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The Climate Chap: Being an Olympian

 

 

20 Aug, 2021

SteveGreen-18STEVE GREEN

Weren’t the Tokyo Olympics great? Weren’t you proud of our athletes? Wasn’t it moving to hear our national anthem as yet another Kiwi received their gold medal and stood centre on the podium? Inevitably most competitors did not win a medal, but from now on they will always be Olympians, and not only reflect positively upon their own unique abilities, talents and sheer determination but also the amazing investment and support contributed by parents, family and coaches. Can’t wait for Paris 2024.

However, in the days following the Games, we have all been brought back to the stark reality that is the climate crisis. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have now produced their latest report on the evolving status of the crisis. Ironically this coincided precisely with New Zealand running out of electricity! The IPCC is a United Nations-based assembly of world class scientists whose role is to inform all of the 195 countries that committed to solving climate change back in Paris 2015. Their previous report, published in 2013, set the stage for the Paris conference and our commitment to reducing and hopefully eliminating our greenhouse gasses by 2050.

The report is shocking. No other word for it. It offers the hope that we can still take measures to keep the global warming to within 1.5C of pre-industrial levels, but it’s getting harder as climate change is taking place sooner than expected. Record temperatures, droughts, destructive flash floods, melting glaciers, rising sea levels, thawing tundra, destructive forest fires… all happening more frequently and far more destructive. Global emissions continue to rise and not fall, and many nations are nowhere close to achieving their obligations by 2030 and eventually 2050. That disappointingly includes us.

For me the three major conclusions from the report are, firstly, that there remains so many greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere that these conditions are here to stay for centuries to come regardless of how we attack the climate crisis. Secondly, there is absolutely no doubt anymore that the cause of the crisis is us – humans – who over the past three centuries have exploited fossil fuels combined with releasing methane gasses into the atmosphere via ruminating livestock. Yes, there has been occasions going back tens of thousands of years where the climate changed, both with ice ages and higher temperatures, but nothing like this. Globally this is the hottest it’s been for over 2000 years. Whether we like it or not, we have caused this problem and only we can solve it. Thirdly, climate change is taking place sooner that previously predicted. This means that our investment in securing a better future for all of us and generations to come has become far more urgent.

The IPCC report is somewhat technical but it illustrates what will likely happen to our planet, if we fail to limit the temperature rise to 1.5C. Things get very bad very quickly if it increases to 2.0C, and things get pretty terrifying if they go up to a 4.0C level.

As for New Zealand, the IPCC report now projects increasing winter and spring rainfall in the west and south, with less rainfall in the east and north, more summer rainfall in the east of both islands, with less in the west and central North Island. Glaciers have retreated and are projected to retreat further. Now’s the time to visit Fox Glacier before it vanishes.

So, with so much gloom and doom around, what can you personally do? Maybe nothing, and wait for our government or perhaps Northland Regional Council to solve all these problems for us. Maybe. But far more rewarding and motivating is to become a Climate Olympian! The

Climate Crisis is our own Olympics. Every country is involved, we come in all shapes and sizes, participate in vastly different ways, and compete to the best of our ability.

Olympians need to train every day, seek expert information, guidance and coaching, reject criticism from folks who do not understand what it takes to be an Olympian, ‘keep your eyes on the prize’ and take on a life-enhancing challenge now and for over the coming years.

Everyone on this wonderful planet has the opportunity to strive to be a Climate Olympian. The time is now.

The Climate Crisis is our own Olympics. Every country is involved.


 
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