Increasing Climate Risks

Despite the need for action to stop global warming, many of us are adapting to increasing health, safety, and survival risks instead of demanding change. There is a lack of pressure on politicians to transition away from fossil fuels to renewable sources and energy and protect ecosystems that sequester carbon.

Research shows that more frequent and extreme weather events aren’t causing people to take action to protect themselves in the way climate aware people expected. This post explores the psychology behind climate inaction and suggests possible solutions to our collective complacency.

Here are recent examples of increasing risks:

  • Heat waves are arriving earlier in the season, lasting longer, and becoming increasingly severe. During the spring and summer of 2024, deadly heatwaves struck Asia, India, the United States, and other nations.

  • Triple E, a deadly and disabling mosquito-borne disease, is spreading to areas of the U.S. as temperatures continue to rise. Insect-borne diseases are also emerging in South Korea, Europe, and other previously immune regions.

  • Deadly floods in China, Africa, Europe, the United States, and other regions are being caused or intensified by unchecked global warming.

  • Intensifying wildfires have been linked to global warming by climate scientists.

  • Climate change is harming our mental health, and many people who live through extreme weather events suffer from PTSD.

  • Climate change is driving human migration due to factors like sea-level rise, extreme weather events, and dwindling resources. Communities are forced to relocate, leading to climate refugees and significant social and economic challenges.

  • Droughts exacerbated by climate change are resulting in famine in Africa and other regions.

  • Essential minerals needed for the transition to renewables are at risk due to climate change and ecological breakdown.

  • House insurance rates are rising due to climate change, leaving people in areas prone to extreme weather unable to find affordable coverage.

  • A new study reports that climate change will lower individual incomes around 19% by 2049, while simultaneously driving up the cost of living.

In order to protect our health and safety, we need to transform our collective complacency into political action, advocating for a rapid transition away from fossil fuels and supporting sustainable practices that protect both people and the natural world.

More reading:

Previous
Previous

Developing nations and the fossil fuel dilemma

Next
Next

Psychological barriers to climate change action