There’s no denying that people all around the world have felt the adversity of climate change in one way or the other. In fact, during the last 30 years, global warming and going green or sustainable have become a subject that is mentioned everywhere - and it’s nearly impossible not to be part of the discussion. After all, it concerns our stay and our future on this beautiful planet. But, unfortunately, the reality is that it’s not looking good, as average temperatures are rising all around the world, causing seasonal imbalances and many other concerning results at the same time as global warming.
For example, one day, we might feel like Spring is finally picking up around the corner, and the next day temperatures drop to what looks like late November. And we said “one day” to be positive - these things already are happening - but not at a large scale yet. Not to mention the snowless winters that countries like France are experiencing. But there’s someone in the world who struggles a lot more with climate change and global warming.
“California is on the front lines of the climate crisis – and the latest data shows the impacts are rapidly accelerating,” - Daniel Villaseñor, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s deputy press secretary.
Global warming is leading California to what looks like a very grimy prospect in the next few decades. Even the last few years have shown some of the hottest and driest seasons in the history of the state. And look, we all know that California is indeed a hot state by its nature, but what the residents are experiencing right now is far from normal. The climate crisis is causing more damage than ever – more wildfires, severe droughts, and extreme heat waves. A lack of humidity causes cracker landscapes every year, while water is becoming a scarce resource that affects both irrigation and personal use.
Even worse, the greenhouse effect will continue to show a lot more in the future and will worsen the conditions for both humans and wildlife. In fact, during the 2012-2022 decade, 8 of the years were the hottest years ever recorded in the history of California. It doesn’t sound good - we know. But climate change is also responsible for a predicted rise in water levels, and that is far from positive news for a coastal state like California.
The increased temperatures around the globe are causing ice to melt around the poles, and scientists are forecasting that sea levels will rise to 5 meters. That is huge, and it will lead to a lot of residents, and coastal infrastructure being at risk. Not to mention that ice is melting in California as well, with glaciers on Sierra Nevada peaks becoming more of a memory. Even more so, it seems like going green and making more environmental-friendly decisions is our only option.
If we think about it, all that ice that is melting needs to go somewhere. And yes, you guessed it! As a result, there will be a greater flow of streams and rivers, disrupting the state’s infrastructure and possibly resulting in floods. This is life-threatening on the one hand, but after the flows settle and eventually even shrink, biodiversity and fauna will be affected forever.
“It is troubling how some of the changes are occurring a lot faster than was expected even a few years ago,” - Carmen Milanes of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.
That’s right, we did predict that climate change would affect us. But not at the pace at which it is happening right now. You guessed it - it’s way faster. Think about the wildfires in California. This decade the number of such damaging events is predicted to increase, with 2020 and 2021 recording 7 of the 20 worst wildfires California has previously had. That is a direct consequence of the increased temperatures and lack of precipitation. And did we mention the fact that the struggle to fight this kind of hazardous event is stressing everyone? In addition to the damage to wildlife, there is also a significant amount of pollution in the air, which with more sustainable decisions would never have been the case.
But people are not going to give up that easily. State officials, company leaders, and residents are taking action as we speak to combat the effects of greenhouse gases.
They are turning California into a role model for others to follow in the battle against climate change. For one, officials are releasing legislation that aims at cutting carbon emissions by 85% until 2045 and thus getting to a net zero level of pollution. And yes - we know. Many companies and states promise this - but let’s keep our fingers crossed, as it’s imperative for this to happen. Our planet is at stake. Investments of tens of billions of dollars are being made to support this goal, focusing on the development of more sustainable energy sources. California Governor Newsom stated that, for the state to stop inducing CO2 into the atmosphere, there will be restrictions on both oil consumption and gas mining.
And while human lives are at risk, with many Californian residents having less access to clean drinkable water, the state’s officials are asking for funding from the Federal Government. Air quality needs to be improved, and water supply problems need to be addressed.
In order for the state to enhance its economy and support its people’s efforts, it is essential that it taps into a reservoir of economic growth potential. But even though the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in human-related activities has been productive on a year-on-year basis, the negative effects of the smoke produced during wildfires are slowing down those results.
This is a race against nature, but since it’s our society that caused it, we must try to get better. California will continue to focus on prevention and risk reduction of wildfire risk, moving to cleaner energy sources and reducing the negative effects humans have on the atmosphere. With both officials, as well as business leaders, agreeing that they are in for a hard battle, California will double its efforts to combat the effects of climate change in the following years.
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