The Global Climate Summit ended in Brazil on Nov. 22 with little progress made. Many people had hoped that this round of negotiations would produce strong commitments tackling global warming, however with little change made, time is running out.
The lack of progress made at the summit left young people and climate activists around the world feeling frustrated. The Climate Summit didn’t even mention the use of fossil fuels, which is the main cause of global warming. This shocked many observes because fossil fuels, are responsible for the majority of human made greenhouse gas emissions. Countries were given lots of warnings about global warming, but they barely talked about how to actually address the issue. Instead, leaders avoided controversial topics, focusing on minor policy details. In the meantime, the planet continues to warm and climate conditions continue to worsen.
According to NASA, “The severity of effects caused by climate change will depend on the path of future human activities. More greenhouse gas emissions will lead to more climate extremes and widespread damaging effects across our planet.” This statement reinforces what scientists have been sharing for years, the choices made now will determine the future of the planet.
Throughout the years the average planet temperature has been increasing more and more. In 1980, the average temperature on the planet was 0.31C. Compared to today, the average temperature of the planet is 1.28C in 2024. That is nearly a 1C increase in temperature in just 44 years. Although this may sound small, it represents a huge amount of heat trapped in earths atmosphere.
To give context to how much of a jump in temperature that is, from 1936 to 1980 there was only a temperature increase of 0.42. The rate of temperature increase has more than doubled.
And yet, even with the rapid increase in temperature, and warnings from NASA, substantial action has yet to be taken. Speaking to teens, who have a future ahead of them that relies on a planet still intact, many were torn on how much they actually know about global warming and the dangers of climate change.
Some students believe that the reason that nothing is done about our planet’s climate is due to the idea that wealthy people could buy their way to safety. “It’s probably because they believed they have the money to survive whatever happens to the planet,” one student stated. With enough money, its imagined they could build underground bunkers, move to safer areas, or used advanced technology to protect themselves.
Some students believe that the reason is simply financial. “Maybe because…it’s for the money, they might get support saying they’re going to do something, then just not do it,” said student Madelyn. Oil companies and others who benefit from fossil fuels pay off people in power to keep the same system in place so they can continue to profit. Lobbying and political donations have a huge influence on climate policy, and many leaders don’t want to upset the industries that fund their campaigns.
Student Alex said that she believes the government just “doesn’t care.” This could be for a factor of reasons, but the most likely one is that they believe they will simply die before they have to face any major consequences for destroying the planet. When the effects feel far away, it’s easier to ignore the issue.
The only way individuals can make a change is if they start doing something about it themselves. Individuals can call their congressional representative and tell them there needs to be a change. They can also go to a climate protest, support renewable energy, and do research about climate change to get more informed.
The only way to make a difference is if people go out there and make it happen. Change doesn’t start with governments, it starts with people demanding action.
