6 serious climate problems affect all people on the planet. A report from the UN University in Bochum shows how dire the situation is. The report describes six categories of issues that could pose a threat to life on Earth.
1. The weather becomes unbearably hot
People can only survive within certain temperature ranges.
Additionally, those living in poverty often lack access to air conditioning and other cooling measures that can help cope with extreme heat.
According to the UN report, there have been 500,000 heat-related deaths since 2000. In the future, heatwaves will regularly reach temperatures that make life impossible, especially in the Middle East and South Asia.
Germany is also experiencing hotter temperatures in its moderate latitudes. According to RKI, in 2022, 4,500 people in Germany died from excessive heat. September 2023 became the warmest month in recorded history.
2. Acceleration of species extinction
Over the past 100 years, more than 400 vertebrate species have gone extinct.
The ecosystem is falling out of balance, and the consequences are serious. In the worst case, our entire ecosystem could collapse due to a chain reaction.
Germany has also suffered from species disappearance, with 75% of insect species affected. Bird and bee populations are also at risk.
3. Depletion of groundwater
According to the UN report, 21 of the world's 37 largest underground water reserves are depleting faster than they can be replenished. The consequences range from food and water shortages to species extinction.
Germany has lost 15.2 billion tons of water in the last 20 years. However, a critical turning point has not yet been reached in the country, according to hydrologist Jörg Dietrich.
4. Glaciers are melting
All glaciers on Earth are melting, and they are melting faster. This can be observed through severe flooding. Water is diminishing as the ice decreases, leading to various consequences, including:
- Ecological disasters;
- Habitat loss;
- Water shortages.
There are still four glaciers in the German Alps. New temperature records cause them to melt abundantly each year.
In September, the Southern Schneeferner glacier shrank so much that its glacier status was revoked.
5. Congestion in space is increasing
The problem is not only how we treat Earth but also our interaction with space.
By 2030, it will be possible to launch 100,000 new space objects into orbit. The more objects there are, the higher the likelihood of collisions, which already occasionally occur today.
If these collisions create too much debris, the space around our planet will eventually become unusable. This would pose a significant problem for weather forecasts, research, or satellite reception for phones and the internet.
When you walk onto a plane with Starlink, the internet just works 🛰️✈️❤️ https://t.co/1GVbRhfrRH
— Starlink (@Starlink) November 9, 2023
In the night sky of Germany, an increasing number of satellites can be observed, especially Starlink satellites from Elon Musk's SpaceX, providing internet to remote areas of the Earth, resembling magical lights in the sky.
6. The future becomes uninsurable
Perhaps the most abstract of the 6 serious climate problems is the inability to insure many places on Earth.
When natural disasters, such as floods, make insurance unprofitable, people face significant problems.
Often, they cannot cope with high expenses. It is especially difficult for those suffering from poverty to leave their homes and move to safer regions. According to UN estimates, by 2030, over 500,000 homes in Australia will be uninsurable.
Currently, there are no regions in Germany that will be completely uninsurable in the foreseeable future.
Nevertheless, mandatory insurance against elemental damage is being discussed after the floods in the Ahr Valley. This disaster, costing €40.5 billion, became the most expensive extreme weather event in the history of Germany.
Related topics:
The UN report suggests that heat-related deaths have reached an alarming number of 500,000 since 2000, and as temperatures continue to rise, future heatwaves could make life impossible in certain regions, particularly in the Middle East and South Asia. (Climate, heatwaves)
The accelerated extinction of species is a concerning issue, with the UN report indicating that over 400 vertebrate species have vanished over the past 100 years, and Germany also experiencing a decline in insect, bird, and bee populations. (Climate, species extinction)
