“I can’t do anything; I’m just one person” is the common sentiment associated with climate change today. The context that juxtaposes this opinion is the fact most people are under the impression that climate change is on a much longer timeline than it is. In reality, it is a vital threat looming over the horizon which will have unavoidable consequences over the next few decades.
Professor Bill McGuire from University College London states that our atmosphere will climb to an irreversible temperature by 2032. He goes on to define this as the tipping point, specifically, “the point at which a slow, reversible change becomes irreversible, often with dramatic consequences,” which he states is the narrative of how future climate events will progress.
Empirical Evidence Suggests “Dramatic Consequences” Have Already Been Reached
In July 2024, Antarctica experienced a record-breaking winter heatwave with temperatures up to 10°C above average. This oxymoron of the coldest place on earth having an unparalleled heat wave was linked to many symptoms of climate change. It not only was due to rising temperatures, but also a disruption of weather patterns and currents, which exposed foreign areas, such as Antarctica in this case, to extremely drastic climate changes. “The Antarctic heat wave was a primary contributor to the hottest days of the planet in meteorological history,” said Zeke Hausfather in The Guardian. Another major outcome which already has taken root is an extreme spike in displacement of people, as climate change renders areas of land uninhabitable due to flooding and rising sea levels. Southern Brazil faced deadly flooding in May 2024, displacing thousands and damaging infrastructure. This disaster was among many worsened by climate change, as the World Meteorological Organization stated: “Climate change intensified 26 of the 29 weather events studied by World Weather Attribution that killed at least 3,700 people and displaced millions.”
Intensification of Extreme Weather Events
Extreme weather patterns have been well-documented and strongly linked to climate change during the past few years. The IPCC and NASA help put numbers to real-life scenarios: they warn that 1.5°C of warming will cause the world more frequent heat waves, heavier rainfall, and longer droughts in other places. Additionally, a 2023 Carbon Brief analysis found that 68% of extreme weather events studied globally were made more severe by human-caused climate change. Another event was recorded in April of 2022 where India and Pakistan endured extreme early heatwaves where temperatures exceeded 50°C. This prompted a reporter with The Guardian to note these deadly conditions are becoming the “new normal.” Similarly, South Korea’s worst wildfire outbreak in March 2025 was “twice as likely” due to climate change, as the World Weather Attribution found. These events illustrate the growing global toll of weather extremes. With continued warming, the problems are expected to become exponentially worse.
Effects: Loss of Resources
Natural disasters and weather manipulations stand as some of the most daunting challenges that humanity faces. Events such as these cannot be dissuaded by wealth, armies, or alliances. Additionally, these climate induced crises have a very precise impact on the world, specifically, a loss of water and food. A very lucid example of this is the Scottish Water crisis. Scottish Water, a mighty water and waste company which distributes clean water to many homes in Scotland, announced that their industry faces a loss of “240 million litres a day by the middle of the century, as climate change pressures increase.” With the loss of water along with “eroding soil and depleting soil nutrients” from extreme weather, our world faces an extreme drop in crop production. This doesn’t mean in the next few years you might see a drop in produce at your local grocery store. Reather, this will target the most vulnerable first. “Rice is the primary staple food for more than half the world’s population” noted a writer for The Economic Research Center. Rice production also happens to be a primary crop and way of life for many third world countries in Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South America. However, climate change poses an existential threat. Rice productivity is expecting a sharp decline as “forecasts indicate a probable 15% decline by 2050.”
Lack of Urgency
There is an epidemic in the West where environmental issues have been stagnant in terms of political action, due to polarization. This is to the point where legislation on the issue has almost no hope of being passed. The staggering percentages of Americans who are doubtful about climate change is a vital reason that this legislation remains stagnant. Many Americans believe the crisis is “blown out of proportion” and that it will “not directly affect them.” Reporters at The Pew Research Center note that “26% say warming is mostly caused by natural patterns in the environment and another 14% do not believe there’s evidence the Earth is warming at all.” To combat this inertia of misinformation, prioritizing education is key. From including this content in schools, to creating public awareness campaigns, it is vital to clearly communicate the ways in which climate change will impact communities through extreme weather, rising insurance costs, and health risks.
Localizing the Message
While global warming will hit underdeveloped communities the hardest, that is not the extent of everyone who will be affected. Making sure people understand the effects that will be brought to their own neighborhoods will undoubtedly expand support for this cause. Specifically in the United States and other parts of the West, many coastal areas are facing daunting sea level rises. In California, for instance, land subsidence due to excessive groundwater pumping is another effect of radical currents and of water levels increasing. Specifically, a reporter with The New York Post explains that in California, “land is sinking at an alarming rate—up to a third of an inch per year in some places.”
The reporter also warns that major cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles could face permanent inundation in lower-elevation areas by 2050. A reporter at The Washington Post continues that the expected increase of earthquakes and flooding would cause extreme problems for over 14,000 people and 22,000 structures in that specific coastal region. Another issue we are facing is health concerns and economic impacts. The National Cancer Institute reported that because of commonly occurring wildfires in the American West stemming from extreme droughts, the rise of lung cancer is a reality: “Wildfires are not just an environmental issue—they are a cancer risk,” said Dr. Deborah Winn, acting director of NCI’s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences.
Meanwhile, the economic toll is mounting. In places like Salt Lake City, rising climate risks have driven insurance premiums up by 40% in just a few years. A reporter at Axios wrote, “The share of the average mortgage payment going toward home insurance jumped from 4.8% to 6.8%,” making housing less affordable.” The majority of America and the rest of the world is lower to middle class. These are the people that are vulnerable to rapid economic changes which have already started to occur.
What You Can Do
While the scale of this issue can feel unapproachable, there are many tangible things that normal people can accomplish to help combat this crisis. The Natural Resources Defense Council encourages people to vote for “climate-conscious leaders at the local and national levels.” This could enact real change in the government policies and legislation which would have large scale impacts towards this cause. However, reducing your own personal carbon footprint is also necessary, as climate change mitigation will not work if everyday people don’t also commit to certain lifestyle changes. Specifically, investing in an electric car can reduce the impact that a typical gas vehicle emits, which is “about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year” as stated by the EPA. If everyone shares the same objective, then one person can make a huge impact on reducing a country’s overall emissions. The point of view of “I can’t do anything; I’m just one person,” needs to be abolished.
While the scale of this issue can feel unapproachable, there are many tangible things that normal people can accomplish to help combat this crisis.