So there is no doubt that this summer hot, you feel it, I feel it, this is just a known fact. You probably know that the rest of the world is having a similar problem, it was India a couple weeks ago and Europe now. So we know that the summer is hot, but do we understand why?

 The simple answer is climate change. Jamaica, Kingston especially, is expected to experience climate departure in 2023. Kingston is expected to be the second city in the world to reach climate departure. Climate departure, simply put, is when the record breaking temperatures become the new norm for the area. The hottest temperatures now will become the coolest temperatures.  So again you may ask, why is this happening? The real answer is irresponsible and unsustainable use of resources especially by huge corporations. The increase of temperature is being accelerated by the burning of fossil fuels for eg coal and the wide scale clearance of land for agriculture. The big industries have the most responsibility to put a stop to it and unfortunately the people who will be most affected by their actions are vulnerable people and vulnerable countries like Jamaica. 

Science behind climate change The reality is there are a tonne of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As a matter of fact, according to Amnesty.org, these are the highest levels recorded over the last 800,000 years. Usually the sun reflects much of the sun’s heat into the atmosphere. With an increased levels of greenhouse gases, they trap the suns heat in a similar fashion to how greenhouses trap heat, hence the name. 

Effects of climate changeWith the temperature increasing, the polar ice caps will melt, affecting the animals living there and raise sea levels. Rising sea levels is a big concern for Kingston among other places like low lying areas and coastal towns and cities. We already see this being a problem in Hellshire for example. Coupled with the overfishing of parrot fish, where there is so much erosion of the shoreline. The little shops that are usually there are almost on the sea now. There have been similar reports in Portland. We need the buffer between sea and land. There is no doubt that as time goes on there will be more and more complaints about this.  Warmer seas also means stronger and more frequent hurricanes. The Caribbean is especially prone to hurricanes and devastation is very expensive to deal both emotionally and economically.  

What we do about climate changeWhile turning off lights when not in use, generally using less energy and adopting sustainable practices in our own lives like planting trees will make us feel good inside, it won’t reverse climate change. This is not to say that we should waste energy and ruin the planet. Every mickle mek a mukkle which means every small thing counts. So please, turn of the lights when not in use, eating less meat will help, use energy efficient appliances, tell your parents to switch to energy saving bulbs and plug out things not in use. However, the people that are causing the most impact will need to reduce their impact significantly. The world’s largest producers of greenhouse gases will need to reduce their emission significantly. There can’t be wide scale clearing of forests for profits. There needs to be  greater utilization of renewable energy and investments in countries that would have difficulty employing these measures. I can only hope the wealthy people benefiting the most from these harmful industries will take their mind out of their pockets and think about the future of the planet. While celebrities are preaching about sustainable practices, I hope they aren’t buying and using private jets. Pressure the government for laws that focus on climate change. Hold them accountable for taking care of the environment. The last we need to be doing is sacrificing our environment for money. The money the country could make isn’t consolation for the severe impact climate change will have on the most vulnerable in our society. So yes, the place hot, b and it’s about to get hotter. The temperature we’re feeling is a small part of the sinister effects of climate change.  

— Trevann Hamilton