A 2018 U.N. climate study ignited a wildfire of global alarm that burned bright for several years. Why has the response to the latest U.N. report been so quiet? dwallacewells writes on an era of activism receding into apathy
Illustration: Mark Pernice In late 2018, the United Nations published its landmark IPCC study “Global Warming of 1.5°C.” Sometimes called the “Doomsday” report, it outlined the dramatic outcomes — 150 million additional deaths from air pollution, once-a-century floods hitting every year — if the world became just half a degree warmer than the Paris Agreement’s stated goal of limiting warming to one and a half degrees above the preindustrial average.
All of these developments have helped lower the likely ceiling of warming this century. But that progress, which is real, obscures another story: If, just a few years ago, pointing out the difference between 1.5 and 2 degrees inspired years of global panic, a similarly dire report this go-round has produced a far more muted response.
Yes, there is a war going on, not to mention an ongoing pandemic, an inflation and energy crisis, and plenty of other, more quotidian concerns besides. But many of the same figures calling, screamingly, for attention in 2018 are doing the same this time around. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has ushered the new report into the world with familiar fire-and-brimstone rhetoric. “Nearly half of humanity is living in the danger zone — now,” he said.
It also ignores one central finding of this report, which is focused more than previous ones on present impacts. All but one nation in sub-Saharan Africa, for instance, have already suffered economic losses due to climate change, the vast majority having lost at least 10 percent of per capita GDP, with a handful registering losses above 20 percent. It’s not that the wolves we were warned about never showed up. They’re here now, having come faster and in larger numbers than predicted.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why Kim Jong Un Wants the World to See New ICBM Tests as Satellite TechnologyNorth Korea could potentially gain early insights into how a brand-new ICBM system performs without the risk of drawing international blowback—especially from its main allies in China and Russia.
Read more »
You still can and should avoid catching Omicron, here's whyWhile some argue it would be better to abandon existing public health measures and accept that practically everyone will get sick very soon, this is a bad idea for a variety of reasons.
Read more »
Why Even the Fastest Human Can’t Outrun Your House CatIt's the race of the century: Usain Bolt versus Professor Noodles McFluff. Who ya got? (From 2021)
Read more »
Why Few Vets Say Raw Dog Food is a Good IdeaThough some pet owners tout the benefits of a raw, natural diet for their companions, there's little science to back it up.
Read more »
‘RHOSLC’ recap: Jen Shah reveals why she didn’t take a plea deal“I’m fighting this. I am innocent,” the embattled Bravo star told Andy Cohen. “I’m going to f—king represent every other person out there that can’t fight.&8221…
Read more »
Colatura di Alici: What It Is, Why It’s Worth It, and How to Use ItThis Italian fish sauce packs a seriously savory punch.
Read more »