The Uninhabitable Earth

 I just finished reading The Uninhabitable Earth, by David Wallace-Wells, and wow, was it heavy.  Having a background in environmental science and having studied climate change, I can't say that I found anything too shocking about what was in the book, but the fact that it was all there, in one book, in 12 chapters titled The Elements of Chaos, was an eye opener and soul crusher to be sure.

In the book, Wallace-Wells lays out all of the data he's acquired through his collection of articles related to climate change.  It's a lot of data.  When most of us think of climate change, we think of unprecedented weather events, sea levels rising and maybe climate refugees.  This book exposes us to the 100s of other consequences we may not be aware of.  Below is a list of climate change consequences that I had either never thought of, or was only vaguely aware of.

Bitcoin- to be honest, I only vaguely know of bitcoin as a concept. I had no idea how it was generated or the fact that 'mining Bitcoin uses as much electricity as nations like the Netherlands'.  I still don't really understand how bitcoin is mined, but apparently the thousands of computers calculating math problems 'produces as much CO2 each year as a million transatlantic flights.'  So, we are relying on technology to save us from the destruction of the climate, while simultaneously causing destruction through excessive use of electricity the majority of which isn't green.

Food- Not only will climate change shift where we are able to grow food (our current breadbasket will become too hot and dry to grow grains- the wheat belt is shifting 160 miles each decade), it will also reduce the nutrient value of our foods.  As CO2 builds in the atmosphere, there is a decrease in the nutrient content of our food- 'drops in protein, iron, zinc, and vitamins B1,B2,B5 and B9' were found in rice, which is the protein staple in many parts of the world.  So, not only will it be more difficult to grow food, the resulting food will be less nutrient dense.

Oceans- Oceans account for 70% of the Earth's surface and absorb 1/4 of the carbon emitted by humans, and 90% of the excess heat.  As a result, the oceans are acidifying and there are now over 400 dead zones in our oceans.  Areas where there is no longer any oxygen and nothing can survive.  The oceans are a major food source for much of the human species and a very large producer of oxygen which is essential to human survival.

Air Pollution- As climate change progresses, there will be more air pollution- particles in the air as a result of desertification (think the dust bowls of the 1920s USA), and ozone smog.  With an increase in air pollution, one can expect an increase in heart disease, cancer of all kinds, respiratory disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes like premature birth.  Air pollution is also linked to worse memory, attention deficits and autism spectrum disorders.  With CO2 at 930ppm (twice what the atmospheric CO2 is now) cognitive ability declines by 21%.  At at time when we are going to need humanity to be at its best and brightest, human health will be failing.

Diseases- Boundaries that currently exist for mosquito borne diseases like yellow fever and malaria are going to shift exposing billions more people to those threats.  The number of people with disease from mosquitoes, ticks and fleas has tripled in the US in just the last 13 years.  The planet could harbour 100,000 yet-to-be-discovered viruses and we don't know the effects of climate on the bacteria in our bodies.  For example, there was a 'mega-death' event in the population of saiga- a small antelope found in Asia- as a result of warmer temperatures, increased humidity and a bacteria that had been harmless until the conditions changed.  This bacteria multiplied rapidly and travelled from the tonsil, where it had been living in harmony for many, many generations, to the liver, kidneys and spleen.  We have thousands of bacteria that live on and within our bodies.  As climate changes, will our symbiotic relations with these bacteria also change?

Imagine all of these things happening at the same time as economies are collapsing, governments are unravelling and violence on the planet is increasing.  Wallace-Wells paints a bleak picture, but it is one we all need to see.  We have already increased the planetary temperature by 1 degree and are well on our way to 2 degrees.  At this point, we can't prevent that from happening, but what we can do is avoid the absolute devastation that occurs at an increase of 3 or 4 degrees.  We know how.  We have the ways.  Now we just need the will to do it.