Existential threat

Year 2023, poised to become hottest on record, has witnessed a relentless onslaught of extreme weather events

The Earth is under siege — and the warning signs are not merely on the horizon, they are happening here, now. The scientific coalition’s declaration of climate change as an “existential threat” is a clarion call that demands the attention and immediate action of individuals, communities and nations alike.

The year 2023, poised to become the hottest on record, has witnessed a relentless onslaught of extreme weather events that have left scientists shocked and humanity fearful. From scorching heatwaves to devastating floods, the impacts of climate change are hitting harder and faster than anticipated. The report’s emphasis on the lack of progress in curbing planet-heating emissions and the record levels of greenhouse gases is a stark reminder that our current trajectory is unsustainable. As we stand on the precipice of a warming El Niño phenomenon and witness ocean temperatures going “completely off the chart”, the gravity of the situation cannot be ignored. The potential consequences, including threats to sea life, intensified tropical storms and the release of carbon dioxide from record wildfires, show the interconnected nature of climate change’s impacts across the globe. Hence, climate emergency must no longer be viewed as a mere environmental concern but as a systemic, existential threat that requires a paradigm shift in our approach. The report’s prediction that three to six billion people could face intolerable conditions provides the sheer scale of the human cost of our inaction.

In the face of this existential threat, the call for massive cuts in fossil fuel emissions and increased funding for climate adaptation cannot be ignored. The upcoming UN COP28 climate negotiations provide a crucial platform for world leaders and policymakers to demonstrate their commitment to the survival of our planet. The fate of the Earth hangs in the balance and the time for decisive action is now. Every fraction of a degree that we go overboard matters.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2023.

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