NEWS FACTORY

 

Navigating Climate Change: Global Challenges and Adaptations

Introduction

Our understanding of climate change has evoleved dramatically over time. While natural fluctuations in the Earth's climate have been recognized for centuries, it wasn't until the 1970s   that scientists began to uncover evidence of human interference on the climate system. In the following decades, it became clear that human activity, particularly the emission of greenhouse gasses like CO2, had been contributing to the warming of the planet since the industrial revolution. 

Now, as we witness the tangible effects of climate change on our own communities, the urgency of addressing this global issue has never been more apparent.   69% of people worldwide see climate change as a threat, a number that has undoubtedly increased as wildfires, floods, and heatwaves have since devastated countless communities.  

Climate change impacts not only the environment, but also our health, industries, economies, housing, infrastructure, and even political elections. 3.6 billion people currently live in areas deemed highly susceptible to the consequences of climate change. As the world gets warmer, this number will increase as will the severity of the impact.

Underdeveloped or developing countries, which contribute the least to greenhouse gas emissions, are often the most affected  by the consequences of climate change. Within all countries, marginalized groups such as the elderly, children, disabled individuals, and the poor bear a disproportionate burden  of these impacts, exacerbating existing inequalities. Because of this, the climate crisis is already undoing decades of progress in “development, global health and poverty reduction,” according to 

Our Report for the World and Report for America corps members have been covering the varying impacts of climate change throughout the world. From floods in Libya to  wildfires in Maui, they have covered some of the biggest and deadliest climate-related disasters of the past year. But they’ve also covered lesser-known effects that transform communities across the world,  and the ways humans are adapting. Overwhelmingly, through the framing and choice of interviews, these stories underscore the perspective that listening to the expertise of scientists has never been more critical.