Climate crisis specialists: the coronavirus was a surprise, but climate change will bring many more surprises | 15MAX

Although four years have passed since the Paris Climate Agreement, the issue of climate change in Lithuania raises more questions than it becomes a priority.

Climate change does not dominate the political agendas of the parties, not even during the electoral period. It is no secret that current environmental plans are not enough. Why is that? What should be the environmental and climate change plans in the near future?

Answers to these and other similar questions were sought in the discussion. “Climate change: how we will live for the next 4 years”. An expert from the Environmental Coalition spoke about the climate, its change, crisis and problems Karolina Gurjazkaitė, Professor at the Department of Hydrology and Climatology at Vilnius University Arūnas Bukantis, Baltic Environment Forum Expert Audronė Alijošiutė-Paulauskienė and activist of the FridaysForFuture Vilnius movement Gabija Gorobecaitė. The discussion was moderated by an LRT journalist Rūta Kupytusė.

The weather is changing very fast

According to A. Bukantis, climate change is dramatic, and one thing must be taken into account: realizing not only the existence of climate change itself, but also the fact that it is happening at an unprecedented rate.

“It just came to our knowledge then. Along with the rise in temperature, which has risen by more than one degree since the mid-18th century, other processes are taking place. These include melting of glaciers and melting of permafrost, flooding, rising sea ​​level, ocean acidification, droughts, extreme events that occur in various parts of the world.

It is a bouquet of various phenomena that ultimately affect not only our daily lives, but also cause geopolitical tensions, which can even lead to wars. It even affects the economy. In other words, climate change rules us, ”said A. Bukantis in the discussion.

There is a lack of information on how this will actually affect a person.

Gurjazkaitė added, saying that climate change is not just a distant phenomenon – it will affect nature, people, the environment and the economy: “I can say what I find problematic: there is a lack of information on how it will actually affect people. “.

According to the discussion participant, there is no structured and clear information that is clear and accessible, instead of being hidden piecemeal among several hundred pages of the report.

“As an example, I recalled that in Sweden the government has prepared such a report, which is presented to everyone. Each of us will be severely affected by climate change. For example, agriculture is very sensitive to climate change, and another thing is that heat waves can affect people, their health, increase mortality and cause more frequent fungi and damage to infrastructure. Endless things.

We may already know about glaciers, but they don’t affect us that personally. I do not believe that man receives systemic information. Although we see that the effects of climate change are being felt, ”said K. Gurjazkaitė.