Contributed by Joe Montero

The world has just received the strongest wake up call yet on the threat of the climate crisis. It comes in the form of a report by the  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC), which says the situation is even worse than previously thought. If humanity does not respond appropriately,  and do it now, the planet faces catastrophe.

According to the report, average temperatures across the planet are now on average 1.4C hotter than early last century.

It is  enough to have disrupted weather patterns. We have been witnessing heatwaves, fires, devastating flooding, and other abnormal weather incidents on every continent. The Gulf Stream, a major determinant of the world’s weather, is losing stability. Glaciers are melting at a faster rate, and the polar icecaps are disappearing. The Oceans are warming and rising.

Wildfires, floods, extreme weather: what one month in the global climate crisis means for Australia

Video from Guardian Australia

Considerable damage is already unavoidable. Species are becoming extinct at an incredible rate. There will be a significant impact on the global and national economies, and this is only the start, if the situation is turned around.

Humanity is already suffering growing food and water insecurity in the poorest nations and threatening to spread. It is possible that the warming temperature is a major factor in the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

We are now experiencing a taste of far worse in the near future, the report confirms.

The only way out of it is to cut carbon emissions by 45 percent by 2030, and reach net zero by the mid-century. The evidence leaves in no doubt that this is a human caused crisis.

‘Are we ready to take action? Greta Thunberg says

Video from Reuters

Video from Global News

We must realise that this is a conservative report of 195 nations working to reach a consensus. The research behind the report was by world leading scientists leading scientists, who themselves are prone to conservative estimations. This is the way of science. The outlined threat in not an exaggerations. It is the minimum we can expect.

Given these restraints, the strength of the report should alarm everyone.

The current temperature rise of 4 percent is already here and it will go higher now whatever is done. The biggest danger is that the world is on track for a higher rise, enough to threaten a catastrophe on a scale that will kill billions, destroy the economy, and put to an end civilisation as we know it.

It is even possible that we are looking towards our own extinction.

This puts perspective into the inaction of some governments. including that of Australia. As Scott Morrison continues to divert, stall, and lie about Australia’s carbon footprint, It is up to the rest of us to act.

Extinction rebellion took the initiative to take the to the streets across the country. One of them was in Canberra, targeting the National Parliament Kirribilli House, the Prime Minister’s residence.

Extinction Rebel has glued to the ground outside parliament to make a point of the need for action on climate

The Prime minister reacted angrily and continued to pretend his government is dealing with the crisis. Global pressure on Australia will increase.We can’t leave it at this.

With enough Australians deciding to get up and put a stop to it, a real difference will be made.

There is hope. The global movement for action on the climate is continuing to grow and drawing people in from all quarters, and Australia is part of it. There are even parliamentarians of the Coalition agitating for change.

It’s ordinary people on the ground, building a movement to change the political landscape that will make all the difference