With every passing season the threats that climate change presents become more evident. The Baruch community itself experienced the devastating effects of climate change when Hurricane Sandy ripped through the streets of New York. Hurricane Sandy left hundreds of thousands displaced from their homes and amounted to an estimated death toll claiming over one-hundred and eighty lives. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations-sponsored committee that informs the government on the latest developments in climate change, warned that unless appropriate measures are taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide, irreversible climate change could occur in a matter of decades. The consensus amongst scientists is that the safe amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is 350 ppm. A report by the Scripps CO2 Program at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, advised that as of September 2013 the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached 393 ppm. The consequences of the erratic weather patterns that accompany climate change, don’t just stop at a loss in comfort – they have the potential to manifest into survival threats in the form of drought, flood, and heat waves, that have the ability to impact our food and water supply, and consequently our well-being. Accompanying the New York Times article below by Justin Gillis, about the IPCC’s latest report on climate change, is Vicki Arroyo’s captivating proclamation on the need for action to address climate change; both pieces paint a telling picture about the severity of the situation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/28/science/global-climate-change-report.html
