Did We Kill The Earth?
“Thanks, global warming” seems to be a common phrase that’s jokingly said at any weather inconvenience, but just how true is it? Global warming is a phenomenon where slowly, but gradually the average temperate of the Earth is increasing. So what is it? The emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere results in global warming. Despite the proof science has given, there are still debates about the severity of climate change and its effect. At the end of the day, data proves that average temperatures of the world are changing and weather phenomena are occurring that would practically be unheard of years ago.
Climate change is a broad idea that generally consists of global warming and other effects of rapid temperature change which in turn affects water levels, sinking of islands, organisms facing extinction, etc. For example, the Euphrates River drying up has been in the news for a while or the rapid wildfires that are occurring over the world. Or when has new York ever seen such awful flooding? Or Maryland facing tornadoes? These events are all a byproduct of climate change. Climate change is a sign that the world is dying and if it continues at the rate that it is then not only will it be irreversible, but Earth will no longer be capable of supporting human life. Ultimately unethical practices regarding our environment and emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere are spending up this process much faster than let’s say 500 years ago, but who is behind this? It’s simple, mega-corporations that are continuing to sustain unethical practices due to lack of government regulation and consequences. Despite the push of this by mass media, the average person’s use of plastic straws or internal combustion vehicles contributes far less to climate change, than the unethical practices of large corporations and wealthy elites. Ask yourself why corporate lobbyists in Congress are advocating against ideas such as the Green Deal? Corporate profits will be harmed because they can no longer find legal or regulatory loopholes that allow them to cop out of following regulations that help protect the environment.
In addition to the physical environment being harmed, climate change also leads to poverty which in return creates food deserts and those food deserts turn into food security for many. For many living in rural societies who rely on farming as their main source of income, climate change is harming their livelihood. From not being able to grow enough crops to sell to not having enough crops for not only themselves but their community. This in return would not only increase the poverty rates in both the rural, but due to the high demand and low quantity of nutritious food such as vegetables, this would create food deserts in the urban setting. Fewer crops mean higher prices to pay and many living in urban societies likewise like rural, cannot afford this. Taking the flooding of South Asia for example, although it has been occurring for years, earlier this year most of Bangladesh was flooded and that was unheard of. That tracks with the findings of leading climate change experts via the United Nations or more specifically the IPCC claiming that within the urgent environmental crisis, South Asia, a relatively “underdeveloped” region will be seeing more flooding through its monsoon season, hotter weather, more droughts, amongst more weather issues (IPCC 6th Assessment Report). The drastic weather changes especially in such underdeveloped nations especially where a lot of society is still rural/agrarian-based will lead to loss of income, food insecurity, increased rates of poverty, etc.
According to the Carbon Majors Database, a database that researches and stores the data for emissions of greenhouse gases from large companies practically all of the greenhouse gas emissions come from just a handful of companies. Since 1988, 100 fossil fuel producers (think large chain gas stations i.e. Exxon and anyone else in the fuel industry such as gas exporters, etc.) are responsible for 71% of the industrial greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. This, in turn, hastens climate change’s immediate effects such as glaciers melting, acid rain, etc. The greed and money-hungry lust of corporations are depleting the earth of its natural resources such as fossil fuels killing the earth faster than we can imagine. Instead of corporations owning up to their actions, they’re pushing an agenda that aims to blame the consumer. We’re told it’s our fault for buying their products and creating demand, but not their fault for taking advantage of the capitalist system that we’re in and copping out of environmentally friendly methods to maximize their profits.
Climate change and its effects are very real and they’re already affecting us and that’s seen in our everyday life. Organisms are going endangered or even extinct because their environment is being destroyed including their food sources and the world is on fire quite literally. Corporations worldwide need to take responsibility for their role in climate change instead of blaming their consumers for participating in the ultra-capitalist system that they once again created and normalized. No, your use of plastic straws isn’t the reason why the earth is dying, but the depleting of raw sources which emit greenhouse gases throughout the entire process from obtaining the raw material to fully manufacturing it to selling it to the consumer is. Action such as passing harsher laws from global powers primarily the United States and West European nations such as France and the UK needs to be taken before it is far too late to reverse the damage and effects of global warming and in return climate change and the Earth as we know it is permanently ruined. In addition to European nations and the US passing harsher laws, there need to be consequences that such corporations cannot simply buy their way out of. Fines are only a punishment if they cannot be afforded and that is far from the truth for such well-off corporations. As not only global powers, but homes to these corporations, the US and Europe need to act now.
Sources:
Ar6 climate change 2021:The Physical Science Basis. Sixth Assessment Report. (n.d.). Retrieved September 25, 2021, from https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/.
New report shows just 100 companies are source of over 70% of emissions. CDP. (n.d.). Retrieved September 25, 2021, from https://www.cdp.net/en/articles/media/new-report-shows-just-100-companies-are-source-of-over-70-of-emissions.