It’s 2020 and the new decade has brought a new set of resolutions, new hopes and fresh beginnings to name a few. However, 2020 is starting out on a grim note for some, as various countries experience multiple natural disasters in just a span of two weeks. In these trying times, prayers for protection and safety are needed. Likewise, through this article, there might be a need to re-examine your new year’s resolution.
I’m not a scientist nor a self-proclaimed environmentalist but scrolling through the news from all over the world and see yet another story about extreme weather conditions and unusual natural crises made me realize that the effects of human-caused climate change is really happening right here, right now! Not yet convinced? Read on.
I rounded up 10 articles from across the globe featuring climate change crises experienced in the first 14 days of 2020 for your reference.
P.S. I don’t own the images nor the articles below, so please see respective sources after each item for more info. Blog Cover Photo credits to Elei Mathew Tatad (@iameleimath)
1.) The Philippines is Covered in Ashes
A volcano south of the Philippine capital has sent a massive plume of ash and steam spewing miles into the sky and pushed red-hot lava out of its crater, prompting the evacuation of thousands of people and the closure of Manila’s airport.
In a matter of hours on Sunday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level for Taal Volcano from level 1 to 4 — level 5 being the highest. It warned that a larger “explosive eruption” could occur within hours or days.
SOURCE: Volcanic Eruption In Philippines Causes Thousands To Flee by Scott Neuman / NPR / January 13, 2020
2.) Australia is on Fire
Record-breaking temperatures and months of severe drought have fuelled a series of massive bushfires across Australia.
Although recent cooler conditions have brought some respite, the states of New South Wales and Victoria are once again braced for the return of severe fire danger – with high temperatures and gusty winds forecast over the next few days.
Some 27 people have so far been killed – including four firefighters – and an estimated 10 million hectares (100,000 sq km or 15.6 million acres) of bush, forest and parks across Australia has burned.
SOURCE: Australia fires: A visual guide to the bushfire crisis by / BBC News / January 10, 2020
3.) US Cherry Blossoms Blooms during Winter
Some New Yorkers did a double-take as cherry blossoms flowered in Central Park over the past few days, thanks to unusually mild weather.
Light-pink cherry blossoms are traditionally a sign of spring, when many cities hold festivals in their honor. But a stretch of unseasonably warm days recently has had some species of cherry trees strutting their stuff.
Admirers passing by a cherry tree budding next to the park’s Great Lawn on Friday expressed a mix of delight and concern that it might be yet another reminder of climate change.
SOURCE: It’s Winter, and Cherry Blossoms Are Pink In Central Park by Leslie Brody / The Wall Street Journal /
4.) Indonesia is Drowning
The death toll from severe flooding in and around the Indonesian capital of Jakarta has risen to 66 as parts of the country continue to reel from heavy rain that began on New Year’s Eve. Landslides and flash floods have displaced more than 36,000 in Jakarta and the nearby provinces of West Java and Banten, according to the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA).
These are the worst floods Indonesia has seen since 2013, when at least 29 people died in the aftermath of torrential rains. The disaster, experts say, underscores the impacts of climate change in a country with a capital city that is sinking so quickly that officials are working to move it to another island.
SOURCE: 66 People Have Died in Indonesia’s Devastating Floods by Hillary Leung / TIME / January 8,2020
5.) Puerto Rico is Shaking
A magnitude 5.9 shock hit Puerto Rico on Saturday morning as the island’s residents were already reeling from a series of major quakes this week, including one on Tuesday that was the biggest in a century.
The latest quake, which came around 9 a.m. local time, has caused even further damage, mainly in areas around the southern coast where hundreds of homes and schools had already collapsed from the Tuesday temblor that had a magnitude of 6.4.
SOURCE: Quake-stunned Puerto Rico hit by another 5.9-magnitude shock by Nicole Acevedo / NBC News / January 11, 2020
6.) United Kingdom is Bracing a Turbulent Storm
Storm Brendan has hit the UK, bringing rain and gusts of more than 80mph to parts of the country.
