COVID-19 Isn’t the Only Curve that Needs Flattening
By: Claire McClave
COVID-19: it’s all that’s in the news right now. Every media source is talking about flattening the curve, social distancing, masks, and death. At this point, it’s clear that this pandemic is a global crisis. What about another crisis happening right now, one that we’ve known about for decades but hasn’t gotten nearly as much attention? What about the climate crisis, and what can we learn from COVID-19 and apply to it?
We can tell that nations like South Korea and Singapore which took the Coronavirus seriously from the start and took large-scale, decisive government action quickly have fared much better. For Italy and Spain, their governments’ denial towards the gravity of the situation was detrimental. Italy did not close non-essential businesses nor discourage movement until three weeks following the first case, while Spain gathered in masses for International Women’s Day protests, despite Italy’s condition. On the other hand, in South Korea, extensive and organized testing programs were set in place; citizens are tested for free at 5200 per million inhabitants, a scale over 70 times that of the United States. Infected people are then quarantined and contact tracing takes place. Because of this, South Korea has 10,480 cases and 211 deaths to date, while countries of similar populations, Italy and Spain, both exceed 150,000 cases and 16,000 deaths.This clearly illustrates that the swifter and more committed the response to a threat after it is identified, the better the threat is managed.
We’ve known about climate change since the 1930s, and have yet to take broad national or international actions to mitigate it. There are still people today who deny climate change is happening, that it’s human-caused, or that it’s a crisis — despite overwhelming scientific consensus that these are all true. Now, we’re at a crossroads. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states in its 5th assessment report that if in 2030, we haven’t limited global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, then the repercussions will be exponentially worse for the planet than if we had. Right now, the global average temperature has already risen 1.15 degrees, according to the NOAA. That essentially means we have 10 years to save the world through drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The only way to do this is for all the world’s nations to come together and take immediate and large scale measures cutting back emissions. The question for governments and large corporations now is: do you want to respond to the climate crisis like South Korea responded to the pandemic? Or do you want to respond like the US has to COVID-19? Do you want to equivocate and deny until it’s too late, and suffer the consequences of a drastically warmer world? Or do you want to look at the science and the stakes and preserve our future? Of course the latter would be difficult; not only would greenhouse gas emissions need to be aggressively curbed, but the renewable energy industry would have to be expanded, plastic and other pollution would need to be managed, fossil fuel workers would need new jobs, energy storage technology would have to be improved, climate adaptation measures would need to be put in place, etc. (see the Green New Deal for more ideas.) Even so, the undertaking is achievable, and could even be a chance to create a more equitable and efficient society where people are valued over profit.
Of course, most of the people reading this aren’t world leaders or CEOs. Still, you can sway the leaders with your votes, and sway the CEOs with your wallets. And if you aren’t old enough yet to have votes or wallets, then you can consider joining a youth climate justice organization.
Speaking from experience, such organizations are a great way to take action when the world denies you other modes of it because of your youth. Since joining US Youth Climate Strike, I have gone from feeling helpless against the threat climate change inaction poses to our world to feeling empowered to help change not only my own life, but the lives of everyone else on the planet who would suffer from sea level rise, stronger storms, or higher temperatures. Through thick and thin, success and failure, I’ve witnessed my fellow youth activists’ resolve only grow. We want systemic and transformative change, and we can’t wait any longer. Luckily, I have found that there is strength in numbers and in principle, and if the world unites, power is given to the people to sway policy and the fate of the planet.
So what are you waiting for? We have a carbon emissions curve to flatten!
Claire McClave is a fourteen-year-old eighth grader living in Huntersville, North Carolina. They are the press director for the NC chapter of USYCS, and are passionate about the environment and nature at every scale, from the quantum to the cosmos.
Note: The views of the author may not reflect the views of the U.S. Youth Climate Strike.
