Why Worry About Climate Change?

by Anita Halvorssen

Why do we need to worry about climate change? It’s not affecting our lives; why should we care if a typhoon in Philippines in 2013 killed thousands of people? There is always some natural disaster happening somewhere in the world.

I teach climate change law, I have a climate scientist come talk to my class at the beginning of each term so that the students will understand the science of climate change better. The scientist also explains the scope of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report. The panel includes thousands of scientists that review the science of climate change every five years.

While many in the United States may think we are being spared from climate change, the truth is, we are not. The drought in California and Hurricane Sandy are prime examples, as was the flooding in Texas and the wildfires that are happening with more frequency throughout the West. Natural disasters are happening more often and are more severe as a result of climate change. Even if we can’t connect a particular disaster to climate change, the weather events are following the pattern predicted for climate change. The prospects are not good if we don’t take climate change much more seriously, starting yesterday. And some quarters are purposely trying to stall action on climate change.

The public needs to be aware of the seriousness of this situation. We all have to do our bit, but the cities, state and nation states around the world need to take action.

Teaching climate change law is great, but it’s not enough; I need to get the word out about climate change to a bigger crowd. It occurred to me that people aren’t reading long scientific reports unless it’s their job. But people still enjoy a good yarn, so I have written a novel – a climate change thriller. The Dirty Network is not like many environmental novels that are set in a futuristic timeframe and are apocalyptic. My novel is happening right now.