Prominent climate scientist Friederike Otto, from London’s Imperial College, emphasized the pressing need to prioritize addressing the climate crisis over geopolitical conflicts. In an interview with Hindustan Times, Otto stressed the urgency of recognizing climate change as an existential threat to humanity, intertwining with other crises such as war and economic struggles.
Otto highlighted recent instances where climate change exacerbated extreme weather events, citing devastating floods in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia last year.
These floods, intensified by climate change, followed a prolonged drought, leading to significant loss of life and displacement. She underscored that such back-to-back extreme weather events are increasingly common globally, with summers growing hotter and winters wetter, elevating risks of heatwaves, fires, droughts, and floods.
With global temperatures hitting record highs for ten consecutive months, Otto cautioned that the world is on track to surpass the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold outlined in the Paris Agreement. While surpassing this target may not spell immediate catastrophe, every fraction of a degree increase poses significant risks, making life on Earth more precarious and unpredictable.
Addressing the rise in emissions, Otto urged swift action to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Failure to do so would perpetuate temperature increases, exacerbating extreme weather events and leading to further human suffering and economic instability.
Turning attention to Bharat, Otto emphasized the country’s vulnerability to climate extremes, particularly heatwaves. She cited an intense heatwave last April, likely resulting in numerous deaths. To combat this, Otto advocated for the implementation of heat action plans, which have proven effective in reducing heat-related fatalities in regions like Ahmedabad and Odisha.
Regarding Dubai’s recent unprecedented rainfall, Otto dismissed claims that it was solely due to cloud seeding. Instead, she attributed it to climate change, emphasizing the warming atmosphere’s capacity to hold more moisture, leading to heavier rainfall events globally.
Otto urged the international community to prioritize climate action, emphasizing its critical role in mitigating not only environmental but also humanitarian and economic crises. With the climate emergency escalating, immediate and decisive action is imperative to secure a safer and more sustainable future for all.
ALSO READ: “Climate Crisis: UN Warns World Has Two Years Left to Avert Catastrophe”
Comments