This year, devastating floods hit Thailand across the country. But if world leaders continue failing to take drastic action on climate, this could just be the beginning.
Source: BBC
Over the last few weeks terrifying images have emerged showing the severity of Thailand’s flooding this year. Chao Phraya river has overflowed into homes, hotels and main roads like Rama 3 and Sukhumvit have been turned into rivers.
But whilst Thailand is drowning in the devastating effects of climate change, the most important climate change conference in history is welcoming an overwhelming number of Fossil Fuel delegates.
Campaigners led by Global Witness found that there are more delegates at COP26 associated with the fossil fuel industry than from any single country.
They found that 503 people with links to fossil fuel interests had been accredited for the climate summit.
These delegates are said to lobby for oil and gas industries, and campaigners say they should be banned.
“The fossil fuel industry has spent decades denying and delaying real action on the climate crisis, which is why this is such a huge problem,” says Murray Worthy from Global Witness.
“Their influence is one of the biggest reasons why 25 years of UN climate talks have not led to real cuts in global emissions.”
Lack of climate action across the world is what has caused the severity of Thailand’s floods this year. Sea level rise, drastic weather changes and lack of healthy soil to absorb the water are all factors that are caused by climate change, and are all factors that will get worse if we do not act fast. At some point, we will no longer be able to ‘adapt’. It will be game over.
Source: BBC
Bangkok is one of the most vulnerable cities in the world to the effects of climate change. Scientists predict that 96% of Bangkok will be underwater by 2030 during these floods. If this happens, the price won’t just be the US$512.28 billion of damages, or the thousands of homes that will be lost, the price will be paid by the lives of the people who have the least power to stop climate change.
Source:
BBC, https://www.greenpeace.org/southeastasia/press/44546/sea-level-rise-poses-economic-threat-to-asia-coastal-cities/
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-59199484
