A Case for Climate Urgency
“We have a single mission: to protect and hand on the planet to the next generation.” - François Hollande, former President of France
By Laura Torres and Paula Soares
One of the biggest worries in our society today is climate change, which, according to the UN, includes long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Scientists have long predicted that due to changes in climate and global warming, there will be a loss of sea ice, a significant rise in sea levels, melting of polar ice, and more intense heat waves (NASA). Consequently, this will create more frequent wildfires, droughts, and extreme rainfall in tropical regions. According to NASA, these natural disasters are occurring more frequently than scientists predicted; therefore, serious actions from all over the world need to be taken.
Research shows that one of the best solutions to controlling climate change is significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Accomplishing this feat will require changes in the way we live our everyday lives.
The impacts of global warming can already be observed in various areas of the world, such as the melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet and the recent flood in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In September 2022, an ice melt occurred in the Arctic like none ever before, affecting nearly 592,000 square kilometers of the ice sheet. This was recorded as the largest melt event to ever occur in September over the last four decades, and according to scientists, these events will become even more common in the future.
Due to the drastic melting of the ice sheet in Greenland over the past years, sea levels have risen by 1 cm. A study shows that if the 110 trillion tons of ice from Greenland melt due to global warming, there will be a minimum sea level rise of 27 centimeters. “Climate change is warming Northern regions nearly four times faster than the rest of the planet. This, scientists warn, will trigger catastrophic weather events worldwide, from heatwaves and droughts to storms and floods.”(Nguyen). It follows that the rise in sea levels will lead to major flooding and erosion, which will in turn lead to the loss of land area and an inundation of deltas (C2ES).
In early May 2024, the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul experienced one of the most severe floods in its history. The flood was primarily caused by an unusually intense period of heavy rainfall. Meteorologists recorded rainfall amounts far exceeding typical levels for this time of year. This excessive rainfall was attributed to a combination of natural weather variability and the broader impacts of climate change (Maia).
Climate change has been identified as a key factor in increasing the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events. Warmer atmospheric temperatures result in increased evaporation rates, which can lead to more moisture in the air. This results in heavier and more prolonged rainfall. In addition, shifts in atmospheric circulation patterns, influenced by global warming, can bring more frequent and intense storms to certain regions, including southern Brazil (Rocha). The floods in Rio Grande do Sul had devastating outcomes. Thousands of residents were displaced as floodwaters inundated homes, businesses, and agricultural lands. The economic impact was significant, with damages to infrastructure and the destruction of crops. The state government declared a state of emergency, mobilizing resources for rescue operations and temporary shelters for those affected (“The Effects of Climate Change”).
Works Cited
Araujo, Luiz Antonio. “Enchentes no Rio Grande do Sul.” BBC News Brasil, 23 5 2024, https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/articles/cw00d51k5rlo. Accessed 26 May 2024.
“The Effects of Climate Change.” NASA Science, https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/effects/. Accessed 25 May 2024.
Maia, Larissa. “O Que Causou a Enchente no Rio Grande do Sul.” Wikipedia, 22 5 2024, https://valor.globo.com/brasil/stories/2024/05/22/o-que-causou-a-enchente-no-rio-grande-do-sul.ghtml. Accessed 26 May 2024.
Nguyen, Lei, et al. “What 2022 Natural Disasters Tell Us About Climate Change.” Earth.Org, 5 January 2023, https://earth.org/2022-natural-disasters/. Accessed 25 May 2024.
Rocha, Ana Paula. “2024 Rio Grande do Sul floods.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Rio_Grande_do_Sul_floods. Accessed 26 May 2024.
“Sea-Level Rise & Global Climate Change: A Review of Impacts to U.S. Coasts.” C2ES, https://www.c2es.org/document/sea-level-rise-global-climate-change-a-review-of-impacts-to-u-s-coasts/. Accessed 25 May 2024.
“What Is Climate Change? | United Nations.” the United Nations, https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change. Accessed 25 May 2024.
