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BY JOHN KESSLER FN News

Nothing is eternal. Less than ten thousand years ago, the Sahara was a lush and tropical area, with forests grouped around the largest freshwater lake on the planet. The lake disappeared in a few hundred years and today in its place there is nothing but dust. The climate has always changed. But the fact that the climate has changed in the past does not mean that this time we are not responsible for the changes that are taking place. So, 2019 can be safely called the year in which the world finally recognized the problem of climate change. Shockwaves of heat, drought, floods, severe hurricanes and forest fires – this is how we will remember the warmest year in history.

According to NASA’s climatologist Kate Marvel, in her author’s column, Scientific American, scientists have been right all this time. Over the past ten years, specialists have been tracking changes that are taking place, most of which were quite expected. But today, climate change is too rapid and this is a serious cause for concern.

View from two sides

Over the past decade, the world has repeatedly heard the assurances of politicians about the need to combat climate change. Numerous summits and even the signing of the Paris climate agreement still led to the fact that 2019 was the hottest year in the history of observations. Despite several major summits held under the auspices of the UN, not all countries are ready to make serious changes. So, India does not promise to reduce the use of coal, US officials refuse to speak at the conference, and the Brazilian president still publicly denies climate change. Moreover, during the last summit in Chile, which took place between December 2 and 13, the participating countries did not assume any obligations and did not agree on any resolutions to regulate the amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere.

On the other hand, the inaction of world leaders generated a wave of protests, which were attended by representatives of the young generation. And this is not surprising: right in front of the eyes of young people, their future was traded for short-term profit. During the protests that swept through many countries of the world, the streets of large cities were filled with angry children and heartbroken parents. In the future, 11 thousand scientists from around the world supported the young people – according to the researchers, we are in an extreme climate situation and if nothing changes, then the bright future for which the young generation was preparing may not come.

According to Wired.com, another sad outcome of 2019 was the realization that for the powers that be, these decades of research are simply not enough motivation. However, this does not mean that nothing can be done. To contribute to the fight against climate change, each of us can gradually change our daily habits, while simultaneously exerting pressure on political leaders. According to the researchers, subject to the following points, we can fight back the impending disaster:

Refusal of red meat

Refusal of frequent flights

Fertility reduction

Change in consumer habits

Rare use of the car