Home | Letters | MAJOR GLOBAL THREAT

MAJOR GLOBAL THREAT

23/03/2020 08:10:00 Editor

Font size:

Sir,

Climate change, that is, the change of the global climate and, in particular, the changes in meteorological conditions that extend on a large time scale, is a major global existential threat, much greater than the coronavirus. The greenhouse effect causes the increase of temperature of the planet, primarily due to the tremendous increase in carbon dioxide, which has increased by 35 per cent since the beginning of the industrial revolution. And of course the lion’s share in pollution of the atmosphere, with 50 per cent of all carbon dioxide, has Europe and North America. All other countries together are responsible for the other half, while the poorest countries are the least responsible. However, the people who live in these countries will suffer more.

The causes of climate change are mainly identified in combustion of fossil fuels (coal, oil, gasoline, natural gas, etc) which account for 50 per cent of total emissions, in the production and use of synthetic chemicals. Expert scientists warn that if there is no urgent global coordinated action by political leaders, governments, industries and citizens around the world, the temperature of the planet is likely to rise above 2°C relative to pre-industrial levels by 2060 and the increase could even reach 5°C by the end of the 21st century, which will make the lives of future generations problematic.

Temperature

Such an increase in temperature will have a devastating impact on nature, bringing about irreversible changes in many ecosystems and consequent loss of biodiversity, all living organisms and species that make up life on the planet. Many species are expected to disappear from areas that will be directly and severely affected by climate change. Climate change, however, which is due to human activities, is a tangible ominous reality and is already adversely affecting our planet. The sectors responsible for the production of greenhouse gases are primarily the sectors of energy produce but also industrial activities, the modern means of transport and the activities of the primary production sector. So the extreme weather events, the uncontrolled fires in forests, such as the Amazon that have been characterised as the ‘lung’ of the planet, the heatwaves, the heavy rainfall, the prolonged droughts, the powerful hurricanes, are becoming constantly more intensive, costing tens of thousands of lives every year.

Melting

The ice at the same time and snow on the poles are melting, with the Arctic being the biggest victim to date, and the world average sea level is going up. If this unfavorable development continues, areas such as the Netherlands and Venice will be at risk of being permanently lost under the sea waters as new Atlantis. Climate change increases existing diseases worldwide and also creates new ones, which can lead to premature deaths. Too many diseases are particularly sensitive to temperature change; these include communicable diseases such as yellow fever, malaria, encephalitis and dengue fever, but also eating disorders, mental illnesses, cardiovascular diseases as well as respiratory diseases.

Climate change will also have negative impacts on economies of countries given the fact that the high temperatures undermine the productivity of most sectors of the economy, from the agricultural sector to processing. Valid scientists predict that by the end of the century, global GDP will have fallen by 7.22 per cent from what it would have been without climate change.
Teenage Swedish activist against climate change Greta Thunberg has managed in the most vigorous and loud way to pass the debate over this huge problem to heads of State and governments and public dialogue in society and in friendly discussions, mobilising millions of people around the world, especially young people, who began to demonstrate, demanding governments to take immediate measures to confront climate change.

Measures

So, what are the appropriate measures to be taken without delay to effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and keep the temperature at + 1.5°C? The basic policies for resolutely mitigating the problem should include promoting and utilising renewable energy sources, enhancing energy efficiency, drastic reduction of the exploitation of oil and gas deposits and the imposition of carbon taxes in order to limit the use of fossil fuels and thereby reduce significantly carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and eliminate them by 2050.
The Paris Agreement, the first universal, legally binding agreement for the climate change, came into force in 2016 with great optimism and manifest ambitions, despite the official US departure statement, which is among the biggest polluters. Four years have passed since then and there are no substantial results, which raises serious questions as to whether there is really political will to tackle this particularly threatening global problem.