On Dec. 2, more than 50 world leaders congregated in Madrid to hear United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres somberly announce that the “point of no return is in sight.”
The climate change summit was originally set to be held in Chile, but due to civil unrest, it has been relocated to Spain. According to an article by the Guardian, Katherine Kramer, the global climate lead at Christian Aid, said, “It’s a shame that [Convention on Climate Change] 25 won’t be held in Latin America to highlight some of the grave climate impacts that affect the region.” While in some areas global warming is still just a lingering threat, in many other areas it is a sobering reality for not only ecosystems but people too.
Among the many diplomats attending the conference is Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg. Thunberg’s compelling and passionate words at last year’s summit are what sparked a global reaction among youths of all ages.In Australia, for example, thousands of students skipped school late last year despite government warnings not to do so, rallying across the country in major cities such as Sydney. Similar student-led protests are rising on the other side of the globe in countries like the United States and Canada.
Courtesy: Seattle Times
Sailing in an eco-friendly way from America to Spain, Thunberg is now set to arrive in Madrid a few days into the COP25 conference and deliver a speech urging the world leaders to take action.
With the increasing threat of climate change now becoming a reality, it is more imperative than ever for world leaders to take action. However, there is currently little urgency behind economic policies. The clock is ticking, and we simply cannot afford to waste any more time.
As the final climate conference before entering the new decade, the nations must come together and propose strong, comprehensive action plans. Diplomats hope the talks can resolve a stalemate over how carbon credits can be traded between countries, which in the past has proven to be a politically contentious matter.With the United States outside the Paris climate agreement, which is a major multilateral effort by countries to reduce carbon emissions, the probability of reaching its goals is now significantly reduced. An article by the Globe Post finds that the pact will now cover only about 80 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, down from 97 percent previously.
Courtesy: Twitter
As simply a human being, I am deeply saddened by the inaction of our national and world leaders. Members of political and media establishments do not seem to understand that the saying, “I believe in climate change,” is no longer good enough or that a moderate plan of lowering emissions is no longer fast enough, or that half-measures and gestures are not strong enough. We need to acknowledge that our Earth is in dire need of help and actually materialize a sense of urgency. We are well past the times of turning a blind eye because climate change is not their issue, it is our issue.
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