The Climate crisis
Global temperatures are rising
Human activity is having an enormous impact on our environment. Our planet is already at least one degree hotter than the pre-industrial level with each of the last five years being the hottest on record. 1
This is not a coincidence, billions of tonnes of greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere every year as a result of burning fossil fuels and intensive farming.2 At the same time natural stores of carbon dioxide such as forests are being destroyed at a rapid rate. These greenhouse gases have the effect of trapping heat in our atmosphere and as our planet starts warming the impact is accelerated as arctic ice begins to melt reducing the cooling impact of the ice reflecting the sun’s energy.3 The current forecasts suggest that if the trend continues global temperature could rise by up to 5C by the end of the century.4
A few degrees warming may not sound like it should matter but the impact of continuing on this trajectory will be catastrophic if action is not taken. As ice sheets melt sea levels will continue to rise with entire cities being at risk of being submerged. The UN estimates that almost two thirds of the world’s largest cities are located in areas at risk of sea level rises and this will lead to the displacement of millions of people.5
Not only will flooding become an ever present problem but food and water security will be damaged as crops no longer become viable in some areas and disasters will become increasingly common with more frequent hurricanes, heatwaves and droughts causing devastation globally.
The devastation has already begun
This isn’t some future hypot