Addressing Climate Change In A Post-Pandemic World
The coronavirus pandemic is an ongoing economic and health emergency that affects many aspects of our lives. However, despite its much slower progression, I firmly believe that climate change will be the biggest cause of permanent changes to our world. The increasingly warmer atmosphere has led to unpredictable weathers and a rising sea level, which is affecting many seaside communities, from Venice to small island nations in the Pacific. There’s a silver lining in everything, however, and the pandemic has actually inspired me to deal with climate change in a much better way.
With that in mind, I want to share some of my thoughts and ideas on climate change in a post-pandemic world:
Get The Public On Board- COVID-19 mitigation efforts will be unimaginably difficult if the general public refuses to comply with lockdown and physical distancing measures. The same applies with climate change mitigation. Goods and services that businesses and governments provide depend on what consumers need and want. If consumers are not willing to reduce their carbon footprint, climate change initiatives will fail. Policymakers and governments should create a sense of urgency when it comes to managing climate change risks.
Provide Assistances To Affected Communities- Kiribati may be the first country that’s completely under water in 30 years, which will turn its 100,000 citizens into climate change refugees. I can see extreme weather and long droughts severely affecting less developed countries, due to the loss of housing and livelihood.
Start Global Collaboration- governments, organisations and businesses are collaborating together to stop the spread of coronavirus. But they must also do the same thing to slow down or reverse the ongoing climate change before the point of no return is reached. Governments should set up stricter regulations to significantly curtail the emission of greenhouse gasses and businesses should comply by using greener manufacturing processes and delivering more efficient products.
Release Accurate Information From Scientific Circles- new details about COVID-19 are regularly coming from scientific circles. The same must apply for the mitigation of climate changes. Meteorologists and climatologists should provide relevant information to the general public about the worrisome consequences of global warming. The break-offs of massive icebergs in Antarctic are a strong enough indication that there’s something wrong with our planet and this is something that I feel each and every person on the planet should be aware of.
A Thank You
I want to take a moment to thank The American University For Sustainable Development, Scientific Research And Global Peace for appointing me their Ambassador Of Peace And Justice. It is a great honour they have bestowed upon me and I am committed to doing everything I can to promote climate change, world peace, and justice throughout the world.
-H.E. Sir Patrick Bijou
