January 5th, 2020
The continent of Australia is on fire. Over thousands of people have been displaced but what is worse is that it is being reported that over half a billion animals are dead. The Australian government denies that this has anything to do with climate change and has called it irrelevant and the bush fires are normal and something which happens every year.
In mid-December, the nation of Australia saw the hottest day in history. – the average temperature was 41.9-degrees Celsius. If all this has nothing to do with climate change then somebody knowledgeable should explain why all this is happening.
Climate change is now affecting every country on every continent. It is disrupting national economies and affecting lives, costing people, communities, and countries dearly today and even more tomorrow. Weather patterns are changing, sea levels are rising, weather events are becoming more extreme and greenhouse gas emissions are now at their highest levels in history. Without action, the world’s average surface temperature is likely to surpass 3 degrees centigrade this century. The poorest and most vulnerable people are being affected the most.
Climate change activists the world over have been talking about actionable plans to be implemented so that these happening do not go beyond control. However major governments including those of the United States and Australia continue to live in ignorance and deny that there is anything like climate change that is happening in today’s world.
These incidents and others happening around the world bring us back to the questions and answers we need to find for sustainable growth more specifically in the gem and jewelry industry
Despite the signs of climate breakdown, big polluting corporations responsible for the majority of carbon emissions continue to carry on mining in a way that is beneficial only to themselves. Irresponsible mining has released carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that were locked deep within the Earth. Because of this, the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere has rocketed. It’s now at levels not seen in millions of years before humans even existed. Carbon dioxide traps heat from the sun and as a result, our planet is now warming fast
As our climate breaks down, billions of people are already struggling to cope and it’s the poorest who are being hit hardest. Powerful cyclones have devastated the lives of millions of people in the Philippines. Forest fires in Russia and Europe have covered cities in thick polluting smoke. And closer to home, catastrophic floods have turned lives upside-down in Yorkshire, Somerset, and Cumbria.
In drier, hotter conditions, wildfires rage out of control, reducing mighty forests to ash and this is what we are seeing in Australia right now. The oceans are warming and the water is becoming more acidic, causing mass coral die-offs and the loss of breeding grounds for sea creatures. Delicate ecosystems that are home to insects, plants, and animals struggle to adapt quickly enough to the changing climate, putting one million species at risk of extinction. That means our food security, health, and quality of life are all under threat.
At this stage Karattalk.com wants to initiate a discussion on what do you think about climate change and what actions should responsible agencies take to thwart the damages being wreaked upon humanity by an individual and big corporation and government agencies.
Join the Discussion:
Sustainability and Sustainable Practices in the Gems & Jewellery Industry
Sources: Un.org, Greenpeace.org
