When the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was established in the 1990s, negotiators focused on greenhouse gas emissions, or GHGs. They discussed mitigation actions; ways to reduce GHGs. The landmark Kyoto Protocol of 1997 (at COP 3) emphasized mitigation, with commitments from developed countries to reduce their production of and reliance on fossil fuels. The 2015 Paris Agreement set the goal of a global temperature rise of no more than 1.5 degrees centigrade by 2050. This goal would be achieved only if developed countries - the major GHG emitters - transitioned significantly to renewable energy sources. This has not happened. Countries are expanding their use of renewables but not fast enough th meet the 1.5 degree goal. Consequently, negotiators now devote considerable time to discussing adaptation - how to deal with a warming world and its consequencxes, such as wildfires, drought, intense hurricanes and typhoons... These articles relate to the imp...
I found this article really nice to read. I often find myself viewing the course of the worlds environment very pessimistically, often feeling discouraged in my personal or even global efforts for a better future. Reading things like this makes me feel very optimistic. However, it does beg the question, is it too early to be rejoicing about small wins? While it's important to know that these actions are working, some people still don't even believe we are in a climate crisis, making me think that articles like this are only going to serve as confirmation bias for them. Not that we should never encourage positive climate actions, it just might not be the time until we see drastic improvement. Attached is an article describing how many people still don't believe in global warming, approximately. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/08/09/what-the-data-says-about-americans-views-of-climate-change/
ReplyDeleteI was very enlightened to read this article, knowing the process of reducing greenhouse gases by many is in the works. I love to see people who are as involved as many people in the world in reducing pollution and its effects on the world today. Personally, as I am reading this I feel very happy seeing this change happening and positive talk. I feel nowadays many people go back and forth about climate change, but I don't think people are really seeing the effect pollution and other harmful issues are affecting our world and becoming a huge change and issue today. Many people don't do the correct research to notice how much us as humans are affecting the environment. Below is an article showing statistics on how humans are still affecting our world today and how many people still don't believe climate change and global warming is an issue. https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/4019474-do-humans-cause-climate-change-even-now-only-half-of-americans-say-yes/
ReplyDeleteI think this article was written very well. It kept me engaged through providing different examples of how we unite as a humanity to try and solve this issue we are all facing. I think the most inspiring example I saw was the "Montana Court Sides With The Kids" section. This is inspiring because a lot of people worldwide are undergoing the same thing that these kids did, constant solidarity with an issue they see present. For these brave people in encampments or in peaceful protests, being able to see something like this on headlines must be so inspiring. To see such a "small voice" have a huge impact. It really goes to show that whether it is 1 or 1000, your voice matters.
ReplyDeleteI love the way this article makes me feel, I need some hope because it is very hard to be hopeful nowadays with all of the stress about our global temperature rising beyond the point of no return. I also feel quite helpless because It can be difficult to not drive my car when I have to work and I have such a busy life. It's good to know that there are many people working on fixing climate change. I think we need to spread more positivity so that people don't just give up and forget about trying to fix the environment. If we all work together to fight green house gasses and stop using things that worsen our environment we can make a big change, and I hope this change is big enough to save us from our own destruction.
ReplyDeleteReading this article helped me to feel more hopeful and encouraged by our community. It felt good to hear that people are working together as one in order to bring change. It's very inspiring and makes me want to work harder too in terms of making an impact.
ReplyDeletearticles like this makes me feel more optimistic. However, it raises the question: is it too soon to celebrate small victories? While it's important to recognize that these actions are making a difference, some people still don't believe we are in a climate crisis. This makes me think that articles like this might only reinforce their confirmation bias. It's not that we shouldn't encourage positive climate actions; it just might be premature to celebrate until we see significant improvement.
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