Climate Change - How serious can it be?

Say the words “climate change” or “global warming” during a conversation with your circle and notice how most people react. Just as these terms are used, it's a huge turn-off for most people. So here's the first point: DON'T TURN OFF. Climate change isn't just the most common topic you get in your English projects, but the biggest threat to mankind as well. On the occasion of World Environmental Day, I'll try to give you an idea about why this issue is not as prosaic as you think it is. 

I have heard people say that climate change is natural and that we shouldn't worry about it so much. The thing is, we indeed have had naturally occurring climate change since the earth was formed. But none of the natural causes of climate variation — be it from the sun's output, the tilt of the earth, volcanic activity or emissions from rotting vegetation — can account for the warming we observe today. There is only one thing that can: the emissions from fossil fuels caused by human activities over the last two centuries. The concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have increased by 30% since the industrial revolution. 

Wondering what climate change could possibly do? Well, the environment is dropping EVERY SIGN at this point. Extreme rainfalls are getting even more extreme. Try to recall the number of floods we had last year. Sea levels are rising significantly. Glaciers and land-based ice sheets are melting. Antarctica's ecosystem is under a threat. And let's not forget the frequent and extreme wildfires we are witnessing, often with a TERRIBLE human cost. Besides, sea level rise is particularly scary, because while other climate change-driven effects like extreme flooding and drought can cause terrible damage, recovery is possible. But there is no recovery from a rising sea — it takes land, communities, infrastructure and everything else away, forever. Looking at the effect on wildlife, more and more species are getting threatened with extinction every year. According to a study by United Nations, if we continue to emit greenhouse gases at the same rate as we do today, then by 2050, one million species across the globe are likely to vanish.

Am I exaggerating all this?

No. I might even be underplaying the risk. It is not as bad as you think, it's worse. Climate change is simply the biggest threat there is and I just spoke about half of the actual damage. 

But, disaster is not inevitable. We CAN tackle this problem. 

The scandal is not that climate change is made up. The scandal is it's not. And while a lot is already being done to tackle it, we are still not doing all we could. Why is taking climate change not on top of everybody's agenda? Partly, no doubt, because most people have busy lives and other things to worry about. Partly, because the effects of a changing climate tend to be invisible and incremental until they are suddenly catastrophic. And maybe too because of these words we use. Language matters. So here's the final thought: if words like “climate change” and “global warming” have become such a turn-off for most people, maybe we should change the words. Perhaps we should talk instead about what these things actually mean — killer weather, a world underwater and a sabotaged future. 

Climate change is true to be good. So let's tackle this together, let's redouble our efforts. Over the last 200 years, humans have comprehensively demonstrated that they CAN change the climate and have changed it for the worse — by exploiting everything that they possibly could. Now, it's time to show that we CAN change it for the better, by helping it recuperate. 

Thanks for reading, hope this makes you realize why not to “turn-off”.