Knowing that the globe is warming rapidly has not sped up attempts to address the situation. A developing worry is that projections of when the worst effects of climate change will take place may be too optimistic. From the salinization of the Amazon to the thawing of permafrost methane in Siberia, natural phenomena can have domino effects that can hasten forecasts.
In some policy and scientific circles, there is a growing sense of arrogance that the human race can avoid the worst impacts of the climate catastrophe by gambling on carbon-capture technologies or taking the unknowable risks associated with geoengineering. Politicians need to start discussing the present, with measurable annual reductions in emissions.
The reversal of progress toward eliminating the use of fossil fuels poses a threat to humanity and the planet’s very survival. We are leaving an incomprehensible legacy if we do not act with greater ambition and make real bipartisan attempts to confront the most crucial issue of the century. It is imperative that we prevent the Earth from becoming uninhabitable in the near future.
Due to the huge shift in economics in favor of renewable energy, the problem’s root lies in both the technological and political realms. While the field of climate science is far from perfect, it does help highlight concerning tendencies that should inform and steer domestic and foreign policy in the United States. For over 30 years, scientists have worked to develop ways to apply their knowledge and experience to policymaking, but we may soon reach a point of no return.
Some researchers are changing tactics and are contemplating civil disobedience and political action in an attempt to spur more rapid change. Why should scientists compromise their objectivity by trying to address a problem traditionally left to economists and city planners? Because the window of opportunity for making real progress this decade is so narrow. If the most recent United in Science assessment is accurate, the average annual temperature will exceed the Paris Agreement’s targets (at least temporarily) over the next five years.
Potentially more common usage of the term “tipping point,” which describes a situation at which a critical threshold is crossed, could increase the prevalence of references to sudden shifts in climate. Scientists’ predictions of gradual warming starting around mid-century have been shattered by the rapidity with which the trend is developing.
There have been huge heat waves, droughts, and wildfires in Europe, and a third of the population in Pakistan has been displaced due to massive flooding. Recent research has also demonstrated that ice melt and other physical phenomena in the Arctic and Antarctic are occurring at a considerably faster rate than was previously thought.
To scientists accustomed to thinking in terms of gradual, linear progress, this comes as a rude awakening. All too likely, we will not react quickly enough, both in terms of mitigation and adaptation, unless we place a higher priority on civic engagement and educate the public on the potential outcomes facing our planet. On the other hand, one should not give up hope.
Even if climate change poses a number of threats to our economy and reflects divisive opinions on how to address the issue, the international aspects of the problem may give the United States unexpected opportunities. Long-term patterns related to displacement and migration frequently overshadow the significance of Latin American countries and the Western hemisphere more generally.
Devastating heat and drought have forced many people to leave their homes and livelihoods in the Central American countries that make up the Dry Corridor, which stretches from southern Mexico to northern Panama. To make matters worse, Mexico is putting a lot of effort into becoming energy independent through fossil fuels.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has derailed global efforts to reduce carbon emissions because policymakers are too focused on the near term to address the longer-term effects of the conflict on the economy. However, numerous nations in the hemisphere have lofty goals, are rapidly expanding their renewable energy and green hydrogen infrastructure, and are making major contributions to conservation. Many of the essential minerals and inputs for industries that can aid in the United States’ energy transition are held in numerous Latin American countries.
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has been heralded as a positive development. More than a quarter of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions come from the automobile industry; the bill’s approximately $370 billion in investment and tax credits will help lead future action, particularly in this sector.
The legislation’s international aspects are encouraging since it has the potential to improve trade links and economic prospects in the Western hemisphere by establishing more resilient supply networks headquartered in the Americas.
In the coming years, the IRA will mandate that critical minerals like lithium, which is required for energy storage and electrification, come from either domestic sources, recycled components, or countries that have a free-trade agreement with the United States. These countries include Australia, Chile, Peru, Mexico, and Canada.
However, the IRA law is not as ambitious as it should be if the United States is serious about moving toward a more environmentally friendly economic model. Despite some consensus among voters of both parties in recent years, addressing the climate crisis will continue to be cast as a partisan issue without a clear, politically viable pathway forward.
This is true even though targeted investments and subsidies, the creation of carbon border taxes, and federal job training can all help. Whether the current demands on American democracy further polarize us and our reaction to this crucial task or reflect a new feeling of togetherness to bring the country together, there is a growing political risk.
Related Articles:
- Jane Goodall, a Primatologist, Warns that Climate Change Is “approaching a Point of No Return”
- Frozen Planet: Documenting the Effects of Climate Change on An Arctic Glacier
- What Progressives Should Know About Combating Climate Change
There is still a chance of reaching the second scenario. The first step is for regular folks to prioritize a set of policies and problems. The state of our environment and the long-term consequences of “business as usual” should be at the forefront of voters’ minds when elections are held around the country in the coming months.
Voters should be aware of the risks of inaction, which include the failure to address domestic issues and the threat posed by a warming planet, as well as the failure to restore confidence in U.S. leadership abroad.
In the absence of immediate and substantial action to reduce emissions, the future may look catastrophically worse, with little hope of recovery; this would be disastrous for the earth and our legacy as its stewards.
