For many people, the term “global warming” evokes images of melting icebergs in the Arctic Circle. This is indeed a major and daunting consequence of climate change. Still, there are many aspects of the climate issue that are more tangible and potentially more manageable. They include, but are not limited to:
POLLUTION: From visible air quality issues in smog-choked Beijing and Delhi to leafy London where nitrogen oxide levels routinely exceed safe norms— pollution is present in our daily lives.
RESOURCE SCARCITY: Drought is a growing problem that affects communities and farmers around the world. Last year, Cape Town nearly ran out of water and introduced the concept of Day Zero which effectively triggers the start of drastic water rationing. California also is dealing with the acute effects of drought and, now, flooding. Lakes in many parts of Africa are shrinking, thus leading to social strife, conflict, migration and refugee crises.
WASTE MANAGEMENT: Many of our cities are running out of landfill and other solutions to dispose waste. Plastics are making their way into the oceans, marine life and our food chain at alarming levels. At the current pace there could be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050.
ECO-DIVERSITY: Sections of pristine rainforest in Indonesia are routinely razed for agriculture and timber. This is also true in Brazil where the Amazonian rain forests produce 20% of our planet’s oxygen. In 2016 alone, 30% of the coral in the Great Barrier Reef was destroyed.