All around me (for Rohingya update see Postscript)As I write this week, all around me are media headlines like: 'Code red for humanity. ' The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) caused heart shudders when they released Part One of their sixth report this week. Part One, The Physical Science Basis, considers the physical understanding of the climate system and climate change. BasicsI'm sure, like me, you will have heard the basics many, many times over the last few days:
Faced by itPerhaps the whole world will be more willing to believe the majority of scientists now, confronted as we are by extreme weather events all over the place. Wild fires are burning today in Greece, Turkey, Algeria, Italy, Russia, USA, Brazil Floods are raging in: India (Uttar Pradesh), Ethiopia (Afar), China, USA (Omaha,Nebraska), Turkey, Russia (Black Sea region). Significantly, just about all these places are reporting fires and floods more extensive and more frequent than usual. ''I've lived here all my life and I've never seen anything like this." Believing the scientists is one thing. Cooperating around the globe to effect a fix is another. Difficulties lie ahead. Have a look at this news video I found on YouTube. Just click the arrow to begin, hit the stop when the item finishes and click out to return to the blog. China, USA, India: What do you think? Will China resolutely go on burning coal? Can the USA overcome trumpism? Will India's millions play a part? The UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow this November is going to be an interesting one! New Zealand tooNot only the giant population countries are involved. Small tykes like New Zealand are players too. Clearly we are known to be on the field because we've just received a public telling off from the climate change youth icon GretaThunberg. She said: "New Zealand is one of the world's worst performers on emission increases. Its emissions rose by 57 per cent between 1990 and 2018 - the second greatest increase of all industrialised countries." Just as she was doing that, New Zealand news media announced: 'New Zealand's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions hit a seven-year low in the year ended March 2021, new figures show.' I thought that was very funny. Bad and Good
Consequences follow fires and floods. Roads are blocked, bridges give way. Access is interrupted. Supply chains are disturbed. Yes, those things can be fixed, but looking ahead we need different sorts of supply chains, stores, service centres and houses. We may need towns and farms in different places. We need, says Cradock-Henry, national conversations about such things – difficult things. In a warmer world life will look different. To hear more from this scientist please click here. At lastI'm very sorry about all the climate events in the last little while which have caused such misery for thousands of people and wiped away so much animal and plant biodiversity. I feel the sadness. But I'm glad many of us, governments, businesses and individuals are waking up to reality. The UN Secretay General has said that 2021 is the time-driven year when decisions must be made and significant change must be put in place. I hope it will be so. □ John McInnes Friday 13 August 2021 Postscript
For those who have been following the Rohingya flood crisis, here is the latest update story I can find. Please click here.
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