27.12.2024

2024 warmest year since measurement

The article refers to 2024 expected to be the warmest year since the start of comprehensive Measurement in 1881. According to the earth monitoring service Copernicus the global warming will fail the 1.5 degree threshold committed to in the Paris climate agreement for the first time in 2024.

2024 was marked by new sad records in terms of fatality and property damages caused by earthquakes, Hurricans, wildfires and flood disasters. Of the rain forest at Amazon which is an important carbon dioxide storage 10 million hectares burned down.

Respect for the issue

A number of prominent heads of states and governments absented themselves from the world climate conference 2024, a few of them deny the climate change as such. The president elect of the United States takes pleasure in climbing sea levels which would raise the number of houses with sea view and announces a drastic return to fossil energy.

The usage of fossil burn makes up the major part of the human-caused greenhouse effect. Electricity and heating, traffic and industrial production are key drivers. Traffic in particular becomes visible in crowded highways, miles long traffic jams, hours lasting commuter traffic and crowds at the Airports.

“Urgent” trumps “Important”

The need to slow down and fight climate change is acknowledged by a broad population. This need however competes against a multiplicity of other issues deemed urgent, being it fixing imminent existing or defined emergencies, finishing conflicts, closing budget gaps, elections to win, payment of invoices, competitive threats and dynamics or impending loss of wealth. It’s human to approach urgent challenges as a priority. Climate change is a adamant but long-lasting process where in case of doubt one or two years don’t count. It’s consequences lie in the future and so farther away.

Inflation of warnings

Alarmierende Nachrichten beschäftigen sich mit Bedrohungen in allen genannten und weiteren Bereichen der Realität. „Information Overload“ und in der Folge „Bad news are good news“ sind ein Phänomen der Medienberichterstattung. Es ist auch menschlich, ab einem gewissen Punkt die mentale Reißleine zu ziehen und Themen auszublenden. Hinzu kommt, dass Experten seit Jahrzehnten vor den Folgen des Klimawandels warnen, und es daher keine Neuigkeiten mehr sind. Die Erde ist noch da, daher kann es so schlimm nicht sein.

The social good

Climate change is accelerated by millions of producing companies, domestic homes, road users, passengers, computer centers etc. worldwide and in many countries. No individual is in the position to make a notable difference. The difference one makes benefits an anonymus population.

The Cost of a heat pump, an EV or higher fuel prices are paid for by that Individual. It can mean painful financial hits. It can also mean constraints in daily living, missing charging stations are still a big issue. It simply doesn’t pay off. And it’s also about human idleness which plays a role at any kind of change.

But: The “Can” and the “Must”

A change needed usually happens when it becomes unavoidable, when the psychological strain of the current situation crosses a certain threshold, when it’s cost become bigger than the cost after change or when the benefits after the change exceed the ones before. The Cost of environmental disasters keep growing. In opposition to it there are investments and technical evolution and progress. The millionth charging station or EV will be cheaper than the first one. In the early stage of Covid vaccines have been developed in record speed which before would have taken years. What’s possible through technical progress and pressure is fascinating and justifies some hope with regard to Climate change.