There is no longer a scientific debate concerning the existence of climate change. Despite what the National Association of Scholars may claim, anthropogenic warming is not a premise to believe in but rather a scientific fact. In the past few weeks the College has seen a frenzy of debates, panels and meetings dedicated to issues of climate change and sustainability. But what seems to be missing from the discussion is an acknowledgement of the gravity of the situation—just what it is that’s at stake.
Stopping climate change is not just about saving the polar bear. It’s not about hotter summer afternoons and it’s certainly not about the rise of the Prius. In a 2009 address, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that climate change “is the greatest collective challenge we face as a human family.” Unfortunately climate change is insidious, and by the time we realized it was occurring, it had already been going on for nearly a century. Yet we have already begun to feel the disastrous consequences of a warming climate all across the globe, and it is only going to get worse.
As a continuance of an almost poetic injustice—which seems so pervasive in our modern world—the most harmful effects of a warmer climate will affect those least capable of adapting. In Africa, where the population is expected to nearly double by 2050—according to the UN and Population Reference Bureau—yields from rain-fed agriculture could be reduced by up to 50 percent, according to NASA. This is a continent that already struggles to feed itself, and it is about to get a whole lot harder to grow food. We are entering the period of the “super;” be it the super-drought, the super-storm or the super-famine. Soon storms like Hurricane Sandy will not be a freak anomaly, and the U.S. will suffer horrible droughts like those now crippling our agricultural sector. The Global Humanitarian Forum estimates that climate change leaves over 300,000 people dead and severely disadvantages 325 million people every year. On the economic side, the world now loses $1.2 trillion yearly due to climate change, a number that may triple by 2030, according to DARA, an independent UN funded NGO.
These are not the musings of a Ray Bradbury novel or the melodrama of a soap opera. They are real events that will likely occur in our lifetime, and it’s hugely important that we remember this as the debates continue. This is simply a battle that we as a species cannot afford to lose; we can’t afford to let ourselves do as the current generation has done and pass the problem on to our children. Our parents and grandparents, the business world, and the environmental movement have all failed us tremendously regarding climate change. The political debate is more polarized than ever, technology is not developing fast enough, and misinformation is rampant. Nearly 20 years after climate change became a public issue, we have nothing to show of this canary cry except for higher temperatures and increased negativity. As Bowdoin students and citizens of this planet, we have inherited the greatest challenge to have ever faced our species.
How, then, will we rise to this challenge? Certainly shying from reality is not the answer. Each and every one of us needs to hear the danger our society faces, and hear it often. This problem calls for a new environmentalism rooted in pragmatism and results; we need a new generation of thinking. Our innovation, passion and perseverance must become the causes for celebration. Simply holding hands and hoping for a better world does nothing to mitigate the coming consequences. More likely than not, fixing this problem will call for sacrifices—sacrifices which we Americans haven’t faced since WWII. Does our generation have the nerve to put short-term self-interest aside for the common good?
Sustainability and divestment may indeed be the sacrifices Bowdoin must make to play its part. As an elite institution dedicated to the common good, we don’t do nearly enough to fight against the real effects of climate change.
As students, we seem just as paralyzed by the same misconceptions that caused our parents to fail on the issue. We need to reevaluate just what it is that we are told we can and cannot do. Divestment, for example, may at first require a small sacrifice. Of course if it cannot be done without significantly affecting financial aid, it will not be done. But we can do better. No as an answer just simply isn’t good enough.
I would encourage Bowdoin students to look for answers in unconventional places, question the norms, and most of all, remember what it is that we are fighting for.
Hugh Ratcliffe is a member of the Class of 2015.