Over the past 12 months, heat records have been consistently shattered globally, underscoring the severity of our changing climate. Regions are experiencing temperatures far beyond historical norms, demanding urgent action. Cornwall has been lucky because we only experienced air quality issues last summer due to Quebec forest fires and high humidity days this summer. Nonetheless, this highlights the broader issue of a global environmental collapse, evidenced by record heat waves, severe droughts, massive floods, and increasing natural disasters. The severity and increased frequency of theseevents is worrisome. These events indicate a rapidly changing climate with severe, widespread impacts requiring urgent action.
Sub-Saharan Africa faces frequent heat waves and severe droughts, leading to water shortages and food insecurity. Mexico, Australia, and California struggle with prolonged dry spells affecting agriculture and water supplies, while Bangladesh and states like Minnesota frequently battle flooding or face more extreme flooding. Heat waves are setting new records in the USA, Europe, and Asia, impacting hundreds of millions and leading to health crises and increased energy consumption. In India, China, and Pakistan,temperatures above 50°C have dire consequences for health and agriculture. In Mexico, hundreds of Howler monkeys were found dead, fallen off trees, as a result of dehydration and heat stroke. In addition, over 1,300 Muslim pilgrims died during Hajj in Saudi Arabia due to heat stress.
The warming Arctic is weakening the polar jet stream, leading to erratic weather patterns and impacting ecosystems, agriculture, and human communities. Changes in atmospheric circulation, like El Niño and La Niña, have become more extreme, resulting in more frequent and intense storms, altered precipitation patterns, and shifting climate zones. Rapid melting of ice caps in the Arctic, Antarctic, and Greenland significantly contributes to rising sea levels, threatening small island nations and coastal communities. In Nunavut, melting permafrost causes ground instability, affecting infrastructure and livelihoods.
Oceans struggle to cope with excess heat and carbon dioxide, leading to record temperatures, coral bleaching, and disrupted marine ecosystems. Due to warmer ocean temperatures, hurricanes are becoming more frequent and intense, causing widespread devastation in regions like the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and Southeast Asia. Mass fish die-offs, driven by rising water temperatures and declining oxygen levels, are becoming common. Pollution and harmful algal blooms exacerbate these conditions, creating dead zones where marine life cannot survive.
The decline in bee populations, driven by climate change, pesticide use, habitat loss, and diseases, threatens global food security, biodiversity, and ecosystems. Bees are crucial for pollinating plants, including essential crops. On the other hand, pest infestations, worsened by warmer temperatures, threaten forests and crops. Climate change affects agriculture, with droughts and changing precipitation patterns reducing crop yields in Africa, Asia, and North America. In Canada, the Prairie Provinces and British Columbia face increasing droughts, impacting water supplies and agriculture.
Climate change has significant health impacts, increasing heat-related illnesses and expanding the range of vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue fever. Extreme weather events and environmental degradation could displace millions, leading to mass migrations and exacerbating humanitarian crises. The economic implications are profound, with infrastructure damage, reduced agricultural productivity, and increasedhealthcare costs straining economies worldwide.
The evidence is overwhelming that climate change is escalating, and we are approaching critical thresholds and tipping points with irreversible (or certainly long-term) consequences. Therefore, token measures like the Paris Accord are insufficient to combat the escalating impacts of climate change. Each of the past 12 months surpassed the 1.5 C threshold, illustrating that business as usual isn’t working. Comprehensive, binding policies and immediate action at both national and international levels are necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, transition to renewable energy, and enhance resilience to climate impacts. Immediate and drastic action is necessary to mitigate damage and adapt to our rapidly changing environment.
