Global warming used to be easily dismissed by people as a natural phenomenon, but current practices and behaviors, specifically those intensive in fossil fuels and greenhouse gases, are accelerating climate change to the point where it can no longer be ignored. People are turning to policy makers for the answers, but environmental valuations are a difficult task due to the fact that there is no concrete monetary value assigned to the environment, and there is no supply, demand or market for clean air and bodies of water. For this reason, it is crucial that an agreement is reached between all countries at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to mitigate global warming before its too late. This week could either be the biggest success or failure to date for mankind, and unfortunately this is unknown to most.
World leaders and thousands of official delegates from 195 countries are convening in Paris for COP21 with hopes of reaching an agreement to combat climate change and keep the rise in average global temperature under 2° C. The scale of this problem is seemingly insurmountable, and that in itself is an issue delegates are facing. Countries are debating who is most responsible for the current climate crisis and therefore who should take on most of the burden of becoming more sustainable, clean and efficient. Should highly-developed countries with high greenhouse gas emissions, like the United States, work to curb emissions, or should emerging countries that are not as developed yet invest heavily to grow sustainably? Fighting climate change is not cheap and there are arguments for both sides, and this is why past COPs have not been successful. The world simply does not have anymore time to leave Paris without a deal.
It is estimated that if the world stays on the current 'business as usual' path, Earth will experience an increase of 5° C by the end of the century. So why is 2° C the benchmark? If (hopefully not when) average global temperatures exceed 2° C, the global warming will be considered irreversible and the ensuing results will be detrimental. Sea levels would rise, swallowing coastal regions and fisheries would collapse; food production would decline due to severe drought and increased temperatures; numerous species would be pushed to extinction and areas would become uninhabitable. People do not quite understand the severity of global warming. It's not just a couple of degrees warmer during the summer and a little less snowfall in the winter, it's mankind exceeding the planet's threshold and expecting everything to stay the same. Things will change in the coming years if by week's end there is no deal struck in Paris, but the good news that has come from this week so far is the announcement of the Breakthrough Energy Coalition.
Comprised of many high tech executives and investors, including Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos (CEO/Amazon), Mark Zuckerberg (CEO/Facebook) and Richard Branson (Founder/Virgin Group) to name a few, the BEC is mobilizing investment to increase the role and availability of renewable and green energy, decreasing our demand for fossil fuels. With significant capital, the BEC is providing the funding for zero-emission energy innovation that is needed to start a global movement toward green energy.
Although the BEC's contribution is significant and admirable, it is not enough to mitigate the negligence of current countries and their unsustainable practices. There is still just under a week remaining in the COP21 negotiations, but with the relatively unsuccessful track record of past COPs, it is concerning that an agreement has not been met. It is imperative for Earth and mankind to take global warming seriously and dismiss it as a myth. It is very real and it is happening now, and COP21 is just the start in the fight against the current climate crisis.
