Broad Street Scientific Journal 2020

Lastly, climate change multiplies the number of health
issues that exist in poorer regions. A warmer climate means
warmer freshwater sources, which in turn provide a more
habitable place for harmful bacteria and microbes to grow.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that
3.575 million people die from water-related diseases per
year, and with increased temperatures drying out available
water sources, people driven desperate by thirst are forced
to choose between the risks of drinking contaminated
water or dying of thirst. Additionally, the increased smog
caused by warmer atmospheres, coupled with severe air
pollution, has made it impossible to breathe in places such
as Delhi, where the quality of air reached such high toxicity
that experts deemed it equivalent to smoking 50 cigarettes
a day (Paddison, 2020). In fact, the WHO claims that over
90% of the world population breathe in some form of
toxic air, leading to an abundance of diseases like stroke
and lung cancer (Fleming, 2018). Even within the U.S.,
poorer communities in both rural and urban areas bear the
greatest burden of climate change, as seen by lack of health
insurance, dependence on agriculture-based economies,
and no funds to recover from natural disasters. In urban
areas, which produce 80% of greenhouse gas emissions in
North America, the poor live in neighborhoods with the
greatest exposure to climate and extreme weather events
(Chappell, 2018). Poorer Americans, while to a much
lesser extent, face some of the same disadvantages as those
living in developing countries in terms of environmental
inequality. So what exactly is being done to save our planet
and its poorest inhabitants?
One thing is for sure: not enough. The overall global
response to climate change can be characterized as
extremely uneven. Persistent skepticism from certain
global leaders, many of whom are motivated by economic
interests, is slowing cooperative efforts to address the
issue of climate change. In particular, President Trump’s
decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement will
trigger both short-term and long-term damage—for one, it
will be less likely for the U.S., the second-highest ranking
country in production of greenhouse gases, to reduce
carbon emissions without international obligations, and
countries that were already hesitant about membership
are more likely to back off as well (“The Uneven Global
Response to Climate Change,” 2019). President Trump's
decision in times like these is brutal, as the urgency of
action is greater now than ever before, as indicated by the
World Meteorological Organization’s 2019 report. The
report showed a continued increase in greenhouse gases
to new records during the period of 2015-2019, with CO 2
growth rates nearly 20% higher than the previous five
years (“Global Climate in 2015-2019,” 2019). Surrounded
by a constant whirlwind of bad news, it can feel like all
hope is lost for planet Earth.
But hope is not lost. The global effort to address
climate change is moving forward as a whole, even
without the current support of the U.S. government.
Plenty of countries are setting goals to reduce emissions
and implement renewable energy. Morocco has invested
heavily in solar power, and India has implemented a
prohibition of new coal plants (“The Uneven Global
Response to Climate Change,” 2019). China, the world’s
number one CO 2
contributor at a whopping 29% of
global emissions, has made great strides in reducing air
pollution (“Each Country's Share of CO 2
Emissions,”
2019). The youth movement across multiple nations, led
by activist Greta Thunberg, is on the rise, and hundreds
of new green technologies are making their way towards
the market. The most promising of these innovations
include solar cells that incorporate the mineral perovskite,
which convert UV and visible light with a stunning 28%
efficiency (as compared to the average 15-20%), graphenebased
batteries that power electric vehicles, and carbon
capture and storage that traps CO 2
at its source and isolates
it underground (Purdue University, 2019).
While these global pledges and new technologies
hold great promise for future sustainability, it is up to us
to actively implement more environmentally conscious
decisions into our daily lives. Reduce, reuse, and recycle in
that order. Eat a more plant-based diet. Conserve energy
at every moment possible. Always be civically engaged.
We owe it to not only the animals, our children, and our
home; we owe it to those who contribute least to the
climate change devastation but feel its effects most deeply.
We must not let our privilege go wasted.
References
Chappell, C. (2018, November 27). Climate change in
the US will hurt poor people the most, according to a
bombshell federal report. Retrieved January 7, 2020, from
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/26/climate-changewill-hurt-poor-people-the-most-federal-report.html.
Each Country's Share of CO 2
Emissions. (2019, October
10). Retrieved January 8, 2020, from https://www.ucsusa.
org/resources/each-countrys-share-co2-emissions.
Fleming, S. (2018, October 29). More than 90% of
the world's children are breathing toxic air. Retrieved
January 9, 2020, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/10/more-than-90-of-the-world-s-children-arebreathing-toxic-air/.
Giovetti, O. (2019, September 25). How the effects of
climate change keep people in poverty. Retrieved January
7, 2020, from https://www.concernusa.org/story/effectsof-climate-change-cycle-of-poverty/.
Global Climate in 2015-2019: Climate change accelerates.
8 | 2019-2020 | Broad Street Scientific