U.N Secretary-General Calls For More Aggressive Action to Mitigate Climate Change

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres stressed the importance of climate action and mitigation at the U.N General Assembly press conference. He urged countries to commit to emissions reductions and help poorer countries with climate action.

The report said that the massive flooding in Pakistan was brought about by the inadequacy of global solutions to the climate crisis, showing devastating loss of life and massive damage to infrastructure.

Moreover, he added that greenhouse gas emissions come from the wealthiest countries because of climate change, but the devastating effects fall on the poor countries.

In a statement, Guterres stressed that wildfires and heatwaves would worsen and break records with alarming frequency. He added pressing environmental issues in different countries: heatwaves in Europe, severe droughts in China, Africa, and the U.S., and the colossal floods in Pakistan.

Climate change

(Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Climate change has been a pressing environmental concern. The World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that climate change impacts human lives. It added that between 2030 to 2050, it is expected that 250,000 additional deaths per year can be seen from heat stress, diarrhea, and malnutrition.

According to WHO, the total cost of damage to human lives is estimated to reach S$ 2-4 billion per year by 2030.

In the Global Risk Report 2020, the World Economic Forum announced that the top threats for the immediate future were extreme weather and climate action failure that could lead to rising global sea levels.

Moreover, NASA Global Climate Change stressed that the climate changes had been driven by human activities and emissions of greenhouse gases. Scientists are alarmed that the effects of climate change are emerging faster than they predicted.

Also Read: Six Climate Tipping Points that Could Trigger Climate Emergency

On the other hand, widespread effects are already happening: shrinking glaciers and ice sheets, shifting of animal geographic changes, sea ice loss, extreme heat waves, and sea level rise.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) added that the changes in the global climate could be irreversible for hundreds to thousands of years.

The future effects of global climate change in the U.S. based on the Third and Fourth National Climate Assessment Reports are:

More droughts and heatwaves
A continued increase in global temperature
Precipitation patterns changes
Wildfire
Rise of Sea level
More intense hurricanes

Furthermore, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) also revealed that animals in their ecosystems are affected. The habitat or places of animals are threatened, causing damage to wildlife, from their reproduction, habitat, biodiversity, and food sources.

What you can do

Humans are contributors to worsening global warming, pollution, and environmental concerns. In simple ways, you can be part of a more significant initiative by observing eco-friendly decisions.

In an article, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that protecting the planet starts with humans. It suggests things to protect the environment

Conserve water.
Buy less plastic in shops.
Plant trees.
Prefer non-toxic materials at home or office
Use long-lasting light bulbs to reduce greenhouse emissions.

Cooperation among the government, environmental groups, and communities are vital to address the pressing issue of climate change. As the global temperature increases faster than scientists expected, the effects of climate change are also present.