First, a very warm welcome to all readers on Earth Hour’s new official blog.
Choosing the topic for our very first blog post was a daunting task. But we knew right away that we had to start with the basics - why climate change? We are convinced that climate change is the issue to focus on and we hope that you too will agree that it is time to use #YourPower to change climate change. Join the discussion in our comments section!
Here are 10 reasons why now is the time to take climate action.
- “Man-made climate change is one the biggest threats the world faces today.” It is not just us saying this but also Barack Obama…David Cameron...UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Pope Francis, WWF, Leonardo Di Caprio and Emma Thompson…you get the idea! Watch them in our video.
- Climate change will have major and unpredictable effects on the world's water systems, including an increase in floods and droughts, causing in turn, an impact on food supply, displacement and conflict.
- Seasonal shifts, extreme weather conditions, change in precipitation patterns caused by climate change will impact farming and agriculture, a source of food and livelihood for more than half of the global population.
- The world has warmed by 0.8°C since pre-industrial times. Reports by NASA, the MET, Japan’s Meteorological Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) indicate that 2014 was the hottest year on record.
- At the current rate of degradation, the iconic Great Barrier Reef could be dead within a human lifetime.
- A report released by WWF and leading meteorologists shows that human-induced global warming was a key factor in the severity of the 2002 drought in Australia, generally regarded as the worst ever.
- 2003, Scotland's hottest year on record saw hundreds of adult salmon die as rivers became too warm for salmon to be able to extract enough oxygen from the water.
- Rising sea levels threaten entire nations on low-lying islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
- In December this year, world leaders will be gathering in Paris to make commitments to fight climate change and ensure a sustainable future for our planet. We think we should all be aware of what the discussions will be- don't you? Stay informed on what your government is doing to fight climate change and share your stories with us on Facebook or Twitter.
- Climate change might seem too huge or too abstract a challenge but real impact can be achieved - all it takes is the first step. Join Earth Hour to help deliver tangible environmental outcomes and use #YourPower to help change climate change!
*Source for facts/reports: WWF Website
climate change, wwf, global warming