En el mismo bote: historias de la crisis climática – 3/11/22

We are losing, and that is the sad reality. This week, the new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) showed us a harsh truth: climate change is moving so fast that our planet and our own humanity are losing the race to adapt, to survive, and this fatal conclusion does not come from one country or one political agenda, but from 270 researchers from 67 countries. 

We have seen it everywhere and it has reached a point where this is painfully clear. A severe drought has led to water shortages and power outages for millions of Latino families in the West. Increased number of Latino emergency room workers after acute heat stroke on days of extreme heat . Climate fires driven by more frequent and longer droughts and heat waves. Sea level rise rapidly threatening coastal communities and more destructive hurricanes that are already creating thousands of climate refugees .

Although it would be better to think that this is a coincidence, the reality is that it is not. When it comes to our children, families and their futures, the IPCC report highlighted something we can no longer afford to ignore: 13 million people around the world have been displaced by extreme weather events and we will be next, either. be it today, tomorrow, next month, or in the next five years, it will come one way or another. Whether it’s with prices going up in supermarkets because it’s much more difficult to grow food in the middle of a drought, or in our jobs because it will be physically impossible to work outside, or because we won’t be able to breathe with so many weather fires burning closer to our homes than any other.

This is a strong wake-up call and the clearest evidence that delaying a much-needed transition to clean energy – which will help us cut emissions in half by 2030 and slow the pace of global warming and climate change – , is a grave and incredibly short-sighted mistake, one that has already compromised the health of communities near oil and gas facilities for decades, such as the 1.78 million Latinos in the United States who live in areas where pollution air pollution from oil and gas facilities.

Yesterday, President Biden addressed the nation in his State of the Union address, where he assured that the United States is committed to turning the odds and giving humanity a chance by leading the transition to a clean energy economy.

A green economy, powered by sun and wind, will have a significant impact at home and abroad. The United States will not only lead the world in showing that a clean energy economy is possible and prosperous, but it will also create jobs and savings for all Americans. 

Transitioning to renewable energy sources that don’t run out, like wind power and solar power, will expand our supply and lower costs for consumers and businesses, while lowering electricity bills for families, saving the average household $500 dollars each year . Stanford experts expect household electricity costs to drop by 63%, in addition to generating more than 5 million jobs if the United States transitions to 100% renewable energy.

After the State of the Union address, it is clear that President Biden understands that we are at a key moment when it comes to the climate crisis, and he knows that the country, our economy, needs to transition to clean energy, to improve our air , mitigate climate change and ensure our energy independence.

The numbers that reflect how severe the climate crisis is are in front of us, as well as the solution. What are we waiting for?

Antonieta Cádiz is the managing director of Latino affairs for Climate Power. Previously, she worked as a national correspondent for La Opinion and was a national political writer for Univision.