Climate Change in 2024: Where Do We Stand?

Climate change has been a growing concern, affecting various aspects of life on Earth. It has influenced how businesses function, how developing countries acquire resources, and how we rebuild local communities after experiencing the devastating effects of natural disasters due to global warming. The issue will continue to alter life on Earth until we stabilize or reduce rapidly rising global surface temperatures.

Climate change is a term that refers to the long-term changes in temperature or weather patterns and the global temperature increase due to excessive greenhouse gases. While shifts in climate change are natural and expected to evolve over time during the solar cycle, human activities such as industrialization and urbanization have impacted the natural cycle of climate change. The World Health Organization has declared the global temperature rise and excessive burning of fossil fuels to be one of the greatest threats to global health. Therefore, the increase in the global average surface temperature not only affects the climate system but also human health.

Fossil fuels, carbon dioxide, and various greenhouse gas emissions have made climate change a more predominant problem in our society. It has given climate change the power to ultimately impact the way we approach sustainable business and daily lifestyle habits. We are now paying more attention to the global average temperature and ways to reduce emissions.

Climate change refers to both the changing temperatures and unusual weather patterns, whereas global warming solely refers to the increase of the Earth’s temperature. Global warming is due to the burning of fossil fuels that create greenhouse gas emissions and trap the sun’s heat, causing temperatures to rise. Changes in the Earth’s climate such as sea level rise, seasonal snow cover, ocean acidification, sea ice, and ice sheets would all refer to climate change.

Climate change is negatively affecting the temperature, wildlife, ecosystems, and natural resources that human life depends on for survival. The question now is, where does climate change stand in 2024, and how can we continue to improve in the fight against climate change?