The Growing Impact of Human Activities on Climate Change: An Urgent Global Challenge
Recent findings from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change highlight the significant role human activities such as fossil fuel combustion and livestock farming play in driving climate change. These actions contribute to the increasing levels of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, resulting in a rise in Earth’s surface temperatures.
For years, scientists, including experts from British Columbia, have cautioned that climate change would lead to more frequent and severe weather events. Instances like the deadly heat dome and catastrophic flooding in British Columbia in 2021 underscore these warnings. The panel has declared a “code red for humanity,” emphasizing that the opportunity to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels is rapidly diminishing.
According to NASA climate scientists, human activities have increased atmospheric carbon dioxide by 50% in the past two centuries, providing “unequivocal evidence that Earth is warming at an unprecedented rate.”
Measurements taken on September 5 at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, a key global atmosphere monitoring site, reported atmospheric carbon dioxide levels at 425.48 parts per million, slightly down from 427.87 ppm the previous month. This data, provided by NOAA, shows a consistent rise from under 320 ppm in 1960.
Critical Insights into Climate Change
• Earth’s temperature has risen approximately 1.3°C since the 1800s.
• The year 2024 surpassed 2023 as the hottest year recorded globally.
• In 2023, the global average temperature was 1.48°C higher than pre-industrial levels, with 2024 exceeding the 1.5°C mark at 1.55°C.
• The period from 2015 to 2024 ranks as the warmest decade on record.
• Human activities since 1850 have increased atmospheric CO2 levels by nearly 49% compared to pre-industrial times.
• Current global efforts are insufficient to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C, a threshold to avoid severe climate impacts like rising sea levels and intensified droughts, heatwaves, and wildfires.
• The IPCC warns that, if unchecked, carbon dioxide emissions could push temperatures up by as much as 3.6°C this century.
• June 2025 saw global carbon dioxide levels surpass 430 ppm, marking a new high.
• To prevent exceeding a 1.5°C rise, emissions must decrease by 7.6% annually from 2020 to 2030, and by 2.7% to stay below a 2°C increase.
• There is a global scientific consensus that climate change is occurring and is primarily human-induced.
• Evidence from natural sources like ice cores and tree rings, along with modern technology such as satellites, consistently indicates a changing climate.
(Sources for insights: United Nations IPCC, World Meteorological Organization, UNEP, NASA, climatedata.ca)
Latest Developments
Youth Group Sues Canada Pension Plan Over Climate Concerns
In a recent legal action, a group of young Canadians has filed a lawsuit against the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, alleging that the fund’s failure to manage climate-related financial risks endangers their future benefits.
The plaintiffs, including Aliya Hirji, Travis Olson, Ravneet Singh, and Chloe Tse, who are not expected to retire until after 2050, claim that the pension fund has violated its legal obligations by inadequately addressing climate risks. The lawsuit, submitted to Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice, also criticizes the fund’s ongoing investments in fossil fuels.
Karine Peloffy, an attorney with Ecojustice, representing the young investors, stated, “CPPIB is flying blind to the real risks of climate change and failing to protect the pensions of young Canadians.”
In response, CPPIB asserted its commitment to the interests of all Canadian contributors, noting that climate change is “one of many material factors we consider in managing risk and pursuing opportunities across the whole economy over the long term.”
Similar legal actions have been initiated by youth in various countries against governments and major energy companies, accusing them of exacerbating future climate challenges or neglecting to take necessary measures. A notable case against the U.S. government was dismissed by a federal court in 2020, with the Supreme Court declining to review it in March.
—Bloomberg News
Original Story at vancouversun.com