The Met Office has issued a 14-hour yellow warning for wind, covering the UK’s west coast, Northern Ireland, parts of Wales and north-east Scotland. It warned of delays to travel as well as possible power cuts and large waves. All schools in the Western Isles have been closed and bus services on the islands have been cancelled. Scottish ferry services are also disrupted.
Trains in and out of Preston were delayed earlier after the station roof was damaged, and flights between Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are suspended.
SOURCE: UK weather: Storm Brendan brings rain and 80mph gusts / BBC News / January 13, 2020
7.) Thailand is Under a Dry Spell
Some residents of Bangkok can literally taste the risk of a potentially damaging drought in Thailand.
Tap water has turned saltier in parts of the city, a development blamed on the Chao Phraya river becoming too low to keep tidal seawater out. The saline intrusion is just one sign of dry conditions pointing to what the Thai Meteorological department expects to be the worst drought in four decades.
“Drought has come earlier this year, and it’s affecting both water for agriculture as well as for drinking,” said Surapong Sarapa, head of forecasting at the agency. “More parts of the country than in the past could be impacted.”
SOURCE: The Worst Drought in 40 Years Has Turned Bangkok Tap Water Salty by Randy Thanthong-Knight / Bloomberg / January 8, 2020
8.) Saudi Arabia is Snowing
Parts of Saudi Arabia were blanketed by snow on Friday, especially in the northwestern regions such as the Dahr Mountains.
Temperatures dropped below 0 degrees Celsius in some parts, with Saudi Arabia’s meteorology office urging residents to keep warm and avoid venturing to isolated places.
SOURCE: Saudi in Snow; Residents Warned by Arab News / Gulf Insider / January 11, 2020
9.) Kenya is Invaded by Pests
Kenya says it is facing an “unprecedented threat” from desert locusts in its worst invasion for 70 years.
Swarms of the insects have spread from Ethiopia and Somalia and are threatening food production and grazing land, said Kenya’s agriculture minister, Mwangi Kiunjuri.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said last month that the species of grasshopper had already destroyed more than 175,000 acres of farmland in Somalia and Ethiopia, posing the worst threat for seven decades.
SOURCE: Kenya facing ‘unprecedented threat’ from swarms of locusts / Sky News / January 10, 2020
10.) US is Wreaked by Winter Havoc
A severe winter storm is ripping through the country this weekend, cancelling more than 1,500 flights, knocking out power for hundreds of thousands, and killing nine people and counting.
In the south, hurricane-force winds, tornadoes, and hail have pelted states like Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Texas.
In the north, snow storms, wind, and ice have hit Illinois, Michigan, and New England, causing power outages and leaving travelers stranded.
SOURCE: A severe winter storm is ripping through the US, killing 9 and cancelling more than 1,500 flights by Alex Morell/ Business Insider / January 12, 2020
Climate Change is Happening Right Now
With all the extreme weather and natural crises happening more and more, we don’t have to see it before we believe it! It is startling even for non-scientists to see and experience how rapidly the climate is changing. Earth is heating up. The culprit? None other than us and our insensitive and “environment-damaging” activities. Do these unusual phenomena serve as a wake-up call? I strongly believe so. Climate change is not something for the future, rather it is a real thing and it’s affecting everything today!
Take Action
2020 is a critical year for our future and our planet. As I’ve learned during my Sustainability class on UN Sustainability Development Goals, there are deadlines that should be beaten this 2020 for review during the upcoming UN Climate Summit. These sustainable strategies are pushing us all to examine our behaviors and act on innovative solutions to prevent the direst impacts of our rapidly warming world. If we don’t take measures to slash emissions of greenhouse gases drastically, we may face our own climate disaster in only a matter of time.
Climate change is a large-scale problem, but it’s also a direct result of our collective choices and actions. We need to show urgency in supporting more integrated action on climate action in our communities, cities, and the Philippines as a whole. In our own little way, each one can make a difference.
Let’s do something good for Mother Earth ~ reduce own carbon emissions and influence others to do the same through this article. It’s not yet too late to reassess and take action in addressing climate change. Let’s make 2020 the year we took back our planet!