Cambiamento climatico

global warming: L'URGENZA DI AGIRE

Il cambiamento climatico è una realtà e sta già provocando impatti e fenomeni di frequenza e intensità mai visti nella storia umana e con essi sofferenze, perdita di vite, sconvolgimento degli ecosistemi e della ricchezza di biodiversità che sostengono la nostra vita. Il 2021 sarà un anno strategico per i Paesi firmatari dell'Accordo di Parigi, che potranno evitare la catastrofe climatica rivedendo gli obiettivi dei loro contributi nazionali (NDC) e presentando strategie a lungo termine (LTS) ambiziose, per avvicinare il mondo all'obiettivo di limitare il riscaldamento a 1,5°C rispetto all’epoca preindustriale. Nel seguente paragrafo riporteremo il discorso di Greta Thunberg preceduto dalla spiegazione.

Global warming is a gradual and increasingly irreversible rise in average world temperatures at sea level, caused mostly by human activities since the industrial revolution of the 18th century.

Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air pollutants collect in the atmosphere and absorb sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the earth’s surface. Normally this radiation would escape into space, but these pollutants, which can last for years to centuries in the atmosphere, trap the heat and cause the planet to get hotter. These heat-trapping pollutants—specifically carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor, and synthetic fluorinated gases—are known as greenhouse gases, and their impact is called the greenhouse effect.

<<Global warming is already taking a toll on the United States. And if we aren’t able to get a handle on our emissions, here’s just a smattering of what we can look forward to:

Disappearing glaciers, early snowmelt, and severe droughts will cause more dramatic water shortages and continue to increase the risk of wildfires in the American West.
Rising sea levels will lead to even more coastal flooding on the Eastern Seaboard, especially in Florida, and in other areas such as the Gulf of Mexico.
Forests, farms, and cities will face troublesome new pests, heat waves, heavy downpours, and increased flooding. All of these can damage or destroy agriculture and fisheries.
Disruption of habitats such as coral reefs and alpine meadows could drive many plant and animal species to extinction.
Allergies, asthma, and infectious disease outbreaks will become more common due to increased growth of pollen-producing ragweed, higher levels of air pollution, and the spread of conditions favorable to pathogens and mosquitoes.
Though everyone is affected by climate change, not everyone is affected equally. Indigenous people, people of color, and the economically marginalized are typically hit the hardest. Inequities built into our housing, health care, and labor systems make these communities more vulnerable to the worst impacts of climate change—even though these same communities have done the least to contribute to it. I don’t want your hope, I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic, and act as your house was on fire. Because it is.>>