Climate Change

Climate change is a huge global problem.  Today we face greater frequency of weather extremes all over the world.  In the USA, 2012 is the hottest year recorded.  Within the last 15 years there were 10 warmest years.  In China 2012 was also the hottest year recorded.  Australia had a record of heat wave the same year.  In Brazil, Rio de Janeiro hit 109.8 degrees Fahrenheit for the first time since 1915.  Meanwhile, Pakistan suffered extreme flooding, and England got the wettest year since records started over 100 years ago.  The Middle East had a rare storm that brought snow, rain and flood.  Hurricane Sandy caused over $60 billion in damage.  All took place in the same year.
Other current environmental issues include the continuously rising level of acidity in the world's oceans, desertification, quick loss of biodiversity due to human actions, deforestation, and serious air pollution in many cities.  There are growing concerns about a global collapse of fish species and the loss of over 25% of the Earth's land mass.  Nearly 1 billion people in 100 countries are now at risk, while 1/3 of land mammals face distinction.  Almost 2 billion people in 40 countries now live with critically low levels of forests.

We are all connected, and globalization makes it impossible for our societies to collapse in isolation.  There must be responsible actions and policies at all levels.  Unless we make the right choice, we all will die in the common tragedy.

Sources: 

Diamond, J. (2005).  Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed.  Viking Press.

ISBN 0-14-303655-6

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collapse:_How_Societies_Choose_to_Fail_or_Succeed

Climate Change Facts

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/basics/facts.html