The consequences of accelerating global warming in the world and in the garden

Despite all the promises, international agreements, commitments made, and goals set, global warming – along with its consequences – is accelerating. That the containment of the global average temperature, the effects of climate change, and the resulting disasters are not a priority for world governments is nothing new. However, it is also true that the situation is worsening much faster than expected, and it is time to face a future that is beginning to frighten us.

Eight years have passed since the negotiations that led to the Paris Climate Agreements. At the time, it was agreed to keep the global average temperature below 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Unfortunately, however, it took less than a decade for emissions to increase and for the hottest temperatures ever recorded to be registered.

1. Taking stock of global warming in 2021
2. Global warming is accelerating
3. The consequences of global warming
4. The effects of the climate crisis on home gardens

Taking stock of global warming in 2021

In Europe, global warming is progressing twice as fast as in the rest of the world. The continent is actually the one that has worked the most – although never enough – on reducing emissions to contain the climate crisis. Yet, given its location, the consequences of global warming in Europe are presenting themselves much more forcefully than the global average. This was estimated by the State of the European Climate report drawn up by the World Meteorological Organization and Copernicus, the European satellite monitoring system for the climate.

According to the study, the most at-risk part of Europe is the Arctic, where global warming is said to be up to 7 times more intense than the global average, so much so that the extent of sea ice has never recorded such low numbers.

But the real problem caused by the persistent advance of climate change is the increase in extreme weather events. These are particularly intense and dangerous meteorological phenomena, once very rare and today frighteningly frequent. They can be heatwaves, tornadoes, flash floods, uncontrollable storms, very long periods of drought, all very dangerous phenomena. In 2021, the extreme events that occurred on European soil affected over 500,000 people and caused hundreds of deaths, with an estimate of damages exceeding 50 billion dollars.

Global warming is accelerating

As we said, eight years ago, the Paris Agreements were signed and it was promised to reduce emissions, to switch to renewable energy, to limit waste, in order to contain the global average temperature. However, despite the promises, the last eight years have been the hottest ever recorded.

We are not just talking about extremely high temperatures at any time of the year – of which 2022 is the perfect summary, with the terrible and dry summer, and the autumn of the mildest temperatures ever recorded. We are also talking, above all, about the consequences caused by global warming. For example, the rate at which sea levels are rising, twice as fast as in the 1990s. The speed at which glaciers are melting is also increasing. The Alps are the protagonists of this phenomenon, which, due to strong heatwaves, have seen the thickness of the glaciers decrease by as much as 3-4 meters compared to the average. And even the oceans are subject to intense heatwaves, which alter and destroy the marine ecosystem.

The consequences of global warming

Perhaps, the most serious consequence of global warming is the impact it has on precipitation. The areas of the world with a mild climate, such as Italy, are slowly losing the benefits of the Mediterranean climate, replaced by an increasingly tropical climate: very hot, and with scarce rainfall. According to the Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, in Italy rainfall has decreased by 104.8 millimeters, i.e., by 19%, compared to the first half of the 20th century. This drought causes damage to people, crops, and all ecosystems, and it is especially dangerous for crops, which are essential for our survival.

The effects of the climate crisis on home gardens

Surrounding ourselves with greenery, having a garden or even just a balcony full of plants, is a small gesture we can all do to fight the climate crisis. Yet, even our gardens will suffer the consequences of global warming. First of all, many native species risk no longer finding, in the territories where they were born, the climate they need. This is not only happening in Italy with plants typical of the Mediterranean climate, but in all places in the world that see the climate changing. From the typical trees of the South American states to English lawns, drought and rising temperatures will inevitably change the flora of the whole world.

In our gardens, we certainly need to say goodbye to lawns that need a lot of irrigation, such as classic English lawns, but it is not the only change we will see. Strange temperatures alter the life cycle of many plants and flowers: wild plants no longer know when to appear, roses with an altered cycle no longer know when to bloom. Trees typical of our territory will no longer be able to survive and will be replaced by plants typical of tropical environments.

Fortunately, nature always manages, somehow, to adapt, and we should learn from it. However, the major changes it is experiencing will inevitably also have an impact on our lives. And if nature manages to adapt to survive, it is not certain that we will be able to do the same, unless we immediately put a brake on the climate crisis. Before it is too late.