Climate Change's Bite: The Younger Generation Gets a More Poisonous Punch from Extreme Heat Waves
Youth to Suffer Most from Climate Change Adverse Effects
Hey there! Ever thought about the confrontation between the older and younger generations regarding climate change? Well, buckle up, because this one's a doozy.
A neat bit of research has pointed out that, unfortunately for the kiddos, they'll be bearing the brunt of climate change in the form of extreme heat waves. And it's gonna hurt. A lot.
If you're born in 2020, there's a higher chance you'll face those sweltering heatwaves than those in retirement. Even if we somehow miraculously keep global warming at 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, a whopping 52 percent of today's five-year-olds will deal with these unprecedented heatwaves in their lifetime. Compare that to the 16 percent born in 1960 who had their share. That's some serious stuff, right?
These climate change-induced weather events have been getting more frequent and intense. According to a team of smart cookies led by Luke Grant, these bad boys are linked to human activities. They've been studying the impact of these events on individual people, not just the planet as a whole.
So, they took some climate models, coupled them with demographic data, and pondered on what life would look like for people born in different times under different climate change scenarios.
Different Temperatures, Different Problems
Worldwide, about half of the approximately 120 million people born in 2020 will face heat wave stress in their lifetime in the 1.5-degree scenario. That number balloons to 92 percent in the 3.5-degree scenario. Furthermore, one-third will battle unprecedented crop failures, while one-seventh will be engulfed by river floods[4].
Keep those pledges politicians make at climate conferences, and global warming will nudge up to 2.7°C by 2100. If the world gets its act together and brings that temperature down to 1.5°C, 613 million people born between 2003 and 2020 would avoid those heat wave woes[5].
Disproportionate Distress
The team's findings show that poorer states will be bearing a larger share of the heat wave pain. As Rosanna Gualdi and Raya Muttarak from the Università di Bologna point out in a commentary, "In a scenario with a 2.7-degree warming and current policy, people in the most socioeconomically vulnerable group - those with high poverty levels and low GDP - would be consistently more exposed to heatwaves than other groups."
So yeah, moral of the story, climate change is a serious issue, and it's gonna hit the younger generation the hardest. Reducing emissions is the best way to alleviate their pain. Let's get at it, people!
[1] ntv.de, kst/dpa[2] enrichment data: According to the UNICEF report "Unheard3: Children's Voices on Climate Change," children are disproportionately impacted by extreme heatwaves due to their weaker immune systems, lack of access to cooling resources, and increased vulnerability to dehydration[1].[3] enrichment data: Meeting the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target could save up to 1.8 billion life-years globally, especially in urban areas, due to the reduction in heat-related air pollution and improved urban ventilation[2].[4] enrichment data: Unprecedented heatwaves lead to heat-related illnesses, including heatstroke, dehydration, and heat exhaustion, and are estimated to cause at least 70,000 deaths globally each year [3].[5] enrichment data: In the Business-as-Usual scenario, extreme heatwaves could lead to an estimated $23 trillion in economic losses by 2100, mainly due to crop losses, labor productivity losses, and increased healthcare costs [4].
- The younger generation will disproportionately suffer from the impacts of extreme heatwaves caused by climate change, according to recent research.
- It's estimated that half of the people born in 2020 will face heat wave stress in their lifetime, even if global warming is kept at 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
- In stark contrast, only 16 percent of those born in 1960 experienced unprecedented heatwaves in their lifetime.
- Climate change-induced extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, are linked to human activities, according to a team of science experts.
- Reducing emissions is essential to alleviate the pain that the younger generation will experience due to the impact of climate change on their health-and-wellness and the environment.
