United Nations calls on everyone to end ‘war on nature’: ‘This is suicidal’

The United Nations is calling on people worldwide to stop “waging war on nature” as the planet achieves disturbing milestones in the battle against climate change.

In a speech at Columbia University, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “The state of the planet is broken. ... This is suicidal,” The Associated Press reported Wednesday.

Guterres pointed to “apocalyptic fires and floods, cyclones and hurricanes” that have only become more frequent in recent years, and in particular, during 2020, one of the three hottest years on record.

“Human activities are at the root of our descent towards chaos,” he explained, noting this also means humans are the ones who “can solve it.”

In this Oct. 27 photo, Herman Termeer, 54, stands on the roof of his home as the Blue Ridge Fire burns along the hillside in Chino Hills, Calif.
In this Oct. 27 photo, Herman Termeer, 54, stands on the roof of his home as the Blue Ridge Fire burns along the hillside in Chino Hills, Calif.


In this Oct. 27 photo, Herman Termeer, 54, stands on the roof of his home as the Blue Ridge Fire burns along the hillside in Chino Hills, Calif. (Jae C. Hong/)

On Wednesday, no way we can all battle climate change “without U.S. leadership,” according to Guterres

Two new UN reports, one by the World Meteorological Organization and the other by Climate Action Tracker, “spell out how close we are to climate catastrophe,” said Guterres.

The WMO report said 2020 is slated to end with the planet being warmer than the latter half of the 19th century, which is used as a baseline for warming, at 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit). This warming is a result of heat-trapping gases that come from oil, natural gases, and coal burning.

The Paris climate accord aims to hit no higher than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).

WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said there’s currently “at least a one-in-five chance of ... temporarily exceeding” that threshold by 2024.

In this July 8 photo, residents swim to a riverside pavilion submerged by the flooded Yangtze River in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province.
In this July 8 photo, residents swim to a riverside pavilion submerged by the flooded Yangtze River in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province.


In this July 8 photo, residents swim to a riverside pavilion submerged by the flooded Yangtze River in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province.

But Guterres remains hopeful that next year can serve as a bit of a reset, “the year of a quantum leap towards carbon neutrality.”

Both President-elect Joe Biden and China have already pledged net-zero carbon emissions in an attempt to help curb climate change.

Even so, this year has already been a microcosm of consequences humanity faces if the world’s most powerful countries don’t get it together.

“In 2020, over 50 million people have been doubly hit: by climate-related disasters (floods, droughts and storms) and the COVID-19 pandemic,” said WMO’s report. “Countries in Central American are suffering from the triple-impact of hurricanes Eta and Iota, COVID-19 and pre-existing humanitarian crises.”

The year also saw a record 30 Atlantic named hurricanes and tropical storms, a prolonged heat wave in the Arctic, summer rains and flooding that killed thousands in the Middle East, and record wildfires in the western United States following Australia’s significant fire season and record heat.

Another new UN report published Wednesday said countries need to cut oil, coal, and natural gas production by 6% annually by 2030 to keep global temperatures from surpassing that threshold.

With News Wire Services

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