What is this 1.5 °C? 1.5 °C is the threshold value for healthy life on Earth. This definition, which entered our lives in 2018 with the “1.5 °C Report” published after the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), an organization of the United Nations, states that if our world warms 1.5 °C more than before the industrialization period, our future will be under great threat. The period that started 11,000-12,000 years ago, when the climate followed certain values ​​and order, is defined as the Holocene Period that we are in. The Anthropocene Period, which started with the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere in the 18th century, can be defined as the period when climate change occurred due to the impact of humanity. In the Anthropocene Period, the impact of humanity on the world reached its highest levels with the Industrial Revolution, the technological developments that took place led to a significant increase in the need for energy, and the earth began to warm more rapidly with the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere more rapidly. * In order to better understand the seriousness of the warming that threatens the future of our world, if we express it numerically; the temperature of the earth, which has continued for thousands of years and has increased by only 1 °C since the emergence of civilizations, is expected to increase between 1.5 °C and 5.8 °C by 2100. And while the expectation is so high, the “collapse threshold” for life to continue healthily on earth is only 1.5 °C! If this limit is exceeded, it is likely that our world will experience very difficult to reverse destruction. So, what kind of threats await us if governments do not care about this 1.5 °C limit and take steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? I would like to share in order to raise awareness. The weather conditions that will deteriorate as a result of climate change directly threaten human health by changing the spread of infectious diseases and other diseases and increasing air pollution. Today, an average of seven million people die every year worldwide as a result of air pollution. 95% of the world's population lives in regions that do not provide the healthy air characteristics recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Climate change can increase ozone pollution, which causes asthma attacks and other illnesses, and weaken climate systems that can clean polluted air in densely populated areas. Rising temperatures and the potential for famine and severe weather are expected to harm food production. Unless adaptation is made to severe weather, each degree of global warming could reduce global crop yields by 6.0% for wheat, 3.2% for rice, and 7.4% for corn, and reduce the nutritional value of crops. Droughts in many regions could threaten food security. Even 2 degrees of global warming could put 84 million people at risk of starvation by 2050. Extreme temperatures could increase the frequency of forest fires, melting glaciers in the polar regions and oceans, and flooding and erosion. Climate change is expected to significantly harm the global economy. Even 2 degrees of warming could slow the economic growth of many countries, especially poor countries. Fossil fuels, one of the biggest causes of climate change, provide less employment than low-carbon technologies. Continuing to use fossil fuels intensively will hinder employment growth. Fishing and aquaculture are already under threat from ocean warming and acidification. These effects are expected to worsen as temperatures rise. An additional 2.5 billion people are expected to be added to the urban population by 2050, with 90% of this growth expected to occur in Asia and Africa. The number of vehicles using fossil fuels is also expected to increase with the increasing population. More fossil fuels mean more greenhouse gas emissions. Famines and hunger that will occur with climate change are likely to bring human conflicts and forced migration. If access to food and clean water is restricted, security problems may occur in many parts of the world. In addition to malnutrition, harsh working conditions and stress indirectly threaten human health. As we have read, exceeding the 1.5°C limit seriously threatens the future of our world in environmental, social and economic terms. So, How Can We Prevent All These Bad Scenarios? With the responsibility and awareness of leaving a world for our future with better quality water and seas, cleaner air, healthier people, far from famine and hunger, more economic growth and employment, where we can live safely; we should switch to a lifestyle that will provide less greenhouse gas emissions, review our consumption habits and at this point, resource saving should not be ignored, especially the economic and correct use of water resources should be considered, fossil fuel use and carbon emissions should be eliminated, and the use of renewable energy sources should be expanded in every area of ​​life and production. Our children deserve to live in a cleaner world, and it is our responsibility to provide them with a healthier future. With the dream of a cleaner and more livable world, until we meet in my next article in Yeşil Köşe, stay healthy…

Sidar Anil Ozalp