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IMPACT
I’VE GOT 99 PROBLEMS BUT CLIMATE CHANGE AIN’T ONE
The impact climate change will have on our everyday lives is immense. Zoya Gulshin sheds light on the ways in which we will be affected if we don’t act now. What comes into your head when you think of climate change? Global warming? Rising sea levels? Paper straws? I certainly hope the thought ‘it’s not my problem’ isn’t one that pops up. If everyone shared this mentality, the outcome would be catastrophic. Climate change is your problem, whether you like it or not. It’s easy to brush off the topic and fool yourself into thinking that climate change is a concern for anyone but yourself. An issue for anyone, ranging from the government to big corporations and maybe even future generations, to solve. Adopting this kind of mindset may be easier; one less stress for us in a world that appears to constantly fuel our anxieties.
“Climate change is your problem, whether you like it or not”
In this world I’ve got 99 problems, but climate change is not one. Well it should be. Here’s a very small list detailing how climate change will affect you directly. As students, we live on a very tight budget. We thank God for blessing us with the likes of Aldi and Lidl, and marvel at the wide range of budget-friendly options they have to offer. There is no better feeling than picking up an inexpensive loaf of bread and having money left over to treat yourself to something else. Well, hold onto that feeling as you may not be experiencing it for much longer. The United Nations reports that climate change is affecting food security severely. Increases in the incidence and intensity of heatwaves and droughts will have knock-on effects on the growth and production of staple crops. As production decreases, retailers will
have no choice but to increase the price of these products. For you, what was once a staple part of your diet may just turn into a luxury item you can very rarely afford.
Coffee. One necessity for nearly everyone. It’s an accommodating potion, helping us work through the night to meet our deadlines. A quick pick-me-up in the middle of a long day. Soon, you may have to find a replacement. Most coffee comes from the Arabica coffee tree which flourishes in the cool temperatures of mountain slopes. As temperatures increase, farmers are forced to travel further to find cool air for these trees to grow. If we continue at the rate we’re going, eventually cool air will be a sensation of the past. One article estimates that by 2050, we have a high risk of losing nearly half of the land that is suitable for the growth of coffee beans due to the drastic changes in the climate. It seems we may have to find a new drink to replace the iconic pumpkin spice latte. Are you prone to a pint of beer or two on a Friday evening? It’s a classic drink many have alongside a fabulous Sunday roast. If it’s something you enjoy and drink regularly, you should know that production of the key ingredients in beer are threatened by the effects of climate change. The consequences of climate change range from drought to heavy rainfall. Both can damage hops and barley crops which would, thus, cause a decline in beer production. An article from the scientific journal Nature Plants suggests that as beer manufacturing decreases, prices will inevitably increase. It’ll be like Freddos all over again but, instead, beer fear. One day, you’ll sit and reminisce over just how much of a bargain a pint used to be.
