The Climate Emergency isn’t some distant threat. It’s tearing the world apart now. And if you want to see what the future holds for everyone, turn your attention to Pakistan.
Pakistan has one of the fastest growing populations in the world. It currently stands at a staggering 220.9 million in a country that is just twice the size of California. The economy simply isn’t keeping pace. Many will be born into – and live their entire lives in – poverty.
For the last few weeks, Pakistan, and its neighbour India, have been living through a devastating heatwave that is getting close to the limit of human survival – 122F/50C.
That’s not going to be a one-off.
Too many people think of the Climate Emergency as a matter of temperature rise. They don’t see the knock-on effects that reach into every aspect of life – a nation unable to feed itself, a lack of water, the failure of the power system and more.
What happens when you get millions of people unable to survive with even the basics? This is what Pakistan, and India, is looking at in a very short time frame.
Many will die. But others won’t stay there and suffer. The population – and the problems – will be displaced.
What’s happening now will engulf the world unless drastic action is taken immediately.
We live in an age of multiple unfolding crises, and one thing we know is that one crisis always whips up the blaze of another one. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will cause global food shortages on a scale we haven’t seen before. That’s going to slam up hard against failing crops and dying cattle in Pakistan, India and beyond.
This year, next year, not in 2050.
Our leaders aren’t doing enough. Regardless of party, many are simply not up to the job. Change has to come fast.