Congratulations! You've Won... Someone Else's Emissions.

Welcome back to Climatific, a free, weekly read that breaks down climate science so it makes sense- not for scientists or researchers, but for everyday people trying to understand the planet we live on, what’s happening to it, and why it matters.

We know climate change has a slew of negative impacts, but have you ever wondered who it impacts most and why? If we know the answer, then why don’t we do something to fix the problem? Well… welcome to Complication Station. 🚄 So glad you could join us!

If you’re a new subscriber, catch up on past issues of Climatific and learn more about who we are here:

As you already know, climate change can have devastating impacts on the health and wellbeing of communities. NASA calculates the global temperature increase as just over 1 degree Celsius each year since 1880. This might not seem like a lot, but keep in mind that the last ice age was only 6 degrees Celsius cooler than it is today. It took 2,000 years for the planet to naturally warm by 6 degrees Celsius… at our current rate, we can accomplish that in only 6 years.

The rapid increase in global temperatures creates conditions for various environmental hazards, including:

🌵Droughts

🌪️Severe storms

🌊Warmer ocean temperatures

☁️Stronger wind speeds

⛈️Tropical storms

🧊Melting ice caps

🪸Rising sea levels

🏞️Eroding embankments

So, what’s the catch? Well, this long list of hazards affect people and communities disproportionately. We call this climate injustice. Low-income communities and people of color are impacted the most heavily because they lack the financial resources necessary to adapt and protect themselves. Heat strokes, cardiovascular issues, and food and water insecurity are just some of the many complications that these groups experience.

Historical system inequities cause this vicious cycle and, unfortunately, we have yet to effectively rectify them after all these years. Redlining, discriminatory zoning, and privatized infrastructure all place communities at a disadvantage when natural disasters turn their ugly heads.

The worst part? Studies show that these communities contribute the least amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Talk about getting the short end of the stick…

Climate justice can also be examined on a global scale. For instance, the U.S. experiences the greatest number of natural disasters annually and is the second largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. However, the World Risk Index identifies the Philippines as the most vulnerable country for natural disasters. These rankings consider a country’s exposure to natural hazards and societal vulnerabilities. Despite their WRI, the Philippines is only the 33rd largest global contributor of greenhouse gas emissions.

What does this mean? The U.S. creates the most emissions and experiences the greatest number of natural disasters because of their diverse climates. Nonetheless, the Philippines suffer the most from climate disasters because of a lack of resources and socioeconomic inequalities.

The moral of the story: your actions matter and can be felt all across the globe. ✊🏽

Due to the increasing severity and quantity of natural disasters, many cities have begun implementing climate resilience or disaster preparedness programs. These programs act as a toolkit to improve internal emergency responder time and communications, encourage innovation for unprecedented situations, and organize the local community for recovery efforts. 🏥

Just like Climate Action Plans, disaster preparedness programs are tailored to meet a community’s specific needs. Core issues could include 🌊 stormwater management, ♨️ heatwaves and food insecurity, or even 💨 excessive winds and infrastructure management. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, identifies the greatest risks to our nation and proposes various activities for mitigation.

Knowledge is power, so let’s do everything we can to nurture our brains and make a difference! 🤓

First and foremost, we’d like to shamelessly plug a documentary on climate disaster preparedness. Cooked: Survival by Zip Code was created by Judith Helfand in 2018 in an attempt to investigate the tragic deaths from the 1995 Chicago heatwave. This horrific event challenged communities to shift their focus from disaster relief to disaster prevention. Helfand explores which communities were the most vulnerable and identifies actions that could have been taken to prevent such a catastrophe. This is an extremely powerful film, so grab some ice cream and a friend. It’ll be worth the watch! 🎥🍿

If documentaries aren’t exactly your style, then fear not. Here are some things you can do to help balance the scales:

1. Support candidates or policies that advocate for disaster prevention programs and 💰 equitable spending among communities.

2. Engage with your city council to support modern building codes 🏛️ that are climate resilient and restrict development in highly vulnerable areas.

3. Join a local climate resilience task force. ⛑️ These groups act as formal advisory councils to municipal governments.

All this talk about disaster preparedness is well-timed, don’t you think? Canadian and U.S. citizens are still experiencing significant impacts to their air quality due to the smoke from the ongoing Ontario wildfires. 🔥 This has caused international tensions as officials a the National Weather Service are urging people to seek shelter inside. Join us next Tuesday when we dive into all the nitty gritty details!

Have a specific topic on climate science you want to learn about? Let us know. All responses are anonymous!