Paul Benson
Reporter
In 2017, the International Energy Agency predicted that CO2 emissions would increase again in 2018, and sure enough they did. We have known about greenhouse gases and the changing climate since the mid-1900’s. Since 1957, we’ve found specific evidence that CO2 emissions have affected the balance of radiation in our atmosphere. At that time, humans had the option of curbing CO2 emissions and only worrying about a 1 degree global increase. It is now impossible for us to stay below a 1 degree change, and now we have to hope for a 1.5 degree change. While these temperature changes might seem small, they are referring to a global change of temperature. When the entire globe heats up, even by minor amounts, catastrophic events are possible.
According to many sources including the recent 2018 IPCC special report, if the Earth’s climate sees a 1.5 degree change in our life time the world’s coral reefs will be extinct, many droughts will occur, coastal cities will be flooded, a large chunk of the world will be uninhabitable and will spike a serious refugee crisis, agriculture will suffer and famines will occur, the entire Persian gulf will be abandoned, the Colorado river will be only a slither, and many in the American Southwest will have to evacuate their homes, among other equally catastrophic events. Climate change is a very hard pill to swallow. But the reality is that climate change is already affecting our environment, and it will continue to have drastic consequences unless we do something about it.
“In the science community, I know probably 2-300 climate scientists and I can count on the fingers of one hand those that remain skeptical that humans are the primary cause. And even those few readily acknowledge that the Earth is warming,” said State Climatologist Jim Angel. To many, climate change seems like a big unstoppable issue, and it’s not uncommon for people to wonder “how can one person make a difference?”
It might be easier to think about climate change on a local level. So, what does Illinois have to worry about when it comes to climate change? Jim Angel has done most of his work understanding the climate of Illinois. According to Angel “in Illinois, the primary impact of climate change has been from the increase in precipitation by 10 to 15 percent over the last century and the strong increase in heavy rainfall. Rain totals of 2, 4, 8 inches are more common and more widespread. In addition, we are seeing more heavy rain events in months where we normally get snow. For example, in the last 3 years, we have had major rainstorms in December and February. In a recent 10-year study, flood losses of over $2 billion occurred due to heavy rains flooding homes and businesses in the state, mostly in the Chicago area. We are expected to continue this trend towards more heavy rains in the future.” Climate change is already costing us loads of money on a state level. Angel goes on to state that, as Illinois gets hotter and the winters get shorter, there will be an increase in pests and invasive species that survive the winters. You can imagine how that might negatively impact a state like Illinois, where we are agricultural leaders in producing corn, soybeans, and swine.
Angel’s advice? Adapt to the warming climate and mitigate our greenhouse emissions. We can mitigate by “increasing energy efficiency, wider use of renewable energy, rethinking our transportation, etc.” Angel said. “Many scientists have become tired of reporting bad news, and many people are tired of hearing bad news. And it’s a monumental task to make any significant strides in solving the problems from climate change. However, remember the first law of holes, ‘If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.’ We can’t continue what we have always done – that only makes the hole deeper. We have to start adapting faster while slowing down our emissions.”
