Recently we’ve all been hearing a lot about climate change, the negative impacts it’s having on our world and how we’ve probably doomed ourselves but, while focusing on these harsh truths we often forget to stop and look at the progress we’ve made. This past year the whole world has started fighting back against climate change. Here are just some of the steps we’ve taken, and why we should have the courage to be optimistic about out future.
On August 16, 2022, the US passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) which is now seen as the most important climate and energy legislation passed in American history. It is giving billions of dollars to clean energy and low emission projects. It also provides tax credits helping to make energy costs less of a burden on households and tax credits that will help reduce carbon emissions. It also plays a big role in helping achieve one of the Biden Administration’s climate goals which is having a net-zero economy by 2050. This act being passed is a big deal because it shows how climate change isn’t an impossible challenge to tackle and that change can be made. (Sources: 1 / 2 / 3)
On November 20, 2022, at the United Nations Climate Conference a Loss and Damage Fund was established. This fund aims to provide financial aid for nations most impacted and hurt by climate change. The fund has representatives from 24 countries working on it together to create solutions to help the vulnerable, and some ideas have already been introduced. While it is still in its planning stages we know this fund is critical to helping those affected by climate change especially because it’s not the affected countries fault. Almost all the nations who contribute the least to climate change are affected by it most. For example, Pakistan now has around US$30 billion in damages caused by extreme flooding but emits less than 1% of the whole worlds emissions. This fund is long overdue but with its establishment we can usher in a new era of community and goodwill. (Sources: 1 / 2 / 3)
The whole 2022 year we have seen a steady increase in zero-carbon technologies around the world. Some of these technologies include solar and wind power which has had a huge increase from 2019 to 2021, solar going up by 47 percent and wind by 31 percent. Electric vehicles have also started gaining traction with the sales doubling in 2021 and still steadily increasing. (Source: 1)
We are starting to take the vital steps that are needed to save our planet. As we slowly start to get the breathing room to be hopeful about our future again, optimistically, with all the plans to continue solving the climate crisis in 2023, it will only get better.
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