say that humans will not be prepared at all possibly leading to illness and death rates to skyrocket. Another thing to note is how much of the planet may become uninhabitable due to the rising temperatures. “In findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences…said that if heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions continue at the current pace, by 2070 billions of people will be living in conditions hotter than those that have allowed life to thrive for the past 6,000 years.” (Helen).
Now that we finally know the consequences, what can we do, or what is being done? Well, a highly beneficial source of green energy is nuclear energy. Even though “climate activists promote wind and solar solutions despite the enormous carbon footprint to manufacture them, their intermittent energy production, and the monstrous cost and pollution required to manufacture and dispose of batteries for green backup.” (Fillat). Both are still more well know and favored, this isn’t always for the best though. Despite the demonization of nuclear energy in the past, significant advances in nuclear power plant design that have improved efficiency and safety have been ignored (Fillat). One person’s lifetime use of nuclear power would produce about a half-ounce of waste. Even including the Chernobyl disaster, human mortality from coal is 2,000 to 3,000 times that of nuclear, while oil claims 400 times as many lives (Fillat). Relying on and investing more time and money in nuclear energy could prove that it would be a beneficial switch for society and the environment. Another solution, although temporary, is to begin to use basalt to contain CO2 produced by fossil fuels. “Columbia basalt could hold centuries’ worth of the CO 2 produced in the region…the region may have to one day rely on basalt sequestration, because it has relatively few saline aquifers or spent gas and oil wells for CO 2 storage.” (Brown).
Every day the climate disaster seems to get worse, from oil spills poisoning drinking, to rising temperatures destroying ecosystems, causing devastating wildfires and droughts. But if we take educated, decisive actions, like switching to greener energy options like nuclear, there is a chance we can still save what of this planet we have left; After all, that would be the wisest decision, wouldn’t it?
Works Cited
Brown, Valerie. “A Climate Change Solution?” High Country News, 2007. SIRS Issues Researcher, explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2265979986?accountid=4047.
—. “A Climate Change Solution?” High Country News, 2007. SIRS Issues Researcher, explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2265979986?accountid=4047.
Cave, Damien, and Matthew Abbott. “Drought, Fire, Deluge: Climate’s Multiplier Effect Pounds Australia.” New York Times, 24 Feb. 2020. SIRS Issues Researcher, explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2362426493?accountid=4047.
Denchak, Melissa. “Fossil Fuels: The Dirty Facts.” NRDC.org, NRDC, 29 June 2018, www.nrdc.org/stories/fossil-fuels-dirty-facts.
“New Analyses Find Evidence of Human-Caused Climate Change in Half of 12 Extreme Weather and Climate Events Analyzed from 2012.” SIRS Issues Researcher, 5 Sept. 2013, explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2250340801?accountid=4047.
“‘New Report Finds Human-Caused Climate Change Increased Severity of 2013 Heat Waves in Asia, Europe and Australia.'” SIRS Issues Researcher, 29 Sept. 2014, explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2250317220?accountid=4047.
Regan, Helen. “Billions of People Could Live in Areas Too Hot for Humans by 2070…” CNN Wire Service, 5 May 2020. SIRS Issues Researcher, explore.proquest.com/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2398961008?accountid=4047.