Climate change is impacting the world, changing environments and threatening nations' food security. Now, though, the UN's new report on climate change reveals that the time for environmental shifts may already be upon us.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) created a new report that doesn't just forecast changes, but actually points out the shifts that have already occurred, according to the LA Times. These changes have actually been occurring for decades, but have been largely ignored.
So what sort of changes are we seeing? According to the new report, corn and wheat yields are both down; these changes in particular could threaten the world's food security. In addition, scientists are increasingly finding a greenhouse gas fingerprint in extreme weather events around the world, according to the Guardian. Events, such as floods and droughts, can drastically change how well food crops grow. In addition, snow packs, which provide water sources to certain areas, are diminishing; this can greatly impact exactly how much water crops receive.
The new report highlights the importance of making and maintaining climate goals. It's crucial for world leaders to cut carbon emissions-especially since greenhouse-gas concentrations will continue to rise far into the future and impact climate, according to The Atlantic.
Currently, though, it seems many governments are falling behind. They're doing little to slow climate change, and they're slow to adapt to ongoing impacts, according to the LA Times. In order to survive in this particular environment, it's necessary to understand exactly how governments can act in order to deal with ongoing issues. For example, planting different crops as environmental conditions change could help increase food security. In addition, understanding what times they can be farmed will also be crucial in the future.
