Using different factors to assess how well a country can respond to changes in food and water availability (as well as rising seas), the Global Adaptation Index shows which countries have the most work to do to prepare.
Climate change is here, and as it worsens, it will affect the entire planet. But it's the hard truth that it won't happen equally: Some areas will be affected more than others. Those areas, one would hope, would be spending the most time and energy preparing for the eventualities of drought, food shortages, and rising sea levels. But this is largely not the case. The most ill-prepared countries are the ones that will be hit the hardest.
That's just one of the major conclusions of the Global Adaptation Index (GAIN), which provides scores for every country based on their vulnerability to climate change and their readiness to deal with those issues. Denmark is ranked the highest (it isn't very vulnerable to begin with, and has done a lot to get ready), while Ethiopia, which is doing very little while being very threatened, is the lowest. On the map above, the more red a country is, the worse their score.
The index, which was created by the Global Adaptation Institute, tracks over 35 different specific indicators over 15 years to get these scores, and you can see the trend lines for each indicator for each country, as well:
If you look at the countries of the world on a matrix, you'll see the sad truth: The most vulnerable countries are by and large the countries without the resources to do anything about it. Sure, the U.S. is quite ready, but they didn't have that much to do be worried about. Zimbabwe, the dot all the way to the left, is incredibly unready for what's coming its way, and what's coming its way is going to be quite bad:
There is clearly a lot to be done to prepare for climate change, and a lot of that needs to be done in the developing world. Look at it as a challenge, or as an opportunity. Sooner or later, those countries will realize the potentially dire straits they're in, and will need a rapid infusion of projects to get them ready.
COMMENTARY: There is a lot of confusion as to how the level of carbon dioxide emissions in the Earth's atmosphere effect our weather and worldwide temperatures. Carbon dioxide emissions are released into the Earth's atmosphere as a result of both naturally occurring and manmade causes. Carbon dioxide emissions have also been referred to by other names, such as carbon emissions, CO2 emissions and greenhouse gases.
Regardless of what you call them, the concentration of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere have been increasing at an alarming rate. Meteorological studies now show that world temperatures have been steadily rising as a result of rising CO2 levels. Regardless whether greenhouse gases are naturally occurring or manmade, the effects could eventually be irreversible with catastrophic consequences on our weather, water and food.
Climate 101
CLIMATE 101 from The Climate Reality Project on Vimeo.
The Greenhouse Effect
Firstly, we need to understand that our atmosphere is a layer surrounding the earth held in place by gravity and primarily made up of Nitrogen (78%), Oxygen (21%), with water and other gases making up the remainder. Scientists now realise that the proportion of these gases has increased significantly over a few hundred years. The real increase began around the time of the Industrial Revolution. This is when we began to burn fossil fuels (coal) in large quantities to power our steam engines.
These gases are termed 'greenhouse gases' because during the day the earth absorbs heat from the sun, although much of this is radiated back out into space. The atmosphere surrounding our earth contains these gases, and acts like a blanket keeping some of the heat in. If there weren’t an atmospheric ‘blanket’ we would freeze during the night, like some of the other planets or our moon.
These gases are called greenhouse gases as they effectively make the blanket around our globe thicker, trapping more heat and turning the globe into a green house. (A green house is a structure that market gardeners use to grow vegetables in. It is covered in clear plastic or glass to let the sun light in, and traps the heat inside, increasing the temperature. Sometimes these are also referred to as 'hot houses').
In its simplest terms, Earth is like one gigantic green house. The bulk of carbon dioxide gases are naturally absorbed by plants to produce oxygen through the process of photosynthesis and by our oceans through physiochemical and biological processes. However, meteorological studies now show conclusively that there is a buildup of excess of carbon dioxide gas in Earth's atmosphere, and that over time, this will create what is commonly referred to as The Greenhouse Effect.
This is where it gets a bit frightening! The fossil fuels we are burning in ever-increasing amounts contributes to higher concentrations of methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous dioxide, effectively turning up the heat and turning the globe into a veritable greenhouse.
Effects
Here are some of the effects of the Earth becoming a 'green house'
- Land and ocean temperatures rise
- North and South Poles (Arctic and Antarctic) melt
- Glaciers melt
- Ocean currents change
- Weather patterns change
- Sea levels rise (due to oceans warming the water 'swells' and from increased water as polar regions melt
So What!
Well, I wish we could simply say that! However turning the globe into a green house has dire consequences for all of us. We already experiencing heatwaves associated with land temperature increase and thousands of people will die through future heatwaves. (In the 2003 heatwaves in France over 20,000 people died).
Droughts will become more prolonged and be even more devastating than anything we have experienced. This is because higher temperatures evaporate water from the land, which will also give rise to more wildfires. Agriculture and food crops will be devastated in some regions and diseases like malaria and dengue fever will increase as conditions favourable to these diseases spread.
Higher ocean temperatures increase the power in cyclones and hurricanes, (stimulating more tornadoes ) and we will see a higher frequency of severe storms (like Hurricane Katrina)and associated flooding that will do extraordinary damage to infrastructure, and destroy houses, towns and villages. This is already driving up insurance costs.
Rising sea levels will displace millions of people, (already on some Islands people are being moved off due to rising seas) and the geography of the land will change dramatically, with millions needing to be relocated along with loss of buildings.
The truth can only remain hidden for so long. In reality, there is no remaining reasonable doubt of about man's influence on climate change. This time it is not the lives of millionss at stake, but billions.
Want to know where your country ranks on Gain Vulnerability and Readiness? Lookup your country below:
VULNERABILITY - Vulnerability measures a country's exposure, sensitivity and ability to cope with climate related hazards, as well as accounting for the overall status of food, water, health and infrastructure within the nation.
READINESS - Readiness targets those portions of the economy, governance and society that affect the speed and efficiency of absorption and implementation of Adaptation projects.
Courtesy of an article dated September 19, 2011 appearing in Fast Company
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