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Abstract
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Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that the world´s eyes and ears were almost entirely focused on its outcomes, the climate change crisis has never ceased to exist, with troublesome consequences. Natural and social disasters have been occurring with more intensity. In the past few months, the Americas have suffered from major climate events, such as the Hurricane Ida in the USA and major drought in Brazil. As the temperatures rise, the world is on the edge of an irreversible situation, and actions from governments are called for.
Brazil is currently suffering from the worst drought in over 100 years. Additionally, many conserved areas throughout the country such as the Amazon forest and the Pantanal wetlands are burning to the ground mostly due to anthropogenic activities. With an increase in global temperatures, fires worsen, with a direct impact on pollution and rain production. To ameliorate the situation, some of the Brazilian Government's responses to extinguish the fires in August, 2021, consisted of training army men, investing in helicopters and planes, and forbidding the use of fires in the areas for 120 days. These reactive measures were inadequate as more than 700 000 hectares were already consumed by the fire in the Pantanal area alone since January 2021. In 2020, more than 20,000 animals died in fires, and the number is still unknown for 2021. Now, as summer approaches in the southern hemisphere, the consequences of inaction kick in: Brazil, one of the richest countries in water resources, is in a critical water crisis. The expected rains did not occur this year, which have a direct impact, not only on water and energy supply, but also for all the biomes throughout the country.
Other climate crises are occurring with more frequency and intensity throughout the Americas. The 4-year US withdrawal from the global climate community has taken its toll. The USA is the second largest greenhouse gas emitter and responsible for producing more than 5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide per year since 1990. Although the hurricane season is expected yearly, there was a rapid development of Hurricane Ida in August 2021. This was not just a random occasion. Warmer-than-usual temperatures from the Gulf of Mexico, due to ocean-level increases, sped up the process, leading to a class-4 hurricane. Hurricane Ida first hit the state of Louisiana, resulting in major floods, power outages and destruction, and a death toll of 26 people, 16 years after Hurricane Katrina´s destruction in New Orleans and just one year after Hurricane Laura. Although it lost its force, Hurricane Ida did not stop in Louisiana; because of warmer temperatures in the atmosphere, the aftermath of this climate event resulted in major floods in four other US states: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. At the time of writing, 50 people were confirmed dead in these four states. The occurrence of slower and stronger hurricanes can be progressively frequent as the climate crisis worsens..
Language: en |