What’s happening in Ukraine is really devastating. I believe that the world is moving in the direction of its total destruction. It is a tough statement to make, but I truly believe that, and I believe it for various reasons. Climate Change is among those important ones which are knocked up by this Russian-Ukrainian war.
Today Russia is demonstrating that powerful nations can have loopholes and can practically ignore the organisations like UN. United Nations which is responsible for preventing war and conflicts in the world, seems dramatically incapable. And this Russian-Ukrainian war has raised questions on the UN’s credibility now.
As an intergovernmental body, the UN is supposedly the most powerful. And, this horrifies me. The UN was unable to stop this war due to Russia using a back door to trap it.
When powerful nations need these international bodies, they use them with full authority. As per their preferences, they amend the sanctions and approve them at lightning speed. It is so convenient for them, isn’t it? We, as people who believe in these organizations, treaties, and regulations, must ask: Are we being used by someone else?
This question is very important, a lot of things are at stake today. As I assess this situation, I’m concerned about keeping the faith, I’m concerned about motivating myself. My family, myself, and those yet to see this beautiful planet concern me a lot.
There are many ways to see this issue, many are currently considering the geopolitical one. Others are concerned about humanitarian issues. And all these things add up to a greater question, “where are we heading?”.
How will the Russian-Ukrainian conflict affect everyone on earth?
If anyone thinks that the war does not affect or concern them, read this, perhaps it will change your perspective.
Over 2.3 million people have fled the conflict making it the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. There have been more than 15000 deaths. The number of deaths made me deeply sad, but I also remember feeling this way after grieving similar losses.
The notable impacts of climate change in past years
I can recall about the 15 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia who were affected by droughts in African Region.
Just 2 years back 12 million people were trapped in deadly floods and landslides in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
Due to drought in Central America (Dry Corridor), 3.5 million people received humanitarian assistance, along with another 2.5 million people experiencing food insecurity.
Australia was destroyed by fire in 2020, razing entire communities to the ground, causing thousands of homes to be destroyed, and affecting millions of people with a hazardous smoke haze. The loss of more than a billion native animals and the destruction of some species and ecosystems can never be reclaimed.
You may feel that climate change is all out of context at this precedence of the Russian-Ukrainian war, but these are horrifying large numbers, these increasing temperatures are also causing people to leave their homes, making poverty even worse, and increasing hunger. It’s rightful that we are looking at this war and feeling the pain, I just hope that we feel the same about the impacts of climate change. In numbers I presume, the impact of this war can be attributed to the 1/10th of the impact of climate change each year.
And please, In no way do I mean, that the lives lost in this war were less important, but rather I would like to retain the importance as it could be just a tiny fraction of what we are likely to see in the next few decades. And, we will all be affected by it regardless of our geographic location.
The Russian invasion in Ukraine will affect the net-zero carbon goals.
If the world doesn’t settle down to a global peace agreement, our race against time to reduce emissions will escalate in the years ahead. Russia’s actions could lead to a major setback for reaching net-zero carbon emissions, which is the key to controlling the changing climate.
Russia supplies more than a third of Europe’s natural gas and 25 percent of its oil. Now as the matter is surging, it becomes a threat that the policymakers of these European countries will emphasize again fossil fuel to cover up their shortage of oil and energy. Because that’s the only steady and practical plan they would foresee. So these countries will go back to a stage that will result in a significant increase in greenhouse gas again. And we will go back to the time from where the recovery will be even slower, and frankly, we can’t afford it.
Secondly, if the stronger bodies like the UN are compromised, the other climate treaties, governing bodies, and organizations can be compromised as well. And I can’t quantify that impact at all, that would be way huge to even estimate. So the only call possible is that the UN acts upon, like right now, and maintain the gravity of its own worthiness. It’s their responsibility to mitigate these wars with equitable resolutions.
Hopefully, this war will convince the world’s leaders that reliance on fossil fuels should be decreased as soon as possible. So that such events don’t impact their economy. If they had access to adequate renewable energy sources, the panic they are experiencing would not have existed.
The Closing Note: Russian-Ukrainian war 2022 and its impact on climate change
And If, if, such things will keep on happening the impacts of climate will worsen. And it is already evident that the cost and casualties a climate disaster is creating are way bigger than what we have witnessed in the period of coronavirus or even in world war 2.
It’s my humble appeal to everyone, to contribute towards ending this war in any way you can. So that both nations can enter into a long-term peace agreement.
This war will have an impact on your life. And now what matters is what are we going to do about it.
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