7 Years To Act

While some may believe that climate change won’t impact us in our lifetime, we’re already seeing the impacts in our daily lives – from increased flooding and wildfires, to failing harvests, and even increased likelihood of pandemics.

While we have known about the human impact on climate change since the 1960s, little action has been taken in that time and our emissions have only increase. Time is running out.

Just how much time do we have left to take action?

7 years and 95 days.

Countdown clock

To keep our minds focused on the greatest threat to humanity and all life on this planet, a Climate Clock has been installed in New York City to mark Climate Week 2020.

The clock counts down the number of years, days, hours, minutes and seconds left to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions enough to give the Earth a 67% chance of keeping the world under 1.5⁰C of warming – enough to avert catastrophe.

Why we must hit those deadlines

So what happens if we as individuals, as consumers and as nations do not take the necessary steps to hit the 2028 deadline?

In short, the world as we know it will change radically in an incredibly short space of time.

At present we are on course to hit a minimum of 2⁰C warming between 2030-2040, at which point we will see major crop failures alongside the arctic becoming entirely free of ice, resulting in rising sea levels that will cause extensive floods.

Alongside this, we would see a mass displacement of people from the poorest and lowest-lying nations, as well as those along the equator, as their homes become either untenable or are swept under water.

It is estimated that a rise of 1.5⁰C to 2⁰C will result in $54 trillion in damages to ecosystems around the world according to the IPCC – that is 142 times more than Ireland’s GDP.  We simply cannot afford not to act.

If that sounds alarming, bear in mind that it is not out of the question that we could experience a 4⁰C warming – in fact, the latest IPCC projections show that there is a 66% chance that temperatures could rise between 2.4⁰C and 6.4⁰C between the years 2060-2100 without drastic and urgent action.

This is terrifying – there is no other way of looking at it.

But it won’t get better by burying our heads in the sand. Sadly the inaction of corporations and governments since the 1960s shows that they cannot be relied on to act in our best interests without us forcing them to do so.

Here are some actions that you can take today to avert the climate crisis:

• Email your TDs – Tell your TD that you want to see proper and timely climate action, and that we’re running out of time. Stop Climate Chaos have pre-written templates that they’ll email for you, and which take less than a minute to complete

• Calculate your carbon footprint – Find out where you are creating your biggest carbon emissions and learn how to make choices to reduce them using the WWF’s calculator

• Fly less – The emissions from flying aren’t properly regulated and flying is one of the most energy-intense things you can do. Reducing your flights and using other forms of transport can make a huge difference

• Switch to an electric car – Road transport accounts for 20-25% of all emissions worldwide. By switching to an electric car you won’t be creating any emissions when you drive it, and powering it with renewable energy means it will be emissions-free entirely

• Eat less meat – Emissions from agriculture account for 11% of global greenhouse gases, and have risen by 14% since the year 2000. This is even worse in Ireland, where agriculture accounts for 34% of harmful emissions. Eating less meat and dairy can make a huge difference, and there are tonnes of plant-based substitutes that taste great

• Install solar panels – In one hour the sun provides enough energy to power the Earth for a year. By installing solar panels you can save money on heating and powering your home, while also dramatically reducing your carbon footprint

• Join a local action group – All this can feel overwhelming, but finding others who are taking action and finding out the steps that they are taking to become carbon neutral can really help. The Action Network will put you in touch with helpful people and resources.