Provide victims of climate change the help they need and deserve

Decades ago, climate change emerged as a serious issue that needed to be taken care of. Today, it is humanity’s largest threat.

There is a consensus among the scientific community as well as an overwhelming amount of evidence that tells us the cause: emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities. The use of these fossil fuels—combined with rapid deforestation—have increased the concentration of these gases in our atmosphere and are responsible for warming our planet, creating both an ecological and humanitarian crisis.

In our ever-developing world of technology and fast fashion, the climate catastrophe cannot be equally blamed. Countries in the global north (often referred to as the richest and most industrialized countries) are pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, while countries in the global south are responsible for a mere fraction of this amount.

Cities across the world are facing the devastating effects of climate change, as can be seen through the wildfires in California to the hurricanes in Florida. The U.S., however, is not faced with the same disasters as the most vulnerable countries in the global south. Not only are these countries not releasing the highest emission levels, but they are facing the largest and most frightening effects of climate change. For many years now, the global south has paid the price for the carbon emissions produced by the richest countries in the form of intense tropical storms that lead to death, destruction of agricultural land and structural damage, but many of these countries do not have the capital to rebuild.

The term loss and damage often refers to the destructive impacts of climate change. Pakistan is experiencing extreme flooding, as vast areas of the country are underwater. In summer 2020, over 1,000 were reported dead, with over 1,000,000 homes being destroyed or damaged. Bangladesh is experiencing more intense typhoons than ever, as an estimated 15-30 million people will be displaced in the coming decades do to sea level rise. In South Africa, nearly half the population is below the poverty line, and climate change is threatening food security and water, along with an increase of vector and waterborne diseases.

As the world heats up, these countries are experiencing more loss and damage than ever before, and their people are furious. With the COP27 (Conference of Parties) coming up in mid-November, they are heading to Egypt to demand change. Thirteen years ago, at COP15, the wealthiest nations promised $100 billion by 2020 to help the global south rebuild what was lost and to mitigate any further damage. This promise was broken.

It is more important now than ever to urge the U.S. to agree to a finance fund that will provide financial aid to countries experiencing severe damage that they did not cause. An agreement for a finance fund at COP27 is absolutely crucial, as these countries need dedicated financial support accessible to them immediately. It is critical to not only stop our reliance on fossil fuels, but to get these countries the help that they both need and deserve.