Our perception of what climate change is and where it is heading varies drastically around the globe, however, one constant holds true...there’s no escaping it. Climate change cannot be immediately halted since it has evolved over earth's history. The rapid rate at which change is occurring is making climate change increasingly more difficult and seemingly unrealistic to reverse as each day passes by. Aside from our natural environment absorbing the most direct consequences of climate change, the effects on our society and its people as a whole, including our world's politics, economics, and technology, cannot be understated.
Humanity continues to ignore the glaring problems caused by the burning of fossil fuels. This has led to increased atmospheric temperatures, causing the polar ice caps to melt at a much more rapid rate. The 2nd and 3rd order effects include more frequent and severe natural disasters, and the discovery and rediscovery of both new and old diseases found within what used to be the ice caps.
Psychologically, the effects of climate change are disproportionately harming our youth, fostering a phenomenon called “eco-anxiety.” A study surveyed 10,000 people between the ages of 16-25, across 10 countries, and found that nearly 60% responded saying they felt “extremely” or “very” worried about climate change. 45% of respondents said their feelings about climate change impacted their daily lives. 65% agreed with the statement that governments are failing young people. Despite only being one survey, these results go to show how harmful climate change is towards our youth and that it has already begun to take a toll on our mental well-being.
As technology continues to advance, each new invention either contributes to the rapidisation of climate change or attempts to minimize or reverse our impact. One potential threat is water reaching above ground pipelines, due to the ice caps melting, that are responsible for the United States oil, gas, and even internet transportation.
Our failure thus far to acknowledge the damages caused economically by climate change will prove to be catastrophic. Companies will begin losing significant amounts of revenue in the near future if our trajectory is not severely altered. The CDP found that 215 of the world’s 500 biggest companies could lose an estimated one trillion dollars due to climate change, beginning within five years. It is essential for businesses to start incorporating ethical considerations in both their long and short term decisions. Subscribing to the idea of the Triple Bottom Line and Corporate Social Responsibility, will enable these companies to reap many benefits.
Stricter international laws need to be created to limit CO2 Emissions, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and overall pollution by various countries such as China, the United States, and India. Climate Change needs to stop being a punchline to win votes, but instead needs to be enacted through legislation. The rise in temperature, due to high emissions, will only lead to severe natural disasters that can potentially disrupt functions of companies and collapse countries economies.