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The Climate Change News of 2020 | Earth Rewind

 

Earth, 2020, climate change, rewind

The Climate Change News of 2020 | Earth Rewind

⏱2.5 minute read

2020 was a crazy year; life changed as we know it, and the world will forever be altered. Even though the coronavirus pandemic took over the news, the climate change threat has grown. This post will highlight the challenges and the progress from this year. 

Wildfires

2020 began with a bang. The 2020 Australian wildfires were one of the first omens that this would be a bad year. Australia experienced unprecedented fires that ravaged parts of the beautiful country.

Later in the year, another season of California wildfires began. They seem to worsen each year. The forest fires displaced citizens and weakened our economy, with a lot more damage in store. These wildfires are caused by global warming and a lack of forest management.

Reduced Emissions

2020 brought a nasty recession which caused millions of people to lose their jobs. Because industry slowed, emissions did as well. Deutsche Welle, a German media company, says that carbon emissions took a 7% drop in 2020. For reference, we will need to cut emissions by this much every year in order to limit climate change to 1.5 degrees Celsius, according to the United Nations. However, we cannot have a recession every year, so in the future, emissions must be slashed alongside a growing economy. 

Waste

The Covid-19 pandemic brought a surge in waste, specifically medical and plastic waste. In order to stay safe during a pandemic, more tools and products at public places (what's public?) became single-use. Some of the items are made out of and wrapped in plastic. This was necessary for safety reasons, but it proves that we need to work towards biodegradable alternatives.

2020 Election

One of the biggest stories of 2020 was the presidential election. Joe Biden - whom EarthPlex endorsed - won the presidential election and will assume the position as the 46th President of the United States in January of 2021. The President-Elect and Vice Presidents-Elect have ambitious climate change plans that we wrote about in our environmental analyses of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. If the Biden administration keeps its promises, the country that has emitted more than any other will actively decarbonize. This year has left us on a happy note, but much work will need to be done.

Giving Young People a Voice

This year was the start of something great: EarthPlex. Teens now have a voice in fighting the world's paramount issue. Young people have had their work featured on this website, and we have told the stories of people who are trying to preserve our beautiful planet. The support we have received is unreal, and we are happy to inform you that we aren't going anywhere and will continue posting in 2021. Follow our (FREE) mailing list, so you don't miss a post! 

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