Imagine traveling to the future and finding that some countries ceased to exist,
replaced by seawater, and forgotten, several animals went extinct, ecosystems
vanished, and our fellow humans are skinnier than normal.
That could be the case if climate change continues to be prevalent. Climate change has been subject to debate for many years, and it will remain for years to come. Although its consequences are becoming more and more tangible, some still consider it not to be a threat. However, the real case is that scientists have been sounding the alarm that climate change is still the number one threat to humans and all ecosystems.
Climate change is as old as human activity. Yet, we have only come to notice it over the last century. Scientists conducted their research and concluded that earth’s temperature is gradually rising due to the greenhouse effect. As a result, many summits were held in recognition of the issue.
Climate change is a threat based on several visible and plausible negative impacts. Lately, the world has been experiencing severe heatwaves that resulted in droughts and several deaths across the world, from January through August. The most notable heatwave in 2022 is that of China; with scorching temperatures exceeding 40 °C, at least 17 provinces were affected and suffered from water shortages and crop losses. Also, warmer weather is an ideal environment for mosquitos and ticks to breed; these insects being natural carriers of disease will increase the risk of transmitting various dangerous infectious diseases, such as Malaria and Dengue fever. Moreover, climate change is causing sea ice and glaciers to melt affecting wildlife and altering normal ocean circulation. In fact, scientists predict that two-thirds of the polar bear population will go extinct by the year 2050 due to climate change.
On the other hand, some do not label climate change as a threat. They argue that climate change is a normal phenomenon that occurred at certain points in history; the ice age, for example. And, that animals, plants, and eventually humans would adapt according to the natural selection theory. Although these claims have some truth to them, but whenever climate change happens, mass extinctions and serious environmental catastrophes also take place. Not only it endangers the environment but it has also been proven that it takes its toll on mental health. That and many more repercussions qualify climate change as a threat of utter significance.
To sum up, it is hard to deny that climate change is a pressing matter with regard to the events that we have witnessed in recent years; droughts, heatwaves, typhoons, hurricanes, etc. It is not a simple issue that we can turn a blind eye to. Thus, solutions must be put forward and implemented to prevent further consequences. As American physician-scientist, Kari C. Nadeau, said: “This is in our hands to do if we don’t do anything, that would be cataclysmic.”
Wydad Madani
Semester 3, Department of English Studies
Chouaib Doukkali University, El Jadida
