We’re Losing the War Against Climate Change. It Got Worse in 2020.
So how does 2020 grade in Louisiana’s struggle to prevent the environmental, economic and social disaster caused by its sinking, crumbling, drowning bottom third?
I’ll give it a “D.”
It avoided a solid “F” because the state’s Coastal Master Plan continues its historic progress rebuilding some of our battered wetlands and coastlines. But that effort’s ultimate goal of a sustainable future for the section of the state below Interstate 10 simply can’t be achieved unless the nation and world begin making serious and rapid progress addressing the causes of climate change. That’s because the only way to slow the acceleration of sea level rise is to reduce the emissions causing it.
And while there were embers of hope toward that goal beginning to glow, the downward trends actually picked up speed in 2020.
I’ll save the good news for last, so you can finish your Sunday feeling a little hope.
The bad news is best summarized by these facts from the World Meteorological Organization’s annual report:
- Despite the COVID-19 economic lockdown that caused carbon dioxide emissions to fall 7%, the biggest drop ever, atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases continued to rise, committing the planet to further warming for many generations. These gasses now average more than 150% above pre-industrial levels, far higher than the reduction targets scientists say are needed to prevent the worst impacts of climate change hitting us in the next few decades.
- Climate change continued its relentless march in 2020, which is on track to be one of the three warmest years on record. The decade of 2011-2020 will be the warmest on record, with the warmest six years all being since 2015.
- Ocean heat is at record levels and more than 80% of the global ocean experienced a marine heatwave at some time in 2020, with widespread repercussions for marine ecosystems.
This year also saw a steady series of peer-reviewed scientific reports providing alarming evidence on how fast we are pushing our planet down this slippery slope to disaster.
Read the rest of the article at The Times-Picayune.
