It has been common knowledge that the planet is getting hotter, with ample data backing up that claim. According to estimates published by the University of Maine, the global heat record reached 17.01 degrees Celsius on July 3, which was immediately surpassed the next day with a temperature of 17.18 degrees Celsius. While the increase might seem small on a micro level, on a macro level, this is incredibly concerning.
Climate change is the biggest existential threat facing mankind today. Even countries with cooler climes have been posting record temperatures during summer, with things worsening to the point where massive heat waves have become natural. In the global south, countries like India and Bangladesh have been posting temperatures in excess of 40 degree Celsius.
This is in line with what scientists have been saying for years. Things have gotten to the point where the polar ice caps melting is not the worst-case scenario, it is the new normal. Aside from coastal nations going under, this also has the potential to usher in new pandemics and other health disasters.
And yet, things don't seem to change. The biggest culprits here are Western nations themselves, such as the US, who seem unable to rein in their emission levels. Developed Western nations as a whole have the resources and infrastructure in place to survive for the time being, but nations like Bangladesh are being destroyed as we speak.
The world cannot afford for this to go on any longer. Developed nations have to make good on their promise to cut back on their emissions and introduce sustainable practices into their industries. And this is all beside the fact that they need to help nations on the frontlines of climate change, such as Bangladesh, deal with its ill effects through mechanisms such as the agreed-upon Loss and Damage fund.
The only way to turn down the heat is for the whole world to decide to do so first.
