We need to act on climate change for the sake of our children
OPINION: There is a lot of science around climate change in the media, but sometimes people think, "so what?", or they don't understand what all the data means in a practical sense. Here is some simple information to help you understand how climate change will affect the world over the next 80 or so years. It's assumed that it goes without saying we will lose a lot of the world's natural beauty as plants and animals die from habitat destruction. We need to make significant emissions cuts by 2030 to try and stop the worst of the warming. This isn't our children's problem to solve, it's ours. There's hope that a carbon capture programme may help in the future, but right now, the technology doesn't exist, so it's a big gamble to rely on that to fix everything. READ MORE: * How climate change could send your insurance costs soaring * What you need to know about the previously withheld climate report * Explainer: What a zero carbon act means for New Zealand * The psychology of climate change denial: Why sceptics refuse to believe the science So what happens if we dont make the changes we need? It's hard to be certain because climate science is based on predictions and modelling, but things probably won't start getting bad until around the year 2050. However, it's important to understand that there are time lags in terms of how long it takes emissions to have an effect. By 2050, the problems will start accelerating with some parts of the world experiencing terrible droughts, more violent storms, extreme heat and sea level rises. Here are three major problems climate change could cause for New Zealand. 1. Our coastal properties will be swamped Most of our major cities, our homes and the majority of our population live in areas that could be affected by rising seas. It's estimated that billions of dollars in assets are at risk, and that's not including the losses from economic disruption. To put it into perspective, the damages from the 2011 Christchurch earthquake are estimated to cost up to $15 billion. So, this would be a disaster on a scale we've never witnessed. Can you imagine the disturbance to our lives and jobs if we have to move homes and businesses? Then there's the logistics of it all. For example, if homes need to be moved or rebuilt, who pays and where do they go? There still needs to be roads, sewerage, electricity and other infrastructure to move homes or build new, but again, who is paying for all of this? This isnt just a problem for future generations, its an issue for us too. The affected properties will become uninsurable or worthless within the lifetime of many people alive today. That home you wanted to leave as a legacy for your children won't do them any good if they cant insure it. Nobody will want to buy it because of risk and because it will eventually be swallowed up by the sea. 2. Food and water This one may not be such an issue here in New Zealand, but its hard to know for sure. Certainly our supplies of food from other countries are likely to be impacted as they struggle to deal with feeding their own citizens in a world with more storms and droughts. Clean water could also be an issue depending on precipitation patterns. We have plenty of growing space in New Zealand, so chances are we'll be able to feed ourselves. However, that is dependent on how much the climate changes, whether things like pollination become an issue, and if bees are affected. The point is, we can't survive without food and water, and with more climate change comes less certainty that we'll be able to feed ourselves. 3. Migration from more affected nations If we continue to allow the world to warm, a number of nations' conditions will deteriorate and become inhabitable. The most populated places in the world, like Africa and India, will be among the hardest hit, so a lot of people will be migrating in search of food and a place with a liveable climate. New Zealand will be an extremely attractive proposition. There are a number of dilemmas that could arise with this. Do we let them in when our own people are already having issues? If we do, and morally we will be obliged to, where do we house them? We'll already be struggling to feed and re-house many Kiwis, but if we don't let them in, how hungry and desperate do they have to get before they try and force their way in with violence? Most of us have never known war, but our children and our grandchildren probably will if we dont take action now. So what can we do? Most people already know about reducing waste, taking steps to cut emissions, and eating less meat, which are all important. However, the best thing you can do is to vote for the right people and support them in making the changes we need. Our current government has so far done a good job of prioritising the climate. This isn't a Labour versus National issue, it's just about making sure that whoever is in power absolutely puts the environment first. Personal change is great, but unless we rein in industry and alter our technology en masse, we won't be doing enough. You can also support businesses that are making commitments to clean practices. Your money talks, so shop with people who are doing the right thing. It's important to talk to your family and friends to take away the stigma that still exists around climate conversations. Civilisation as we know it is at stake and this could genuinely be the difference between our children and grandchildren living happy, prosperous lives or lives filled with war, starvation and homelessness. Theres a misconception that adjusting to a low-carbon economy means giving up the fun things in our lives, but thats not true. If we power things with clean energy and have a circular economy where materials are re-used rather than wasted, there's no need for us to give up the pleasures in life that make our existence so great today. Climate change is real and is happening. How much it ruins our lives is up to us. If we act now, we can make sure that future generations won't have to suffer - surely we owe our children that much. Stuff Nation