In the heat of continuing political madness many important issues that should continue to be addressed in news cycles have been sidelined or ignored. Among crucial missing topics is the necessary reminder that we are living on a soon to be unsalvageable planet.
As the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference known as COP 27 came to an end in November, the consensus report of 197 countries cited record breaking floods, deadly heat waves, drought, and other extreme weather events, along with related global energy and food shortages as reasons for urgent action before the window closes on at least marginal remediation.
Those alarming events reflect global warming-related tragedies most often cited because they are the visible signs of impending disaster. The recent storms in California, bomb cyclones in the Midwest, floods from hurricanes in Florida and more speak to what the future holds. The problem isn’t just ours. Countries in Europe, Asia, Africa – indeed, everywhere – are struggling in the face of growing catastrophic events that threaten basic needs and daily life.
There are two climate change problems that are seldom mentioned. The first is the enormous global threat to coral reefs. As NOAA points out, warming oceans contribute to coral bleaching and infectious disease in reefs as the earth’s surface warms. As sea levels rise, the intensity and frequency of tropical storms bring harm to coral reefs which are vital to marine ecosystems as well as societies that depend on natural resources economically, such as fisheries and tourism.
According to a 2021 report in The New York Times, because of climate change the world lost about 14 percent of its coral reefs in the last two decades. In the report a coral reef specialist sounded a note of alarm. “Coral reefs are the canary in the coal mine telling us how quickly it can go wrong. It’s cause for great concern.”
Coral reefs cover only a fraction of the ocean floor, but they provide huge benefits to people, according to various experts. Their fish are a critical source of protein for millions of people and their limestone branches protect coasts from storms. Further, coral bleaching and ocean acidification, caused by increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that gets absorbed by oceans, also constitute climate change impacts on the reefs, which has become a growing problem as global ocean temperatures continue to rise. Another problem is that coral polyps hold the food reefs need to live and when the polyps lose algae bleaching reefs may face their demise.
Another overlooked global warming issue is its impact on migration. Multitudes of vulnerable people have moved away from their plots of land, their communities, their families, and their nations throughout human history as they try to adapt to changing and threatening living situations. Countries like Bangladesh are losing large swaths of land mass and coastal countries are now experiencing permanent land loss. Given that climate change is driving more and more people to become internally displaced or to flee to other countries as “environmentally displaced persons”, it’s clear that countries already face massive immigration challenges which will require addressing the issue in terms of policy and services more quickly and humanely than they do now.
Clearly this kind of global movement is connected to poverty and economic marginalization along with socio-cultural needs resulting in upheaval and political mismanagement that frequently results in chaos and deprivation. It is not hyperbole to say that the climate crisis is indeed the canary in the coal mine.
According to a forthcoming UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report it is estimated that “143 million people are likely to be uprooted by rising seas, drought, searing temperatures and other climate catastrophes over the next 30 years.” The UN Commission for Refugees adds that “each year, natural disasters force an average of 21.5 million people from their homes around the world” who are denied refugee status due to a 1951 Refugee Convention agreement. The draft report notes that “The things most Americans value most are at risk. More intensive extreme events and long-term climate changes make it harder to maintain safe homes and healthy families, reliable public services, a sustainable economy, thriving ecosystems and strong communities.”
“One problem is just the complete lack of understanding as to how climate is forcing people to move, “Amali Tower, executive director of Climate Refugees, said in a PBS interview. “There is still this idea in the Global North (industrialized nations) that people come here because they are fleeing poverty and seeking a better life, the American Dream. In Europe, it’s the same spin of the same story. But no one wants to leave their home. We’ve got to approach climate displacement as a human security issue and not a border security issue.”
As Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) tweeted recently, “Stop saying we can’t afford to tackle the climate crisis. You know what we can’t afford? Devastating heat waves, deadly wildfires, flooding, famine, and $178 trillion in damage climate change will wreak over the next 50 years.”
Clearly, the climate crisis is growing worse. Whether it’s coral reefs or leaky immigrant boats, the seas remind us that we can no longer minimalize, ignore, or trivialize what is happening. We must face how to move forward, despite broken politics, poor media coverage, and continuing denial.