Nature

Climate emergency

Contributed

10 Mar 2023 — 3 min read

Each stripe represents the average temperature for a single year, relative to the average. Shades of blue indicate cooler than average, red shows years that were hotter than average. © Ed Hawkins / University of Reading (CC BY 4.0)

The first book that Greta Thunberg wrote was pocket sized. It consisted of speeches she gave aged 15 & 16. Her latest, The Climate Book, is 400+ pages of essays from experts across the spectrum of climate science, meteorology, energy and food production interspersed with her own essays. The main message is ‘Listen to the Science. Before it’s too late’.  

By Betty Wright

Greta’s ‘listen to the science’ message establishes that we are in a changing climate, but we must look for political solutions. Science tells us what we need to achieve (the destination), but does not set out a pathway of how to get there – we need to get our political leaders to do this. 

So what can be done to help? We all contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, so we can all help by reducing our Carbon footprint. This of course helps, but to really tackle the problem there has to be systemic change, e.g. the government needs to alter the way things are done: stop subsidising fossil fuels, support public transport, ensuring a just transition to green technologies so workers are not ‘left behind’– so perhaps our most important action is to tell our governments that we are willing to change our habits (via the individual actions we take) and require that they take more action. Or join an organisation such as Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth or Centre for Alternative Technology who will lobby governments and companies on your behalf. Other actions can include: travel less (particularly flying) or use public transport; eat less red meat and dairy; buy less stuff; where possible insulate our homes to reduce wasted energy; support local natural climate solutions such as protecting peatlands; support production of renewable energy and the infrastructure to enable a smart energy grid so we can benefit from local energy production; better inform yourself about the Climate Crisis and talk to your friends and family.

Locally we are sheltered from the worst of the effects felt already by others. When talking with others about Climate Catastrophe, I often hear folks saying that they would like it a bit warmer! I am sure however that nobody would wish to be facing the fires, floods, hurricanes, droughts and rising sea levels that are being endured by other communities throughout the world. Even at 1.1°C of warming, we are seeing significant changes to global climate systems resulting in floods (China, Pakistan, Europe), wildfires (North America, Australia) and droughts (UK, Africa) – all of these occurred in 2022.  

Why is the climate changing? Put simply, it is because of the increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) in our atmosphere. Global carbon dioxide emissions in 2022 were the highest ever. Burning of fossil fuels to produce electricity, for transport and in industrial processes (e.g. coal as carbon or oil and gas as hydrocarbons) increases the amount of CO2; methane escapes during gas production and animal husbandry. These gases trap heat in the atmosphere so the earth system absorbs more, less is radiated back into space and the temperature of the planet rises. The steady reliable climate of the Holocene has now passed and we are literally in a new Age (Anthropocene).  

So, is it too late? No, but we have to act quickly! We have all the technology we require to decarbonise energy production from wind, wave and solar (zero carbon Britain) and we must not be tricked into relying on future as yet unproven technologies such as carbon capture and various forms of geoengineering. Suggesting these are solutions only serves to waste precious time.  

Think Global, Act Local

Useful books:

The Climate Book – created by Greta Thunberg.
No one is too small to make a difference – Greta Thunberg.
There is no Planet B – Mike Berners-Lee.
Zero Carbon Britain – Rising to the Climate Emergency – Centre for Alternative Technology.
Breaking Boundaries – The Science of our Planet – Johan Rockstrom.
The New Climate War – Michael E Mann.
No Miracles Needed – Mark Jacobson 